Posted on June 03,2015 in Wrongful Death

On May 28, it was reported that Bruce Jenner, who was involved in a car accident that killed a woman in California in February, asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit that was filed against him. The lawsuit was filed against Jenner in early May by the deceased woman's stepchildren.

In February, Jenner reportedly collided with a Lexus, which resulted in the vehicle being pushed into oncoming traffic. The Lexus slammed into a Humvee, killing the 69-year-old female driver of the Lexus. Five individuals who were in the Humvee suffered injuries that were considered to be non-life-threatening. Jenner was reportedly uninjured in the crash. The plaintiffs claimed in their lawsuit that they suffered enormous damages and that Jenner was driving negligently when the accident occurred.

Jenner's legal team stated that the two plaintiffs, ages 57 and 60, were financially independent and that Jenner should not be responsible for any damages they may have sustained. No charges were filed against Jenner and it did not appear that he was under the influence when he collided with the Lexus.

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 Posted on June 01,2015 in Wrongful Death

A California mental health care facility has been accused of negligence in a wrongful death lawsuit by the soap opera star Kristoff St. John and his wife. The litigation follows the 2014 suicide of the couple's 24-year-old son Julian. The young man took his own life after a long battle with schizophrenia. However, 'The Young and the Restless" star claims that the tragedy was foreseeable and could have been prevented if his son had received adequate care.

The wrongful death lawsuit claims that staff at the Long Beach facility attempted to cover up their allegedly negligent actions by falsifying documents. The St. Johns say that their son had tried to kill himself with a plastic bag three weeks prior to his suicide, which should have placed medical staff on high alert.

In addition to not taking adequate steps to protect their son, the St. Johns allege in their lawsuit that the facility altered records to show that several regular checks had been made on Julian. They say that the checks were recorded in the facility's books even though they did not take place. The lawsuit also claims that the facility continued to receive Julian's welfare checks after his suicide. A representative for the facility said that the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health had conducted an investigation and determined that Julian St. John was provided with care appropriate to his condition.

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 Posted on May 27,2015 in Catastrophic Injuries

Many California residents have been watching the latest developments from the Amtrak crash near Philadelphia with a great amount of interest. Now one of the conductors who had been at work on the train when it crashed and suffered tremendous injuries has chosen to file a suit against Amtrak, alleging negligence.

The man had been taking a break when the train derailed and crashed. The force of the collision broke the man's back, neck and both shoulders. The injured man was then forced to extricate himself from the debris. Although there were many Amtrak employees on the train, and at least one other has already filed a lawsuit against the rail company, he is the employee believed to have suffered the most severe injuries.

There is no clear consensus at the moment as to what caused the train to crash. The conductor of the train received a concussion in the incident and does not appear to remember what caused the train to suddenly accelerate. Both the Philadelphia Police Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have announced their intention to thoroughly investigate the accident.

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 Posted on May 20,2015 in Truck Accidents

California residents may be interested to learn that the former mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young, was slightly injured in an accident in which a cement truck fell on top of his car as well as that of another driver. The man in the other car reportedly suffered serious injuries when both cars were crushed by the falling truck.

According to reports, the cement truck driver ran a red light and was allegedly driving too fast for conditions at the time of the accident. After losing control of vehicle, the truck fell on the two cars and spilled diesel fuel on the roadway. While Mr. Young reportedly was treated at the accident scene and then taken to the hospital as a precaution, the other man suffered serious injuries to his head and hands.

Authorities did not release the identity of the cement truck driver, although they did state that he was cited for failing to obey the traffic signal and with driving too fast. In addition to being the former mayor of Atlanta, Mr. Young was heavily involved with the civil rights movement and worked closely with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was also an United Nations ambassador and is currently 83 years old.

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 Posted on May 18,2015 in Car Accidents

As most California drivers know, some days are better than others for driving. In general, many of these days are associated with national holidays or other days where it can be expected that there will be more drivers on the road. However, some of the days may be more unexpected than others.

National holidays are always going to be more dangerous for drivers than other days. For example, on Memorial Day weekend, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that there are approximately 400 driving fatalities every year. New Year's Day, St. Patrick's Day and July 4th also sees a number of fatalities. For these three holidays, alcohol consumption appears to be a leading factor in any car accidents that occur. Thanksgiving and Christmas are also dangerous due to the number of drivers on the road. Many drivers during these two holidays also often drive while stressed, which potentially leads to more aggressive driving.

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 Posted on May 12,2015 in Motorcycle Accidents

Recently, the California Highway Patrol released safety tips for motorcycle riders in response to rising fatality and injury rates in motorcycle accidents. In a joint effort with the Office of Traffic Safety, May has been deemed Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

There are more than 830,000 registered motorcycles in California alone, and 1.4 million motorcyclists. Data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that motorcycle fatalities increased from 9 percent to 14 percent of all motor vehicle fatality accidents from 2004 to 2013.

During 2013, 475 motorcyclists died in collisions, while another 13,143 were seriously injured. This is of concern in California, as the state has the largest number of motorcycle riders and owners. One of the CHP's safety tips is that motorcyclists should always wear their safety gear and helmets. Motorcyclists should additionally follow the speed limits and never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They should also know their own driving limits and abilities and not fall to peer pressure to push themselves. Motorcyclists should also always drive defensively with the clear understanding that others may not be able to see them.

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 Posted on May 06,2015 in Workplace Accidents

An Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation into the death of a man in an industrial 35-foot-long pressure cooker resulted in charges against Bumble Bee Foods, a plant operations director and the former safety manager. The worker died in the Santa Fe Springs plant. Another worker did not know he was inside the cooker cleaning it when he filled it with 22,000 pounds of tuna.

The pressure cooker reached a temperature of 270 degrees after being turned on. During this time, a supervisor noticed that the 62-year-old victim was missing. Workers found his body two hours later when the tuna cooker was opened.

According to Los Angeles prosecutors, the charges specify that the two managers, along with the company, did not enforce a safety plan or establish rules for workers in confined spaces. If convicted, the managers could face a possible three years in prison plus fines up to $250,000. Fines against Bumble Bee Foods could reach as high as $1.5 million.

Although OSHA pressed charges against the company and its managers in this case, a workplace accident does not have to be caused by someone's negligence for an injured worker to collect workers' compensation benefits. Reporting the accident to an employer, however, is necessary to begin the claims process. Industrial accidents are a common source of injuries, but any on-the-job accident could qualify an employee for benefits. An injured worker sometimes consults with an attorney when making a claim. The representation of an attorney can also be helpful at a subsequent hearing should the claim be disputed or denied.

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 Posted on May 04,2015 in Wrongful Death

On May 1, it was announced that a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against former Olympian Bruce Jenner. Jenner was accused of causing a car accident in California that left a 69-year-old woman dead.

In the accident, which occurred on Feb. 7, Jenner was driving a Cadillac Escalade while hauling an off-road vehicle on a trailer when he attempted to steer around vehicles that had slowed down in front of him. He collided with a Prius that was directly in front of him. The impact from this collision caused the Prius to be pushed into a Lexus, which was being driven by the 69-year-old woman. The Lexus was pushed into oncoming traffic, where it was struck by a Hummer.

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the woman's two step-children, who claimed that they sustained serious damages. The amount of compensation they were seeking was not known. It was argued that that Jenner was driving negligently, which allegedly resulted in the crash, though videos of the incident reportedly showed that Jenner was not using a cellphone at the time the incident occurred. Jenner was not charged in the incident.

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 Posted on April 30,2015 in Car Accidents

Early in the morning on April 22, a Toyota Prius that was driving east in the westbound lanes of Highway 50 in Sacramento County collided head-on with a pickup truck in the westbound lane. The collision caused the truck to spin. A third vehicle collided with the truck, causing the truck to catch fire.

California Highway Patrol received a call about 2:30 in the morning that a Prius was driving the wrong way on westbound Highway 50. The Prius reportedly had been driving in the wrong lane for several miles before the head-on collision occurred.

The driver of the Prius and all three occupants of the pickup truck were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the third vehicle suffered minor injuries. Police are reportedly investigating whether there is any link between the crash and the use of alcohol or drugs.

California law, as well as the law of other states, allows relatives of an individual who is killed as a result of another person's conduct to file a wrongful death lawsuit. If the wrongful death suit is successful, damages may be awarded for burial expenses, medical expenses, lost potential income and the loss of affection, support and guidance. California does not allow wrongful death damages for mental anguish or pain and suffering. If an individual believes that a relative was the victim of another's harmful conduct, he or she may seek the services of an attorney who may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit on the individual's behalf. The attorney may advise the individual regarding which relatives or other individuals may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit as well as the statute of limitations for filing suit.

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 Posted on April 22,2015 in Car Accidents

California residents may be interested to learn about a fatal car accident that took place at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Florida. The crash happened on April 12 and resulted in the death of a man who had been working at the Speedway for the past 14 years. Since 2013, he worked as the operations manager for the Exotic Driving Experience and the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

The fatal car accident occurred at the Exotic Driving Experience section of the Speedway while a 24-year-old man was driving a Lamborghini. After losing control of the vehicle, the man hit a guardrail. His 36-year-old passenger, who was employed by the Speedway, was declared dead at the scene. The driver was treated for minor injuries at Celebration Hospital and then released.

The Walt Disney World Speedway is a park where guests have the opportunity to ride in or drive around a racetrack in NASCAR vehicles and exotic cars. The park is located outside of the Disney Transportation and Ticket Center, which not far from the Magic Kingdom. According to an announcement that was issued by Disney in February, the Speedway is going to be closed for the summer of 2015.

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