Los Angeles Injury Attorney Blog

Four people were hurt in a SUV rollover accident Tuesday afternoon in Barstow, the Desert Dispatch reported. The solo-vehicle accident, which involved a Jeep Grand Cherokee, occurred near the intersection of CA State Route 58 and Interstate 15. According to the CHP, the tread separated on one of the rear tires on the Jeep, causing the driver of the vehicle to lose control and veer off the freeway. Two of the occupants in the vehicle suffered major injuries and were airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center; two others with less serious injuries were taken by ambulance to Barstow Hospital. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the San Bernardino SUV rollover accident.

Tire Blowouts and SUV Rollovers on I-15

On March 21st of this year, a San Bernardino woman who was a passenger in a 1995 Jeep died in a solo-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 15 in San Bernardino caused by a tire blowout. This July 3rd Jeep rollover accident, and the one earlier this year in March, are both examples of the serious consequences of tire blowouts at highway speeds. There have been a number of other serious injury and fatal vehicle rollovers on I-15 this year involving pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Tire blowouts have a number of causes, including underinflation, overinflation, overloading, negligent maintenance, road debris, negligent installation and structural defects.

Potential Personal Injury Liability

In any accident where a defect in a vehicle is a potential contributing factor to a collision, the vehicle must be preserved for inspection and testing. The vehicle itself is valuable evidence that can establish what happened in an accident. In situations such as this one, the family members of the injured victims would be well-advised to contact a California SUV rollover accident lawyer about this accident and whether a defect in the tire caused this accident. If the accident was caused by a tire defect, the injured victims may be entitled to compensation for their injuries from the manufacturer of the tire or the vehicle. A lawyer who has successfully represented victims of SUV rollovers can help the injured victims protect their rights and recover the maximum compensation they may be entitled to for their injuries.

Continue reading "Major Injuries in Jeep Grand Cherokee Rollover Near Barstow " »

A Bloomington woman died Monday morning in a solo vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 15 in Victorville, the San Bernardino Press Enterprise reported. The July 5th accident was reported at 7:51 a.m. on northbound I-15, north of Bear Valley Road in Victorville. The San Bernardino County Coroner identified the victim as Gloria Lynn Hooker, 57, of Bloomington.

According to the Victorville Daily Press, Hooker was a passenger in a 1999 Ford F250 Superduty pickup truck driven by Jerry Wayne Hooker, 55. The vehicle was in the fast lane when one of the tires rapidly lost pressure. As the driver attempted to pull over in the center divider, the tire shredded, causing the pickup truck to overturn multiple times. Both the driver and the passenger remained in the vehicle and had to be extricated by emergency personnel. Jerry Wayne Hooker was flown to Antelope Valley Hospital with moderate injuries. Gloria Lynn Hooker died at the scene.

Tire Blowouts and Rollover Accidents

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the cause of the accident. If news reports are accurate, the rapid deflation and blowout of the tire caused the driver of the vehicle to lose control, and the vehicle to overturn. This was not the first I-15 rollover fatality attributed to a tire blowout this year. A 46-year-old San Bernardino woman died in March in a Jeep rollover accident on I-15 attributed to a tire blowout.

At freeway speeds, it can be very difficult to regain control of a vehicle in a rollover situation. Tires are a critical element of vehicle safety. When tires blow out, or rapidly deflate, the consequences are often deadly. Tire blowouts can be caused by aged tires, excessively worn tires, road hazards, underinflation, overinflation, overloading, and defects in design and manufacturing. Every year, dozens of tire manufacturers recall tires for defects that put motorists at risks. Tire blowouts can also result when tires are not installed properly.

Wrongful Death Liability and Compensation

If the tire blowout resulted from a tire manufacturing defect or negligence in installation, the family members of the victim of this accident may be entitled to compensation for their loss in a wrongful death claim. While this crash is under investigation, the family members of the victims of this crash may benefit from speaking to an attorney about the cause of this crash and potential liability issues. An experienced lawyer who has handled many tire blowout accident cases can arrange to have the tire and vehicle inspected, and advise the victims of their potential legal rights, options, and responsibilities following this accident.

Continue reading "Bloomington Woman Killed, Man Injured in Interstate 15 Rollover Crash " »

Five people were injured in a rollover crash on Interstate 10 Wednesday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol reported. The injury accident was reported at 4:23 p.m. on Interstate 10 at Frontage Road, east of the Cactus City Rest Area in Chuckwalla. According to KPSP Local 2 News, the vehicle rollover was triggered by a tire blowout on the freeway. Firefighers extricated five people from the car. One person suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to a hospital. Two others suffered moderate injuries and two others suffered minor injuries.

Tire Blowouts and Accidents

By definition, tire blowouts are a rapid loss of air pressure in a tire, usually caused by a tire bursting or falling apart. With advances in tire technology, blowouts are less common than they were several decades ago, but these events still occur. Blowouts can occur for a number of reasons ranging from debris in the road, under inflation of a tire, or a small puncture that allows a tire to slowly deflate until it fails. In some cases, blowouts occur because of defects in the manufacturing of the tire. In any event, tire blowouts often cause loss of control of a vehicle, which can result in a rollover.

Continue reading "Five Injured After Tire Blowout Causes Rollover Crash on Interstate 10 " »

One person died in a solo-vehicle crash early Thursday morning in Santa Barbara County, authorities have reported. The fatal rollover crash occurred in the Windy Gap area on Highway 154 (the Chumash Highway), about a half-mile south of Painted Cave Road, and involved a 2006 Dodge Dakota pickup truck. According to reports of the incident, the driver and passenger were travelling from Malibu on their way to Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez.

Around midnight, the driver, Bert Barrera, 38, swerved to avoid some rocks that had fallen in the roadway, and struck another rock that was concealed by brush, causing him to lose control of the pickup truck. The vehicle crashed into a hillside and overturned. The rollover caused the roof to cave in and fatally injured the front seat passenger, a 45-year-old Malibu man who was not identified. Barrera suffered minor to moderate injuries. According to the CHP, alcohol was not a factor in the crash, and both men were wearing seat belts.

Cause of the Crash & Liability Issues

Although the cause of the accident is still under investigation, if news reports are accurate, the crash occurred because the driver did not see the rocks in the roadway. It is unclear how fast the pickup truck was travelling when the accident occurred, and if the driver could have prevented the collision. The passenger's death was likely caused by the roof of the pickup truck caving in and fatally crushing him. This accident raises a number of concerns from a legal standpoint. One, how long had the rocks been in the road, and did Caltrans know they were in the road before the accident occurred? If Caltrans was aware of the rocks, but failed to remove the rocks from the road in a reasonable amount of time, or if they were aware that rocks had fallen in the area in the past, Caltrans could be liable for the dangerous road condition.

Secondly, could the pickup truck have been better designed to prevent the passenger's death in this accident? Pickup truck rollovers often result in fatality or catastrophic injury because their roof and roof pillars may collapse. Because pickup trucks are not classified as "passenger vehicles," they are not subject to the same federal safety standards imposed on cars, even though they are marketed as passenger vehicles. Pickup truck rollovers, although not as common as SUV rollovers, may be subject to the same legal issues and remedies. Emergency avoidance maneuvers such as the one described in this April 29th accident on State Route 154, are common causes of pickup truck rollovers.

Wrongful Death Liability

While this accident is still under investigation, the family of the man killed would be well-advised to talk to a an experienced California wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced attorney familiar with dangerous roadway condition and vehicle rollover cases can review the accident report, arrange to have the vehicle and location of the incident inspected, and further advise the family of their best course of action in a possible wrongful death claim.

Continue reading "Passenger Killed in Crash on Highway 154 Near Windy Gap " »

Today, the Los Angeles Times reported that Toyota Motorcorp will either reconfigure or replace more than 3.8 million gas pedals on Toyota and Lexus vehicles included in a recall announced on September 29, 2009. Toyota initially believed the floor mats in these vehicles could cause the accelerator gas pedal to become "stuck", causing the vehicles to accelerate suddenly.

Beginning in January 2010, Toyota and Lexus owners will be able to take their car to a local dealer for gas pedal reconfiguration or replacement. In some of the vehicles, specifically the Lexus ES 350, Toyota Camry and Toyota Avalon, the shape of the floor surface will also be reconfigured to make additional space between the gas pedal and the floor. Additionally on the Toyota Camry, Toyota Avalon, Lexus ES 350, Lexus IS 350 and Lexus IS 250, Toyota Motor Corp will install a brake override system to cut engine power when the gas pedal and brake pedal are applied simultaneously.

The recalled vehicles include 2007-2010 Toyota Camry, the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, the 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, the 2005-2010 Tacoma, the 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, the 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350 and the 2006-2010 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350. Toyota and Lexus owners are still strongly advised to take out any driver's floor mat and not replace until repairs and reconfigurations have been made. In a statement, Toyota said, "The safety of our owners and the public is our utmost concern and Toyota has and will continue to thoroughly investigate and take appropriate measures to address any defect trends that are identified." According to the LA Times, an Edmunds.com analyst said the gas pedal modifications proposed by Toyota were "viable solutions."

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Federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced today that Toyota would recall 110,000 Tundra Trucks from model years 2000 through 2003. The recall only affects vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

These states use chemical de-icer agents such as road salts to treat roadways and highways during the winter. The salts can cause corrosion to the frame of the truck that can cause damage to the brake system, which could lead to brake failure. Owners of recalled vehicles will be contacted to bring their trucks to a local dealer will the frame will either be replaced, repaired, or a rust-resistant compound will be applied.

Continue reading "Toyota Recalls 100,000 Tundra Trucks in 20 States due to Corrosion Risk " »