Los Angeles Injury Attorney Blog

ORANGE COUNTY -- A total of eight people were injured following a boat explosion in Huntington Beach, Los Angeles Times reported. This horrific incident took place at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Huntington Harbor, when the operator of the boat noticed gasoline leaking and decided to turn back. However, during the attempt to head back to shore, the engine sputtered and exploded, causing several passengers to be thrown from the boat.

Following this devastating accident, the occupants on the boat - ranging from teens to 50 - suffered numerous injuries that included burns, broken bones, scrapes, and bruises. All eight were transported and sought treatment at the following hospitals - UCI Medical Center in Orange, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, and Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.

Cause of the Boating Accident in Huntington Beach

If the information provided by news reports is accurate, it appears the cause of the explosion may have been due to a leaky fuel line. However, it is not evident who may be to blame for this incident. Therefore, authorities will further investigate and determine whether negligence or improper maintenance of the vessel could have also played a factor in the explosion.

Boating Accident Personal Injury Liability

While the investigation of the boat accident is ongoing, injured victims or their family members would be well-advised to contact a California boating accident lawyer. A knowledgeable and experienced attorney at the law firm of Estey Bomberger, can advise the victims of their legal rights, help police in efforts to determine the party or parties responsible, and decide the best course of action to recover the maximum compensation for the victims' injuries.

Compensation in a personal injury claim can include, medical care expenses, lost wages, disfigurement, scarring, pain and suffering, and other damages relating this tragic boating accident. So immediately contact a lawyer at (213)785-6828 for a free consultation of your legal rights.

Continue reading "Eight Seriously Injured in Huntington Beach Boating Accident" »

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY -- According to the San Bernardino County Sun, nine students were hospitalized Monday morning following a radiator burst on a school bus. The bus carrying roughly 50 students was traveling on Highway 18 and heading to Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate School in Lake Arrowhead when the bus overheated at about 8:43 a.m. The sudden overheating of the school bus caused hot radiator fluid to breach and spew on several students. The bus driver then pulled over on the shoulder of Highway 18, just west of Santa's Village. Students that sustained burn injuries were taken to local hospitals for further treatment, while another school bus was dispatched to pick up the unharmed students and take them to school.

Cause of the Lake Arrowhead School Bus Accident

The accident on October 31st remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. However, based on the information provided by news reports, it is unclear what prompted the school bus to overheat. Therefore, while the official cause is not evident, police officials will monitor the situation, determine what happened, and who is ultimately responsible for this devastating incident.

School Bus Accident Personal Injury Liability

In unique and complex situations such as this one, the family of the injured children would be well-advised to immediately contact a San Bernardino personal injury lawyer to discuss their legal rights. A knowledgeable attorney who has handled school bus accidents, can help the families' protect their legal rights to hold the responsible party or parties liable for their children's injuries, and decide the best course of action to recover the maximum compensation for medical care expenses, permanent scarring, pain and suffering, and other damages relating to this tragic school bus incident.

Continue reading "Several Students Seriously Injured in School Bus Accident in Lake Arrowhead" »

Two people were taken to area trauma centers following a car accident Wednesday in Ontario, the San Bernardino Sun reported. The two-vehicle collision occurred around 11:20 a.m. on December 1, 2010, near the intersection of Jurupa Street and Etiwanda Avenue. According to news reports, one of the vehicles became engulfed in flames, and a second car crashed into the tree. At least one person suffered burn injuries. The cause of the San Bernardino County car crash remains under investigation.

Car Accident Personal Injury Liability

Details of this Ontario car accident provided in news reports were very limited and it was unclear what happened to cause this collision, or who was responsible. If this accident was the result of negligence of another driver, the injured victims may be entitled to compensation for their injuries. In any accident that results in serious injuries, it is advisable for victims and their families to contact an knowledgeable and experienced California car accident lawyer about their rights. A skilled lawyer can advise the victims of their rights to compensation for their injuries, including medical care costs and expenses, surgical treatments, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other related damages.

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In product liability news, earlier this month a federal jury in New Hampshire awarded $21 million to a woman who suffered severe burn injuries and blindness after taken the anti-inflammatory medication Clinoril (sulindac) for shoulder pain. The jury found, after deliberating for three days, that the manufacturer of Clinoril, Mutual Pharmaceutical Co., should have known the dangers of the drug. According to the plaintiff's attorneys, the jury's verdict was the largest award in a New Hampshire product liability lawsuit.

The plaintiff, Karen Bartlett, 51, spent 112 days in five hospitals, including the burn unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. She is legally blind, despite having undergone 12 eye operations. Mutual Pharmaceutical argued that the drug has been approved by the FDA for 32 years. The judge presiding over the case instructed jurors that in order for them to hold Mutual liable, they had to find the drug unreasonably dangerous and the underlying cause of Bartlett's condition.

Continue reading "Jury Awards $21 Million to Woman Blinded by Anti-Inflammatory Drug " »

A high-speed head-on collision early Friday morning left two people dead and one person critically injured, the Los Angeles Times reported. According to Mercury News, authorities were investigating whether one of the drivers deliberately caused the crash by driving the wrong-way (eastbound in the westbound lanes) at high speeds on Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1). The collision, which involved a Saturn and a Ford Mustang, occurred near Zuma View Place at 12:42 a.m.

Authorities believe the Saturn sedan was travelling the wrong way, going eastbound in the westbound lanes, at speeds of more than 80 mph. Two women in another vehicle that was not involved in the collision said that moments before the crash, the Saturn had made a sudden U-turn and apparently deliberately drove toward their vehicle. They were able to avoid crashing into the Saturn, but it collided with the Mustang moments later.

Both vehicles burst into flames upon impact, and both the driver of the Saturn and the driver of the Ford Mustang were killed. A 24-year-old passenger in the Mustang suffered serious injuries, including a broken leg, a broken arm, and a head injury. The two occupants of the Mustang were reportedly naval officers from the Port Hueneme base.

Cause of the Fatal PCH Crash

If news reports are accurate, the driver of the Saturn caused this fatal head-on collision, and authorities are looking at whether the driver of the Saturn was trying to commit suicide. However, the cause of the crash still remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. A CHP spokesman said the driver of the Saturn, whose name was not released, was believed to be from Minnesota. According to Mercury News, friends of the driver of the Saturn reportedly told the agency that the young man had a drinking problem and that his brother had died recently. This Los Angeles County accident is devastating on many levels, not just because two people died, but because the accident could have been so easily prevented.

Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Liability

Numerous unique legal issues arise when a driver that causes a crash is also killed in a collision. While this crash remains under investigation, the family members of the two occupants of the Mustang would be well-advised to talk to an experienced Los Angeles accident attorney as soon as possible, who can help them protect their rights following this tragic head-on collision. A skilled attorney can advise the families of how to handle communications with the insurance companies to ensure they receive the maximum financial compensation resulting from this accident and the wrongful death and serious personal injuries it caused.

Continue reading "Two People Killed, One Critically Injured in Head-On Crash on PCH in Malibu " »

Los Angeles county fire officials reported that six adults, a child and an infant suffered burn injuries ranging from minor to moderate when the minivan they were riding in burst into flames on the 60 Freeway (Pomona Freeway) in Industry.

It is not clear from news reports whether the minivan struck another vehicle and burst into flames, or if it burst into flames and then struck another vehicle. At least one other vehicle was involved in the accident, which was reported Monday morning shortly after 6:15 a.m. The incident occurred on westbound 60, near Azusa Avenue.

Vehicle fires are sometimes caused by defective vehicle parts. The make and model of the vehicle involved in this accident was not included in news reports. Nonetheless, those who suffered burn injuries in this accident would be wise to consult with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney to determine if a vehicle defect caused or contributed to this accident.

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