Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Polaris Industries ATV model recalled

In these hard times, having to part with one’s hard earned money is suicide unless it is for investment purposes. Buying a car may be one of those investments.

However, buying a defective car is certainly a liability more than an asset. For buyers of the Polaris’ 2009-2010 models of Sportsman ATVs, their vehicles became a critical and dangerous investment.

Polaris Industries issued a recall order on roughly 8,500 of its ATVS. The recall was prompted by a defective steering knuckle. The front suspension ball joint stem could detach from the steering knuckle causing the driver to lose control.

Polaris advised vehicle owners to stop using them. It also offered free repair for the affected vehicles.

The recall was made with the assistance of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Injuries or deaths resulting from defective automobiles are liabilities of car manufacturers. Consequently, victims can file a personal injury case against them. A product liability attorney may be summoned to recover compensation claims.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Lev Foundation Gives Away Taxi Ride Vouchers to Prevent DUI Car Accidents

In an innovative approach to curb DUI car accidents this holiday season, a non-profit organization is offering cab vouchers for people to take a taxi instead of driving if they had a little drink.

Lev Foundation, an organization formed by friends and families in the memory of Daniel Levian, is giving away $10 taxi vouchers through December on its Web site.

Daniel Levian was killed in a car accident while riding a car driven by a drunk driver last year. He was just 25 at the time.

It’s a very simple gesture that can come a long way.

Drunk driving is the leading cause of car accidents in the US and every December, a spike in those numbers is always seen.

Blame it on the spirit of celebration, but a lot of Americans choose to get behind the wheel after “celebrating.”

The problem is they do not only put themselves in danger, but those around them as well.

The members of Lev Foundation just have to think of Daniel Levian to remind them of that bitter truth.

For the members of the foundation, if it could at least prevent one person from drinking and driving, then it has already accomplished its goal.

Hopefully even if we do not get free taxi vouchers, we would still avoid drinking and driving.

We just need to look at the foundation and realize that we do not want to cause that kind of harm to other people.

Not to mention the hassle that comes with it.

Aside from putting yours and other peoples’ lives in danger, you also put yourself liable for civil and criminal charges.

Just recently, a DUI driver was sentenced to 20 to life in prison for 2nd degree murder after he caused a car accident that killed one woman in San Diego.

He cried and apologized to the family of his victim calling it an accident and not murder.

However, you always have a choice.

And he chose to drive after getting drunk and he paid for the consequences of his actions.

Nobody wants to end up like him.

So take advantage of this $10 Taxi ride program, you do not know it, but it just might save you and other peoples’ lives.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Teen Who Killed Sonoma Family in Fatal Car Crash was not Drunk

Authorities were surprised to find that Steven Culbertson, the 19-year-old teen who plowed into a minivan killing a Sonoma family of four, was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

CHP officers could not believe it until they saw the negative results because of the way Culbertson was driving.

The CHP also said that they did not find any evidence that Culbertson has been at a bar before the car accident.

However, not because his DUI test turned out negative does it mean that he is not liable for the death of four members of a family.

Well, he may not be drunk at the time, but it proves that he is completely reckless.

In some ways, this is actually worse.

It means that Culbertson was consciously driving his car at 70-90mph and he also consciously ran the red light that resulted in his car crashing into the family’s minivan last November 28.

Cubertson has died in a hospital later after the crash so he has paid the ultimate price for his reckless and negligent actions.

However, even in death, the family of the victims can still hold him liable to the law.

Or at least civilly liable.

They can still file a wrongful death suit against Cubertson and if they win, they can collect from his car accident insurance policy.

Although no amount of money can replace lost family, they do deserve the damages to be awarded to them by the courts.

They can also take it as recognition from the courts that they have been wronged by Cubertson and he is liable by law for his actions.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Pedestrian Determined to Be at Fault for University City Collision

San Diego Police has determined that the 59-year-old pedestrian struck by a car in University City yesterday morning was at fault for the collision.

The pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of Nobel Drive and Genesee Avenue, and was reported at about 5:37 am.

The pedestrian sustained possible head trauma and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Luckily the pedestrian has health insurance with personal injury protection coverage.

Otherwise his assets may take a hitting from his medical treatment.

It looks like his personal injury claim will be denied if he decides to file it against the driver.

Police deemed that the pedestrian is the one at fault for the accident and the driver was not cited for any infraction, which is strong proof that the driver was not negligent at the time of the accident.

The lawyers of the insurance company that represent the driver will pound on those facts which would not be very good for the pedestrian’s case.

He could still try to talk to some car accident attorney and see if they could find another legal angle to which he can file a personal injury claim.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Maximum Penalty Slapped on DUI Convict

Finally, justice had been served to the family and friends of Emily Cathleen Dowdy who died from a hit and run accident.

A San Diego court sentenced Alan Lester Mabrey to 20 years to life in prison for Dowdy’s death. The conviction was brought about after finding that Mabrey killed Dowdy while drunk driving. At the time of the accident, Mabrey’s blood-alcohol content registered at 0.22 percent.

The evidence revealed that Mabrey had previous DUI convictions in Texas and Colorado.

For repeated DUI offenders, the maximum penalty provided by law must be imposed. The gravity of the offense and the fact that the offender seemed not to have learned his lessons must be taken into consideration.

Hit and run cases in California are the highest with 7.8 percent. According to the report conducted by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety, 18 percent of hit and run victims were pedestrians.

For the loss of innocent lives, personal injury laws give the victims’ loved ones the right to sue for compensation. With the help of a hit and run attorney, recovery for damages may be done without delay.

Snow Saves Pilot and Passenger

A recent plane accident caused by the poor visibility could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for the snow that the aircraft had landed on.

The pilot and the passenger of a turboprop TBM 850 were unharmed after they crashed onto a pile of snow near the Truckee airport as the pilot had problems on the visibility of the runway.

Plane accidents are almost always fatal. But, gladly, the recent accident didn’t result to any casualties as both the occupants were alive and unharmed.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Big Rig causes Massive Injuries

The number of accidents involving big rigs colliding with another vehicle or hitting an object on the road have increased recently. In La Mesa, a big rig hit a wall when he was travelling from I-8 connector to SR-125. There were no injuries reported from the accident. The truck had 50-foot steel pipe when it hit a barrier and rolled over. As a result, the pipe it was carrying was dislodged and hit a taxi below.

Accidents like this can be avoided if drivers are careful when they are driving. A big rig can cause so much damage especially if it hits smaller vehicles or even worse, pedestrians. The drive should not drive if he is tired or sleepy.

He should not drive when he is distracted like using his cell phone to text messages or talk to someone. Drivers should not over speed, drive when they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Victims of big rig accidents may file a claim to reimburse all damages from what happened. They should hire a lawyer specializing in this type of case. He should be familiar with the case to handle it well. The lawyer’s fee can be negotiated before the court trial. The claim can reimburse the medical fees, the doctors’ fees, property damages, pain and suffering.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Dead Driver in Bus Crash Suffered Cardiac Arrest

Fifty seven-year-old Lynne Marie Monson who was driving a City of Gardena municipal bus was said to have died of cardiac arrest in a bus accident wherein she hit a fire hydrant and a couple of power poles before crossing the median and stopping in front of a house.

The four passengers onboard were not harmed but some streets had to be shut down because of the accident.

Monson’s supervisor told authorities that she recently went through a physical exam which shows no medical problem.

Accidents caused by heart attacks and other medical emergencies which stops a person from focusing on the road is very unfortunate. So, if a motorist begins feeling dizzy or uncomfortable, he must park the vehicle on the shoulder lane to avoid troubling other motorists on the road.

This type of fatal collision is unpredictable as a motorist may be fine for one moment and be fighting hard to breathe the next.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Speeding, Black Ice Cause of Fatal Rollover

Authorities believe that unsafe speed and the slippery road condition have caused the recent fatal rollover accident in San Jose's Almaden Expressway.

Reports indicate that the unidentified man was travelling a two-door Ford Mustang when it went off an embankment and rolled over a couple of times before resting on a nearby parking lot.

During the winter season, drivers must be cautious of their speed as roads are especially slippery because of ice and so they may easily lose control over their vehicles. Also it would be wise to install tire protection chains to have a better grip on roads.

These road accidents are potential causes of catastrophic injuries especially if speed is a factor. So, it is wise to be cautious than suffer the consequences of a personal injury accident.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

4-Year-Old Kid Dragged in Hit-And-Run Accident

Deaths in car accidents are always tragic. What’s even worse is when helpless children become victims of these reckless acts.

Yesterday morning, a four-year-old kid was struck by a car pulling out of a parking lot while he was riding his scooter to Smythe Academy in Sacramento.

What makes this really bad is that the driver did not stop his car, but instead sped away, dragging the poor kid.

The boy was taken to UC Davis Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Under the law, all individuals involved in a car accident are required to stop and exchange information with the other parties involved including their name, address, contact number, insurance provider and policy number.

Aside from exchanging information, we are also required to provide reasonable assistance to those who are injured in the collision.

The law is not asking us to play doctors, but we should assist in ways that we can like calling 911 and arranging transport of the injured party to a hospital.

Sadly, we will never know what would have happened if only the hit-and-run driver stopped and assisted the kid.

What if he stopped? He would not have dragged the poor boy through the pavement. The injuries would not have been as serious, and he could have been given medical attention sooner.

The family are just left to wonder what could have been if he just did not speed away.

Police are now looking for this runaway driver. They described the car as a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Nissan Maxima.

It may also have front-end damage due to the collision.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Reckless Driving Kill Lives

When driving, it is important to do all necessary safety measures so that no one will be involved in an accident. Wearing a seatbelt, maintaining the speed under the required limit, not driving when intoxicated, placing a child on a car seat and others are some of the actions drivers and passengers can do.

In Irwindale, a car accident took away the life of a woman when she was ejected from the car she was riding. She died on the spot. The car overturned when it turned right on a dirt edge. Police were still baffled on the cause of the accident. The driver had injuries on his left hand and right leg.

Car accidents can be avoided if drivers are careful when driving. A person has only one life and it can never be gained once it is gone. There are traffic rules and regulations implemented by the government to prevent and avoid accidents from happening.

The resulting injuries or deaths caused by a car accident can be devastating to the victims and their families. It can also be very expensive to finance the medical fees not to mention the amount of expenses to repair the car’s damage. The victims have the right to claim for damages.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Metrolink Engineer Investigated in Nov. 24 Incident

Metrolink has yet to overcome last year’s deadly head-on Chatsworth collision when another incident raised another concern.

In the last November 24 incident, a commuter train engineer ran a red signal as another passenger train approached on a section track.

Upon investigation, California Public Utilities Commission revealed that the engineer declared an “emergency after passing the signal and stopped before going through a switch and onto a section of the train being used by an oncoming Metrolink train.”

Investigators were planning to review video camera to determine any violation of safety rules.

Following the incident, the engineer and conductor were both placed under administrative leave pending investigation.

Train accidents often result in disastrous outcome including deaths and property damages. Just like other accident, train collisions are avoidable if safety rules are only observed.

If a train crash occurs due to negligent operation, a train accident lawyer can help pursue a personal injury case against the party at fault.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The Real Cause of Tiger Woods’ Car Accident

The car accident that Tiger Woods was recently involved in has attracted a lot of attention. He was fined $164 and had four points against his driver’s license. He collided into a fire hydrant and a three last week. He suffered minor injuries on his face.

Apparently this news has unearthed more dirt on the real reason why he got into a car accident in the first place. One publication reported that he was having an affair that was why his wife was after him with a golf club.

He was not drunk and reportedly did not seem to be involved in a fight with anyone. His injuries were said to be consistent with the accident he got into.

In most car accident cases, the usual reason is the driver’s negligence. He may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, sleepy or tired, over speeding or using his cell phone. These actions can result to a collision. A driver should be alert and focus when he is behind the wheels because it is not safe to be distracted. It may result to a car accident.

If Woods’ real cause for the car accident is one of the actions listed above then it should not be tolerated and done by other drivers.