RIVERSIDE COUNTY – The Press-Enterprise is reporting that four people were seriously injured in an accident caused by a suspected drunk driver. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the September 29, 2012 accident was caused by a driver who just minutes before colliding with a truck carrying three people, left the scene of another accident. CHP officers said a suspected drunk driver, identified as Edilberto Sixto, was heading west on Highway 74 near Winchester Road when he rear-ended a vehicle at a stoplight shortly after 11:20 p.m. After the rear-end accident occurred, which police described as minor, Sixto sped through a red light and traveled for about a mile down Highway 74 before veering across the double yellow lines and crashing head-on into a Toyota Tacoma. The driver of the Tacoma, two passengers in the Tacoma, and Sixto were injured in the collision and taken to Riverside County Regional Medical Center for treatment of major injuries. Sixto was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit-and-run causing injury. Riverside County DUI Accident Liability Based on The Press-Enterprise news report, the drunk driver caused this tragic crash to occur and may be liable for the damages related to the victims’ injuries. If the victims would like to pursue justice in the civil court system, it is within their best interests to seek [...] Read more »
ORANGE COUNTY – The doctor of an 85-year-old woman who caused a car crash that resulted in the tragic death of her longtime boyfriend has been named in a lawsuit filed by the victim’s family. Dr. Arthur Daigneault, who practices near the retirement community of Laguna Woods Village in Orange County, had been treating the woman, Lorraine Sullivan, for dementia two years prior to the accident. The lawsuit claims that as a result of Daigneault’s failure to initiate a process to take away Sullivan’s driver license, the tragic accident and resulting death occurred. In his deposition, Daigneault claims that when he had seen Sullivan two weeks prior to the accident, her condition wasn’t serious enough to report. On the morning of May 27, 2010, Sullivan and her 90-year-old boyfriend, William Powers, were heading home from a shopping trip when Sullivan made an errant left turn and collided with a Mercedes, which struck the passenger door of the vehicle she was driving. Sullivan sustained a head injury, and Powers suffered a broken pelvis and lunge injury in the collision. Powers succumbed to his injuries six weeks later. What to do after losing a Loved One in a Preventable Accident If you lost a parent, child, sibling, grandparent or relative in an accident that could have been prevented, you should seek the legal counsel of a knowledgeable California [...] Read more »
LOS ANGELES COUNTY – A 17-year-old Santa Ana boy was tragically killed in a fiery crash that occurred on State Route 170 in the Valley Glen area Sunday evening. A statement released by the California Highway Patrol said Miles Eubanks died at the scene of the crash after the vehicle he was a passenger in flipped and caught fire. The tragic car crash happened at about 6:30 p.m. and involved three vehicles, including the one Eubanks was traveling in. According to police, Eubanks was riding in a 2004 Chevrolet that struck a disabled Jeep in the number one lane. After hitting the Jeep, the driver of the Chevrolet and his front passenger got out of the car to check on the condition of the Jeep driver. Eubanks stayed in the Chevrolet and was unable to escape the vehicle after it flipped and caught fire after being rear-ended by a Lexus SUV. The front passenger was taken to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Guidance and Support for Surviving Family Members While police conclude their investigation of this devastating July 8, 2012 car accident, the victim’s family would be well advised to talk to a wrongful death attorney at Estey Bomberger. A consultation with one of our skilled wrongful death attorneys can be invaluable. No matter what legal path the victim’s family members choose, [...] Read more »
PENNSYLVANIA – The family of a man who was tragically killed in a collision with a tractor-trailer will receive a $26.1 million settlement from the trucking company who owned the commercial truck, the truck driver, and several other entities. David Cook, who was riding in a vehicle driven by his daughter, Kathryn Sneeringer, was instantly killed when a tractor-trailer rear-ended Sneeringer’s 2004 Toyota Matrix in July 2010. Sneeringer and her husband, who was also riding in the vehicle at the time of the accident, survived the collision, however, both suffered catastrophic injuries, including head injuries, rib fractures, brain damage, internal organ injuries, contusions, and lacerations. The settlement is believed to be the largest personal injury settlement ever in Pennyslvania. According to the wrongful death lawsuit, the driver of the tractor-trailer, Spencer Chapman, caused the tragic truck accident. The lawsuit alleged that Chapman was speeding and as a result of his excessive rate of speed, he was unable to control the truck and prevent the tractor-trailer from hitting Sneeringer’s vehicle. The lawsuit also alleged that Chapman fabricated a statement he told to police following the crash in which he claimed the sun’s glare had prevented him from seeing the stopped cars ahead of him (traffic was stopped because of road construction). If your loved one was tragically killed in a preventable truck accident, please contact a [...] Read more »
A woman who was injured in a September 2007 motorcycle accident will receive a $3 million settlement from San Bernardino County for damages related to the crash. Lisa Hermann filed a lawsuit against San Bernardino County claiming the poor condition of the road she and motorcycle driver, Vanjaymes Tonies, traveled on was responsible for causing their 2007 motorcycle accident. Hermann and Tonies were traveling on Kelso-Cima Road, located in the Mojave Desert close to the Nevada border, when they crashed. According to reports, heavy rains in the area a couple of days prior to the crash had washed out the road. Hermann sustained numerous disabling head and neck injuries in the accident. As part of the settlement, San Bernardino County will pay $78,811 to the State Department of Health Care Services for Hermann’s medical bills. A settlement with the driver of the motorcycle, Vanjaymes Tonies, is currently pending. The road has been graded periodically since the accident occurred. One of Estey Bomberger’s founding partners, Stephen Estey, is an avid motorcycle rider who can put his knowledge of motorcycles to work for riders seriously injured in motorcycle accidents. Steve and his colleagues are passionate about seeing injured clients fairly compensated for accident-related damages and are committed to winning complex personal injury cases. Call our firm today to arrange a free consultation with one of our trusted [...] Read more »
LA County supervisors awarded two Anaheim residents, Elias Aldana and Savanah Kirifi, a $4.75 million dollar settlement for damages they incurred as a result of being hit by an intoxicated Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy in June of 2008. Robert Moran was driving an LA County sheriff’s department SUV south on Beach Blvd. when he crashed into the driver’s side of a Mazda sedan driven by Aldana. Aldana and his passenger, Kirifi, were both knocked unconsciousness and hospitalized. Aldana suffered a traumatic brain injury, internal injuries and multiple broken bone injuries in the crash. Although Kirifi suffered more minor injuries in the drunk driving accident, she will also receive a portion of the settlement. Moran, who tested positive for having a blood alcohol concentration level above the legal limit of .08, was sentenced to six months in jail and three years of informal probation last year. Moran will also be required to complete a first offender DUI program and a face-off with a Mothers Against Drunk Driving panel.
DECEMBER 14, 2009 – The Long Beach Fire Department has reported two men were killed Saturday night in a crash on Spring Street, near the Long Beach Airport. The accident occurred at about 8 p.m. According to reports in the Long Beach Press Telegram, Ricardo Alcantar, 21, and Matthew Gibbons, 20, both of Long Beach, were travelling east on Spring Street when their small two-door hatchback crashed into the tunnel divider, slicing the vehicle in two and killing both Alcantar and Gibbons. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Authorities reported weather conditions were a factor in the fatal Long Beach crash.
NOVEMBER 6, 2009 — At least 10 people were taken to the hospital after a collision involving an MTA bus and another vehicle, police reported. The Los Angeles bus accident occurred around 6 p.m., on Glendale Boulevard near the entrance to California State Route 2. At least one person suffered critical injuries. The driver of the No. 92 bus appeared to have lost control of the bus and struck the center divider before colliding with a car. All of the injured victims were in the bus, police reported. The cause of the Silver Lake bus accident remains under investigation. View Larger Map
SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 – One person was critically injured and three others sustained less-serious injuries when two vehicles collided in southwest Riverside County, authorities said. The collision happened about 3:50 p.m. on Pala Temecula Road at Rancho Heights Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. One vehicle flipped onto its roof and firefighters had to extricate some occupants from their vehicles, authorities said. The most seriously injured victim was airlifted to a local hospital. Two others were hospitalized with major injuries and the other had moderate injuries, investigators said. The CHP is investigating the head-on collision. View Larger Map