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Monthly Archive for: ‘April, 2012’

South Dakota launches motorcycle safety website Comments Off

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard along with the state secretaries of Tourism and Public Safety announced the launch of a new website designed to promote safe motorcycle practices as part of a comprehensive public education campaign. The new website will offer motorcycle riders and other motorists information on state laws, motorcycle safety, rider instruction opportunities and other topics geared toward making motorcycle travel safer.

South Dakota’s governor also announced that April 9-15 has been designated as South Dakota’s Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Week. Even though motorcycles have equal rights and responsibilities to any other motor vehicle, motorcyclists are more susceptible to safety risks. The website’s primary goal is safety education, but the site will offer rider education class information, interactive motorcycle route maps which allow users to search South Dakota motorcycling routes, which are rated by degree of riding difficulty, streaming videos of streets and highways in locations throughout the state and interactive forums giving users opportunities to share photos and videos and to participate in chats with other users. According to highway traffic safety statistics, almost 80 percent of the riders and motorists involved in fatal motorcycle collisions in South Dakota come from outside of the state.

As a Sacramento personal injury attorney, I hope this effort and others like it are successful in their goal of increasing highway safety for motorists and bikers alike. If you or someone you care about has been involved in a motorcycle or automobile collision, please consider contacting a Sacramento car accident lawyer.

 

 

Posted on: 04-6-2012
Posted in: car technology, Motorcycle Accident, News, Safety

Five Car Crash in Norwalk Sends Three to the Hospital Comments Off

A massive crash in the area of Norwalk sent three people to the hospital late Thursday night.

The incident occurred shortly before 10:30 pm along the 605 Freeway going north.  The crash took place north of Rosecrans Avenue.  It’s unclear what exactly caused the crash, but the results speak for themselves:  five cars careened into each other, causing damage and blocking the roadway.  Four of the vehicles came to a stop in the Number One lane, and one of the automobiles stopped in the Number Three lane of the interstate.

As a result of the crash, three people had to be taken to nearby Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital.  The California Highway Patrol responded to the scene but did not have details readily available regarding the crash victims’ injuries nor what had specifically caused the accident.

It is unclear if this incident was related to reports that came out shortly before 11 pm which suggested that vehicles were headed the wrong way down the nearby Alondra Boulevard onramp.  These cars allegedly almost caused a number of collisions.

Lanes had to be shut down until between midnight and 1 o’clock in the morning.

As a Roseville personal injury lawyer, I’m sad to see a massive wreck such as this along our California highways.  A crash involving only one vehicle is bad enough, but when you add many more automobiles into the mix, the results can be downright catastrophic.  As a Roseville car accident lawyer, I hope the injured persons in this crash are able to recover.

Posted on: 04-6-2012
Posted in: car crash, News, pileup

Police Setting Up DUI Checkpoints Across Orange County Comments Off

Drivers in the Orange County area need to be on their best behavior this entire Easter weekend and next weekend as well.

Officers from the California Highway Patrol and various police departments across Orange County are setting up DUI checkpoints and drivers’ license checkpoints throughout the coming weeks.  All will be at undisclosed locations.

Tonight until 3 am, La Habra is the first up on the block.  The CHP will also hold their checkpoint tonight in the area of unincorporated Midway City.

Then next weekend, April 14 to be exact, the Garden Grove Police Department will set up their checkpoint.

The checkpoints tend to work like this:  once a driver goes through the checkpoint, the officers will make sure that they have a license and that it is up to date.  They will also be on the lookout for any signs that the vehicle operator is intoxicated or on drugs.

Cited drivers can expect to face hefty fines and legal trouble.  In fact, estimates by the Automobile Club show that being convicted of a DUI offense carries a fee of just over $12,000.  This includes various fines, penalties, legal costs, raised insurance premiums, and more.

As a personal injury attorney in Oakland, I’m glad to see officers doing their part to keep roads safe.  People need to be careful out there, and activities like this help to ensure that highways remains safe.  I applaud their efforts as an Oakland car accident lawyer.

Posted on: 04-6-2012
Posted in: Drinking and Driving, News, Safety

Blaze Consumes Big Rig Carrying a Load of Wine Along Bridge Comments Off

This next accident could have had dire consequences.  Yesterday morning at around 10 am, a tractor trailer was heading east along the the Richmond-San Rafael bridge when, for unknown reasons, the truck caught fire.

The 60,000 pound tractor trailer, which was hauling a load of Korbel sparkling wine, pulled over after another driver alerted the truck operator to the fact that his vehicle had caught fire.  The driver of the tractor trailer exited the vehicle and watched as the truck portion of the vehicle was consumed.  Fortunately, the trailer part of the big rig was unscathed, so no wine was damaged and no persons were injured.

The California Highway Patrol responded to the incident.  As a result of the blaze, officials were forced to close the eastbound lanes, but this only lasted for ten minutes while the San Rafael Fire Department worked to put out the blaze.  However, the rightmost lane had to be closed until just after 1 in the afternoon so that debris could be moved out of the roadway.  This caused major traffic headaches for commuters.

40 gallons of diesel were spilled, but the spill was reportedly contained.  The bridge had no damage.

I’m glad as a Sacramento personal injury lawyer that the driver of the truck escaped harm, as did various passersby.  The incident could have proven a lot worse had the driver not been alerted, and I once again advise as a car accident attorney in Sacramento that people pay close attention to vehicles around them in case something like this occurs.

Posted on: 04-6-2012
Posted in: Big Rig Accident, News, Safety

High Speed Chase Abandoned, Minnesota Police Explain Why Comments Off

Minnesota police officers that were recently in a high speed chase are explaining the dangers of such a practice, and why they made the decision to abandon the pursuit of the suspect.

The incident in question occurred Wednesday, when officers with the Wright County Sheriff’s Department responded to a reported assault in the city of St. Michael.  A suspect fled from the cops, heading down eastbound State Highway 241, before going east on Interstate 94, and eventually turning south into Bloomington by way of Interstate 494.

In the process, the fleeing suspect nearly crashed into a biker, weaved in and out of traffic, and generally put public safety at risk.  Because of this, the officers abandoned the chase.

In explaining their decision, the police have said that they had to weigh the offense against a need to preserve public safety.  They felt that because they have plenty of information about the suspect in question, they can arrest him later in a way that won’t endanger people along the highway.

They said that one must consider such things as traffic flow and the time of day.  Officers worry that units might get so focused on catching the suspect that that is all they end up paying attention to.

As a car accident lawyer in San Francisco, I’ve seen and heard about my fair share of car chases.  Arresting offenders is important, for sure, but it’s clear that a dangerous chase isn’t always warranted.  I hope as a San Francisco personal injury lawyer that all officers express sound judgment.

Posted on: 04-6-2012
Posted in: car chase, car safety, News

Two People Rescued From Flaming Car by Florida Teens Comments Off

Two Florida teenagers that just wanted to have some spring break fun in Palm Coast, Florida, are instead being hailed as heroes by the national media.

The 17 year olds were at their rental condo, and were in the midst of opening the electric gate at their lodging.  That was when a Jaguar flew past them at around 100 miles per hour.  The vehicle crashed into a couple trees and quickly caught fire.

The teens dialed 911 but it quickly became apparent that rescue workers would not arrive there fast enough.  The crash, which had nearly split the vehicle in half, required immediate attention.

One of the teens and another person attempted to wiggle the door open, but it was shut tight.  The other teenager, who was on the phone with a 911 operator, put the phone away to assist.  Together, they were able to extricate a female from the quickly burning vehicle.

However, one man was still trapped in the car, his legs stuck beneath the dashboard.  The teens reported ripping the man out and then dragging him away just in time.  Shortly thereafter, the vehicle completely burst into flames.  The two accident victims are expected to survive despite critical injuries.

As a personal injury lawyer in San Jose, I sometimes see people at their worst.  Stories like those show that humans are innately good and dedicated to helping their fellow man.  I couldn’t ask for more as a San Jose car accident lawyer.

Posted on: 04-6-2012
Posted in: accident injury, car crash, News

Alaska moves closer to banning texting while driving Comments Off

The Finance Committee of Alaska’s House of Representatives has approved a law that would specifically prohibit the sending of text messages while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.

Previously, Alaska’s lawmakers passed a distracted driving bill intended to achieve the same effect in 2008, but that restriction (which never mentioned texting by name) has since been ruled too vague by Alaska’s judiciary. Last year, a magistrate in Kenai ruled that the language in the 2008 bill is too vague to enforce. Lawmakers must specifically outline what constitutes “texting” if they want to ban its practice while driving.

House Bill 255 is an attempt to fixes the ban on texting while driving.The legislation explicitly bans texting, which the law defines as “reading or typing a text message” while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. The legislation does not address talking on a cell phone with or without a hands free device nor does it specifically mention the use of other electronic devices, such as a GPS navigation system. Before the bill can be voted on by the full House of Representatives, it must first be cleared by the House’s Rules Committee.

As a Sacramento auto accident lawyer, I have seen the damage that drivers can cause when they let their focus stray from the road ahead of them. If you have been injured in a collision involving a distracted driver, please consider discussing your case with a Burlingame auto accident attorney.

Posted on: 04-5-2012
Posted in: distracted driving, News, Safety

Office Depot recalls desk chair due to fall hazard Comments Off

Office Depot has announced a voluntary recall of more than 300,000 of its Brand Biella leather desk chairs in the United States and an additional 12,000 in Canada due to an inadequate welding connecting the gas powered lift to the seat plate, potentially allowing the chair to disconnect from the base and putting the seat’s occupant at risk for a fall.

The international office supply chain has received 11 complaints regarding of the chairs breaking and consumers falling while sitting in the chairs. Several of these complaints included reports of minor cuts and bruises as a result.

 Office Depot sold he recalled chairs exclusively at its stores nationwide and online from January 2002 through December 2008 for $55 on average. These mid-back model chairs feature a label on the underside of the chair seat leather chairs imprinted with stock-keeping unit number 130548, “REG. No. PA-25498 (CN),” and a label proclaiming that the product is “made in China.”

Owners of the affected chair models should immediately discontinue their use, and contact Office Depot’s recall hotline to claim a $55 store card that can be utilized to purchase a working replacement chair or other Office Depot products.

As a Sacramento personal injury lawyer, I’m hopeful this defective product is successfully recalled before anyone else is injured. If you have been harmed by a malfunctioning product, please consider discussing your case with a Burlingame personal injury attorney.

 

 

Posted on: 04-5-2012
Posted in: product liability, Product Recall, Safety

Big Rig and Blazer Collide in Fatal Lodi Crash Comments Off

Another person suffered fatal injuries along California highways yesterday.

This particular incident occurred at around 11:15 in the morning in the city of Lodi near Peatland Road along Highway 12.  A Blazer was headed east down the highway when the vehicle allegedly careened into the opposite incoming lanes.  It was at this time that, according to the California Highway Patrol, the vehicle crashed head-on into a big rig coming from the opposite direction.

The driver of the Blazer was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries.  The driver of the trailer truck was also injured in the incident, but the damage to his person appears to be only minor.  This is despite the fact that the truck itself slammed into a nearby irrigation canal and caught fire.  The fire consumed the big rig, but the driver was able to escape and officials were able to put the blaze out within 20 minutes.  A load of cardboard was being hauled in the trailer.

The CHP is in the process of investigating the accident.  Debris was strewn across the roadway, and the impact was so great as to damage the road itself.  Highway 12 had to be closed throughout the afternoon between Highway 160 and Interstate 5.

As a Burlingame car accident attorney, I’m sad to see yet another car accident take a life.  The damage done along the highway can seem endless at times, and the only thing we can do to mitigate such disaster is take the necessary precautions.  Being a personal injury lawyer in Burlingame, I advise everyone to be as careful as humanly possible out there.

Posted on: 04-5-2012
Posted in: Big Rig Accident, car crash, News

Accidents in Fortuna the Result of Intense Hail Storms Comments Off

Numerous collisions occurred yesterday on the 101 Freeway because of a hailstorm that made roads slick and shrank visibility to almost nothing.

The first crash to result from the Fortuna hailstorm involved a vehicle that slid off the highway while going north around 12th Street.  It happened not long before noon.  The automobile crashed into nearby trees and the driver had to be transported to St. Joseph Hospital with major injuries.

Then an incident occurred shortly thereafter which affected the southbound side of Highway 101.  Five automobiles were involved in a pileup on that side of the freeway, and two people who suffered minor injuries had to be sent to nearby Redwood Memorial Hospital.

The California Highway Patrol, the fire department, and the Fortuna Police all responded to the incident as hail continued to fall.  Traffic was limited to one lane in each direction as a result of the accident and the ensuing rescue and investigation.

But the hail wasn’t done, and one more crash occurred.  This time it happened at around 1:30 pm, when a collision that resulted in no injuries took place around Kenmar Road.

I can’t stress enough as a Sacramento car accident lawyer how important it is to drive slowly and carefully during inclement weather.  Roads are dangerous enough as it is, but throw hail into the equation, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.  Take the word of a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento, and be careful out there.

Posted on: 04-5-2012
Posted in: car crash, News, pileup
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