Authorities have identified a man killed in a San Bernardino car accident as 38-year-old Eric Sandor Valenzuela. The San Bernardino Sun reports that the accident occurred the morning of March 8, 2010 at the intersection of Air Expressway Boulevard and Gas Line Road in Victorville. Valenzuela was going north on Gas Line in a Hyundai Accent when he tried to make a left turn and struck a big rig. Valenzuela died at the scene of the accident. Read More

A man who sustained fatal injuries in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident has been identified as 47-year-old Martin E. Simon. The Santa Clarita Signal reports that the fatal crash occurred the morning of March 7, 2010 after Simon lost control of his 2006 Suzuki motorcycle as he rode north on Bouquet Canyon Road. Simon and his bike then went into opposing traffic lanes. Douglas Ross, a 46-year-old driver in a Nissan Sentra, was in the southbound lane and could not avoid hitting the motorcyclist. The Sentra ran over Simon's lower legs. Simon's injuries were fatal. Ross was uninjured. Read More

Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) hit the news big in recent months as more and more Toyota drivers are experiencing issues with their cars unexpectedly accelerating. The various Toyota models accelerate even when the driver's foot is on the brake, the car is in idle, or the driver is keeping a steady and consistent speed. Though Toyota is hurriedly recalling vehicles and trying to fix this dangerous auto defect now, SUA has been affecting drivers for many years and has resulted in at least 815 accidents.

Initially blaming SUA on improperly installed accessory floor mats, Toyota has not found a reliable remedy. SUA has been reported under such a wide variety of circumstances that it seems there may be many contributing factors.

Since replacing floor mats, assessing pedal placement, correcting vehicle trim, and investigating many other mechanical issues in certain models has not proved fruitful for Toyota, some car experts are suggesting the auto defect stems from the electrical system. Toyota has not accepted this as plausible, claiming their vehicles' electrical systems to be fool-proof, yet it is becoming clear that a full examination of SUA with respect to the mechanical workings as affected by electronics will be necessary.

In the mean time, Toyota drivers are concerned and wanting Toyota, who has been slow to act to prevent SUA accidents until the recent recall, to place a higher regard on public safety. Many believe brake-to-idle features should be installed in all models, lines, and years, allowing the driver to override acceleration even when the throttle is open or being affected by one of the potential SUA causes.

Read more here: Toyota Sudden Unintended Acceleration.

An elderly couple was injured in an Orange County car accident that officials say was caused by an allegedly intoxicated off-duty Orange County sheriff's deputy. The Orange County Register reports that this collision occurred on March 1, 2010, on the Street of the Golden Lantern, in Laguna Niguel. Deputy Allan James Waters struck the Toyota carrying Benjamin and Dolores Molina with his 2008 Mercedes. The Toyota then collided with a tree. Dolores Molina was taken to an area hospital with injuries. Read More

A 66-year-old man sustained fatal injuries in a Fresno car accident after he lost control of his motorcycle and collided into another vehicle. The Fresno Bee reports that the March 3, 2010 accident occurred when the motorcyclist was riding on Trimmer Springs Road near Pine Flat Road. The 2009 Harley-Davidson motorcycle went into the path of a westbound 1996 Ford Taurus driven by 54-year-old Susan Adams. The man was thrown off his motorcycle and sustained critical injuries. He was taken to a local hospital where he died. Adams was not injured. According to California Highway Patrol officials, drugs or alcohol was not a factor in this crash. Read More

A toddler sustained serious injuries in a dog bite incident on March 1, 2010 involving a pit bull. The San Bernardino Sun reports that the 4-year-old girl was visiting her uncle at his apartment in the 1600 block of E. Kingsley Ave. in Pomona where the dog attack occurred. Authorities say the girl may have surprised the sleeping dog. The pit bull bit the girl on the face. She was transported to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The dog was neither licensed nor had current rabies shots. The pit bull was taken into custody by animal control officials. Read More

Six people sustained injuries in a San Diego car accident that involved several vehicles. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the injury collision happened the morning of February 28, 2010 in Spring Valley. Officials said a BMW was traveling south on Avocado Boulevard when it collided into a Honda. The driver of the Honda was trying to turn left on to Challenger Boulevard. The BMW veered off the roadway, struck a wall and a vehicle parked outside a home. Six people were injured. One woman in the Honda sustained head injuries. The other injuries are said to be relatively minor.

I sincerely hope the seriously injured woman did not sustain any catastrophic injuries. I wish the injured victims the very best for a quick and full recovery. They will be in my prayers.

San Diego Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrols 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 81 fatalities and 6,123 injuries involving car accidents in San Diego in 2008. Countywide, 246 deaths and 13,527 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents during the same year.

Left Turn Law

Based on this news report, it is not clear which one of the vehicles had the right-of-way at the time of the collision. Apparently, the crash occurred when one of the driver was attempting to make a left turn. The question here is: Who failed to yield right-of-way to whom? According to California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a): "The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety."

Contacting an Experienced Injury Lawyer

The injured victims in such cases, would be well-served to obtain the counsel of a reputed San Diego personal injury lawyer, who will make sure the negligent parties are held accountable. If there was a dangerous condition on this roadway, the city or governmental agency responsible for its maintenance could also be held liable. Under California Governmental Code section 911.2, any claim against a governmental entity must be properly filed within six months of the accident or injury.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.

A man who was killed in a Ventura car accident has been identified by local officials as 36-year-old Raymundo C. Vasquez, 36. The Ventura County Star reports that the fatal car accident occurred the morning of February 27, 2010 after Vasquez lost control of his SUV on the Highway 101 near Santa Barbara Avenue. Vasquez's SUV drifted to the right shoulder and he lost control when he tried to overcorrect. The SUV then rolled over, slid down an embankment and came to rest on train tracks where it was struck by an Amtrak train. Vasquez's passenger escaped uninjured, but Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene. Read More

A Huntington Beach car accident caused by a speeding driver who police say was also under the influence, injured 29-year-old Alfredo Garcia the night of February 23, 2010. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, 52-year-old Melvin Brown was speeding west on Pacific Coast Highway near Warner Avenue, when he rear-ended Garcia's Infiniti G35. Police say Brown was going at about 150 mph just before the collision. Both cars went off the roadway and into the water at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Both drivers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. Brown was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Read More

One person sustained fatal injuries in a Los Angeles car accident involving at least eight vehicles and a big rig. ABC News reports that the fatal traffic accident, which occurred the night of February 24, 2010 on the eastbound 101 Freeway near Sepulveda Boulevard, in Sherman Oaks, also critically injured another person. Three others also sustained injuries, but it is not known how serious they were. An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing. Read More