California Injury Lawyer Blog

A 22-year-old Sacramento woman was killed Sunday night in a crash on westbound Interstate 80 at the Antelope Road exit, the California Highway Patrol has reported. The crash involved a white 1993 Mercedes 190E and a 2003 orange Honda Element, and occurred at about 9:05 p.m. May 2. The Modesto Bee reported that the victim was identified Monday as Tessa Canavarro. Canavarro was driving a 1993 Mercedes that either clipped or was clipped by the Honda Element, driven by Jesse Oran, 32, of Carmichael.

The impact of the collision caused both vehicles to lose control and crash into the center median. Oran and three of his passengers, a 20-year-old woman, a 42-year-old woman, and a 25-year-old man were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

Cause of the Crash

The cause of this fatal May 2 accident remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, and at this point, there are more questions than answers as to why this crash happened. The vast majority of collisions can be attributed to one of four factors: driver behavior, poor roadway maintenance, roadway design, and equipment failure. Many collisions involve some type of driver behavior combined with one of the other three factors. At freeway speeds, even a small collision between two vehicles can trigger a catastrophic chain of events, as we saw in this Sacramento County crash.

Wrongful Death Liability Issues

While this accident remains under investigation, the family of the young woman killed in this accident would be well-advised to contact a Sacramento accident attorney about their legal rights in a personal injury or wrongful death claim. If negligence on the part of the other driver of any other party caused or contributed to this Interstate 80 accident, the family may be entitled to compensation for their loss in a wrongful death action. An experienced attorney can look into liability issues and advise the family of their best course of action to protect their rights in a possible wrongful death claim.

Continue reading "Sacramento Woman Killed in Interstate 80 Crash in Citrus Heights " »

The family of Tahir Sheikh Fakhar, who fell to his death on the Bay Bridge S-curve (part of Interstate 80) on November 9, 2009, has filed a wrongful death claim against the state of California and Caltrans (the California Department of Transportation). The state has 45 days to respond to the claim, which seeks unspecified damages. It is the first step in a lawsuit against the state on behalf of Fakhar's widow and two sons.

According to ABC 7 News in San Francisco, the victim's family is claiming three things in respect to the accident: (1) Caltrans failed to warn drivers by not having adequate warning signs posted; (2) the S-curve was faultily and poorly designed; and (3) the three-foot guardrail was too short. Fakhar's big rig was 12-feet high, and plunged 200 hundred feet to Yerba Buena Island. Fakhar died immediately.

Although an official report has still not been released, the California Highway Patrol has maintained that Fakhar was driving too fast at the curve, going 50 mph instead of 35 mph, when the crash occurred at 3:30 a.m. on November 9. From the time the S-Curve was opened in September until Fakhar's accident in November, there were more than 40 crashes on the curve. Fakhar's accident was the first fatality.

Since the accident, Caltrans has installed warning signs and rumble strips, and stepped up patrols in the area.

Continue reading "Family of Trucker Killed on Bay Bridge Files Wrongful Death Claim" »

A rear-end collision between a car and a FedEX Ground big rig truck on Interstate 80 early Tuesday morning left one person dead, the California Highway Patrol reported. The March 30, 2010 accident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. near West A Street in Dixon. One person in the car died in the accident and another person suffered major injuries and was taken to UC Davis Medical Center.

According to reports by News 10, the car collided with the big rig, which was parked on the shoulder of the freeway. It was not clear based on limited news reports whether the truck was legally parked, and whether the truck driver had set out safety reflectors. The family of the person killed in the accident and the person seriously injured would be well advised to talk to a California truck accident lawyer. If the big rig was parked illegally on the side of the freeway, the family may be entitled to compensation from the trucking company and the driver for being partially at fault. If the truck was legally parked, the driver of the car may be liable to the truck driver and trucking company for the damage and any injuries sustained by the truck driver.

The California injury lawyers at Estey Bomberger have handled a number of major injury and wrongful death accident claims against delivery truck companies such as UPS and FedEx, as well as accidents involving illegally parked big rig trucks. If you would like more information about your legal rights in an illegally parked semi truck claim, contact Estey Bomberger to discuss your case with an attorney.

Continue reading "One Killed in Crash Involving FedEx Big Rig on Interstate 80 in Solano County " »