California Injury Lawyer Blog

SOLANO COUNTY - The San Francisco Chronicle reported at least 31 vehicles were involved in a pileup on Highway 37 Wednesday morning. According to the news report, ten tow trucks were called to the scene of 11 separate collisions on eastbound Highway 37 near Skaggs Island Road. Several people were injured, including a motorcycle. At least one vehicle went off the road and into water. The CHP reported poor visibility in heavy fog contributed to the collisions.

Determining Personal Injury Liability

Accidents such as this February 8th crash in Vallejo may be complex for insurance companies to handle. While this incident remains under investigation by the CHP, the injured victims would be well-advised to speak with an experienced and knowledgeable Vallejo accident lawyer. A Solano County personal injury attorney who understands the unique legal issues arising from multi-vehicle accidents can help the injured victims protect their legal rights and recover the maximum compensation they are entitled to receive from the party or parties responsible for their injuries.

Continue reading "Dozens of Vehicles Involved in Vallejo Pileup on Highway 37" »

SOLANO COUNTY -- A devastating Vallejo accident involving two young boys and a garbage truck occurred after 12:30 p.m. Friday, San Francisco Chronicle reported. The two boys, 8- and 12-years-old, were riding on one skateboard along Chapman Court, when they approached the intersection of Linfield Drive and collided with a Recology Vallejo truck.

Following the crash, the 8-year-old boy, "Clayo" Young, sustained major injuries and was transported to Children's Hospital in Oakland. And the 12-year-old boy, Joseph Tafoya III, was taken to Kaiser Medical Center in Vallejo, where he later died due to his injuries.

Pedestrian Accident Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Liability

In devastating accidents such as this one, where it is unclear who is at fault, the family of the two children would be well-advised to speak to a Northern California pedestrian accident lawyer to discuss their legal rights in either a personal injury or wrongful death claim.

At the law firm of Estey Bomberger, knowledgeable and experienced attorneys can help the family understand and protect their legal rights, hire an independent investigator to reconstruct the scene of the accident to determine who may be responsible, and decide the best course of action to recover the maximum compensation for funeral and burial costs, medical care expenses, pain and suffering, and other related damages in this tragic pedestrian accident.

Continue reading "Boy Tragically Killed, Another Seriously Injured in Vallejo Pedestrian Accident" »

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 " »

VALLEJO - A man suffered major injuries after being struck by a car while crossing the street in Vallejo Saturday night, the Times-Herald reported. The accident was reported at about 10 p.m. at Sonoma Boulevard and Mini Drive. The man, who was not identified, was pushing his bicycle when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle. He was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek with major trauma. The April 30th Solano County pedestrian accident remains under investigation.

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VALLEJO - A motorcyclist was taken to the hospital with moderate injuries Friday night following a collision with a car in Vallejo, the Times-Herald reported. The motorcyclist, who was not identified, was riding southbound on Broadway Street at about 8:30 p.m. when a car made a left turn into the former Walmart parking lot on Sonoma Boulevard. The driver of the car told police she did not see the motorcycle. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet. The cause of the April 29th Vallejo motorcycle accident remains under investigation.

California Law Regarding Left Turns

Under California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a), "The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety."

Motorcycle Accident Personal Injury Liability

If the driver of the vehicle is found to be responsible for this accident, the motorcyclist may be entitled to compensation for his injuries, including medical care expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other damages. Following this Solano County motorcycle accident, the injured victim or his family members would be well-advised to speak with a California motorcycle accident attorney about his legal rights and options to receive compensation for his injuries.

Continue reading "Motorcyclist Injured April 29th in Left-Turn Crash in Vallejo " »

VALLEJO - A 46-year-old Vallejo man died Saturday, one day after he rode his bicycle into a power pole support cable on Friday, KTVU News reported. According to police, the victim, Richard Allan Schlesier Jr. was riding north on the eastern sidewalk in the 2000 block of Sacramento Street at about noon on April 15, 2011 when he struck the cable. He fell to the ground and suffered head injuries, and was subsequently taken to John Muir Medical Center where he died at about 2 p.m. Saturday. Vallejo police are investigating the fatal Solano County bicycle accident.

Continue reading "Cyclist Killed in Collision with Power Pole Cable" »

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 " »

A Pacific Gas & Electric employee of almost five years was killed Wednesday in an electrical vault accident in Benicia, authorities reported. The Solano County electrical accident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. in an underground vault at Panorama Court and Panorama Drive in Benicia. According to KTVU News, fire officials in the area said they immediately dispatched rescue vehicles after receiving reports of a male employee being electrocuted in the vault, which contains 12,000-volt power lines.

The victim was identified as Maximiliano Martinez, 26, a general construction lineman who worked out of the Calistoga yard. Martinez was upgrading a transformer in the vault when the accident occurred. Three other men in his crew were with him, but Martinez was the only one inside the vault when he was electrocuted. He died at the scene.

Our deepest sympathy goes out to the family of Max Martinez and everyone who knew and loved him. Please keep his family and close friends in your thoughts and prayers.

What Caused This Accident?

Based on the news accounts of the incident, it is not clear why the accident occurred. Both PG&E and CalOSHA stayed on the scene to investigate the fatal workplace accident. Authorities will likely surely talk to the other employees at the scene and see of there was equipment malfunction and whether Martinez was trained in the operation of the equipment he was using. In such a fatal workplace accident, it is important to determine if a death is caused by someone else's negligent actions, or a defective piece of equipment.

Compensation and Third Party Claims

Although the victim's family will likely receive worker's compensation benefits from PG&E, these benefits may not sufficiently compensate the family for their loss. The family may consider speaking to a wrongful death lawyer about whether they may be entitled to compensation in a third party claim (a claim against a party other than the victim's employer). An experienced California workplace injury attorney could help the victim's family understand their legal rights, options and obligations to ensure they recover fair compensation for their devastating loss.

Continue reading "PG&E Worker Killed in Electrocution Accident in Benicia " »