California Injury Lawyer Blog

NORTHERN VACAVILLE - A four-vehicle crash Monday evening on Interstate 80 left 42-year-old Kelly Myers critically injured, the Vacaville Reporter said. According to news accounts, at about 8:05 p.m., Myers was driving a navy blue Dodge van westbound on I-80, just east of the Interstate 505 onramp, when her vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. The impact caused Myers to lose control of her van and collide with a Caltrans vehicle parked in a construction zone. The van overturned and landed on its roof. Myers suffered major head-injuries as a result of the collision, and was flown by CALSTAR air ambulance to University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Her 14-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter were taken to VacaValley Hospital where they were treated and later released. A Santa Cruz man suffered minor injuries after his silver Honda CRV was rear-ended by a black 2004 Acura sedan driven by Fredy Herrera, 36, of San Leandro. Witnesses reported seeing Herrera "driving well over 100 mph" prior to the collision.

Cause of the June 20th Solano County Accident

The Contra Costa Times reported that it was unclear which vehicle struck Myers' Dodge van. CHP investigators are looking for anyone who may have witnessed the Solano County crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP at (707)428-7300.

Personal Injury Liability

Multi-vehicle accidents such as this Interstate 80 crash have unique and often complex legal issues when it comes to resolving an insurance claim. Based on reports that one of the vehicles was travelling at a very high rate of speed, it appears that there may have been some reckless driving involved. While this accident remains under investigation, the injured victims or their families would be well-advised to speak with an experienced and knowledgeable northern California injury attorney. An attorney who understands the challenges victims of multi-vehicle freeway accidents face can help the victims protect their rights to recover maximum compensation for medical expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Continue reading "Vacaville Woman Critically Injured in Rear-End Crash on Interstate 80 " »

ALBANY - A Ford Explorer SUV rollover tragically killed a 48-year-old Oakland man Monday morning in Alameda County, Mercury News reported. The accident was reported on eastbound Interstate 80, just west of Buchanan Street, at about 10 a.m. on Monday, April 18, 2011. The victim, identified by the Alameda County coroner's bureau as Napoleon Quintero, was driving a white Ford Explorer with his wife and two children when for unknown reasons, he lost control of the vehicle, causing the SUV to roll multiple times. Quintero's wife suffered a broken leg, and his two children suffered minor to moderate injuries.

Cause of the April 18th Accident

The cause of the SUV rollover accident remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol At this point, the news reports raise more questions than answers as to what happened. It is not clear why Quintero lost control of his vehicle. Vehicle rollovers can occur for many reasons, from unsafe steering maneuvers to tire blowouts to dangerous road conditions. Hopefully, the investigation by the CHP will provide answers as to why this tragic rollover occurred.

SUV Rollover Accident Liability

Ford Motor Co. and other vehicle manufacturers have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements to victims of SUV rollover accidents and their families. If a design defect in the vehicle is determined to have caused or contributed to the fatal accident, the manufacturer of the car may be liable for the wrongful death of the driver, Napoleon Quintero, and the injuries sustained by his family members in the vehicle with him. Following a fatal Ford Explorer rollover crash such as this April 18th crash on Interstate 80, the family members of the victims of this crash would be well-advised to speak with a California SUV rollover accident lawyer.

Although no money awarded in a verdict or settlement can bring back a loved one's life taken too soon, a personal injury or wrongful death claim can ensure responsible parties are held accountable, and that future similar occurrences may be prevented. Damages awarded in wrongful death claim may include compensation for anticipated future earnings and financial contributions the decedent would have earned, funeral and burial expenses, and loss of love, care, affection, guidance and companionship.

Continue reading "Oakland Man Killed in Ford Explorer Rollover on Interstate 80 " »

HERCULES - Major injuries were reported in a two-vehicle accident Wednesday morning on Interstate 80, the Mercury News reported. The incident involved a PT Cruiser and a pickup truck, and was reported at about 7 a.m. in the westbound lanes of I-80 near Willow Avenue. Further details on the cause of the April 6th accident were not available. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the Hercules car accident.

Car Accident Personal Injury Liability

After any major injury accident, injured victims or their family members would be well-advised to consult with an experienced California highway accident lawyer. A skilled personal injury attorney can help the injured parties protect their rights to obtain maximum financial compensation from whoever is responsible for the accident. Damages recovered in a personal injury claim may include medical care and treatment expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other damages. Because accident victims have only a limited time frame to pursue a claim, it is advisable to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible following an accident.

Continue reading "Major Injuries Reported in I-80 Crash in Contra Costa County " »

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 " »