A car accident in Ventura County, involving a suspected hit-and-run driver who was under the influence, proved fatal for 69-year-old Joyce Yamani. The Ventura County Star reports that the fatal collision happened the afternoon of January 16, 2012 near the intersection of Mills Road and Preble Avenue in Ventura. Police say Yamani's power scooter was hit by a vehicle driven by 18-year-old Andres Covarrubias, who then fled the scene. Yamani sustained major injuries. Police were able to arrest Covarrubias, thanks to tips from eyewitnesses. He is facing several charges including DUI and hit-and-run.

My heart goes out to Joyce Yamani who has obviously been seriously injured in this hit-and-run car accident. I pray that she recovers quickly and completely from the injuries she has sustained.

Read More

January 13, 2012--Bakersfield, CA--A very lucky man survived a freak Bakersfield car accident on January 11.

41-year-old Marcus Kaspryzk was driving on Highway 99 near Bakersfield when a piece of metal pipe flew off a car and impaled his windshield.  Fortunately, the pipe hit the steering wheel instead of traveling through the car and hitting the driver, who was alone in the car at the time of the crash.

California Highway Patrol officers confirmed that Kaspryzk could have been seriously injured or even killed if the steering wheel had not stopped the pipe.  It has not been determined exactly how the pipe fell off a traveling vehicle or where it came from, but police continue to investigate.

My congratulations to Mr. Kaspryzk on his good fortune in surviving what could have been a terrible accident!

Accident Statistics

Most "flying object" fatalities are related to workplace accidents, but many of these also occur on the road.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 2009, 741 workers were killed by “contact” with objects or equipment, and 313 of these, or about half, were accidents involving falling or flying objects.

While this was not a work-related accident, the statistics make it clear that these types of accidents are a danger to workers and others on our highways.  Other types of "flying object" accidents include weather-related accidents in which sheets of ice, which are not removed from cars, become loose and fly into another car as the driver picks up speed.

What Caused This Accident

While it is obvious that this flying piece of metal caused the accident, what is not so clear is exactly where it came from and how it detached itself from a moving vehicle.  Perhaps it was not tied down securely, or something happened to the straps connecting it to the vehicle.  The fact that witnesses claimed the metal came from a "car" rather than a work truck may be significant; it is possible that someone unfamiliar with how to safely tie objects to a car was attempting to move this pipe, and unfortunately made an error in securing the metal.

Liability Issues

This case in interesting from a liability standpoint as the at-fault driver, who failed to secure the metal pipe to his or her car, may not even be aware that an accident occurred.  It is not unheard of for an object to fly off a car or out of an open trunk without the driver being aware of it.

However, this does not relieve the driver of responsibility for the accident.  If he or she is found, a professional personal injury attorney can investigate the circumstances and determine liability for the property damage sustained by the victim.  Fortunately, this accident had no bodily injury involved; however, if anyone had been injured, a good personal injury lawyer would be needed to pursue claims for medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and pain and suffering.

January 12, 2012--San Diego, CA--Five people, including two small children, were injured when their car was struck by a driver who was apparently under the influence of alcohol on January 8.

Kaleb Clark, 29, was driving a Mazda sedan on a bridge over the San Diego River with another adult and a three-year-old child in his car as passengers.  He struck another car carrying an adult woman and two children.  The woman's car then struck a second vehicle.

The three-year-old child in Clark's car suffered a broken leg and dental injuries, and the adult passenger incurred head injuries.  Both were transported to a local hospital.  Clark traveled to the hospital with the victims, but fled before he could be interviewed by police.  Authorities suspect that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

My heartfelt thoughts go out to all the victims, especially the small child and family.  The victims all have my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Accident Statistics

DUI accidents continues to be a terrible problem for our nation, resulting in many serious and even fatal accidents.  In 2009, 10,839 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes.  Of the 1,314 fatalities of children 14 and younger in motor vehicle crashes, 181, or 14 percent, were killed in alcohol-related car accidents.

Furthermore, drivers with a blood alcohol content, or BAC, of .08 or higher who were involved in fatal accidents were eight times more likely than others to have a prior conviction for driving while under the influence. Read More

A car accident in Riverside proved fatal for an elderly woman who was identified by officials as 81-year-old Florence Wyatt. The Desert Sun reports that the deadly collision happened at the intersection of Sunrise Way and Sunny Dunes in the city of Palm Springs the night of January 14, 2012.Wyatt was walking across the intersection when she was struck by a Kia Soul. She died from her injuries. Officials are investigating the cause of the collision.

My heartfelt sympathies go out to everyone who knew and loved Florence Wyatt for their devastating loss. They will be in my prayers.

Read More

Too often, manufacturers release products which can cause serious injury and life-threatening side effects, but we continue to trust that it was an isolated mistake and that they were unaware of the device defect. The hip recall lawyers at Bisnar and Chase see things quite differently; their experience representing product defect victims has taught them that many of these defects could have been prevented, but manufacturer commitment to profits rather than safety has created a wave of injury victims who refuse to believe that these companies should be held responsible for their dangerous devices.

Bisnar and Chase attorneys are California product defect lawyers which provide services to product defect victims throughout the United States. Over the past 30 years, Bisnar and Chase product defect lawyers have represented over 6,000 clients with a 97.5 % success rate. Their commitment to holding wrongdoers accountable for their actions has helped them obtain hundreds of millions of dollars for their clients. In August of 2011, Bisnar and Chase obtained a record-breaking 24.7 million dollar verdict for a product defect client. Read More

4,778 people were killed in motorcycle accidents nationwide in 2006, and several years later, we can see this number is not going down. Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most often a passenger automobile. In multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, it is imperative to contact California Motorcycle Accident Lawyers as soon as possible.

Besides the causes of motorcycle accidents which are often preventable, the post-scene accident may be even more dangerous. Fuel system leaks and spills were present in 62% of the motorcycle accidents in the post-crash phase. This represents an undue hazard for fire. Vehicle defects related to accident causation sometimes occur and are likely to be due to deficient or defective maintenance, however product defects have occurred in the past and you may be entitled for compensation if involved in a crash caused directly due to a defective or faulty break or other motorcycle part or component.

A recent motorcycle accident occurred where Jeff Rupp, a government and philosophy teacher at Fullerton Union High School, was critically injured in a motorcycle accident. While riding his 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the northbound lanes of Euclid Street he was struck by a 2004 Hyundai sedan making a left turn from the southbound lane onto Malvern Avenue. He sustained head injuries and broken bones and was transported to UCI Medical Center.

If involved in a California motorcycle accident, you will usually end up being approached by an insurance provider to speak about your incident. Your insurance company will want to have a recorded declaration or even draw diagrams having to do with the crash. Without having a skilled motorcycle lawyer by your side, this specific questioning by the insurance company can certainly highly impact and possibly devastate your court case.

The law office of Bisnar | Chase can help you with over 30 years of experience in motorcycle accidents. Contact the California motorcycle accident lawyers at our firm today. We offer a free consultation and a no-fee guarantee so there is no risk for calling.

January 1, 2012--Murrieta, CA--Five people were injured yesterday at 3 p.m. in a roll-over crash on Interstate 15 near Murrieta, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash involved a single vehicle which went over the concrete divider and rolled into the media.

Two children and one adult were treated for moderate injuries at a local hospital.  Two other children, who were injured critically, were rushed to another hospital for emergency treatment.

No names have been released by authorities at this time, pending notification of relatives and others of interest.

My thoughts are with the families of these young victims, and my sincere hope is that they will all recover from their injuries.

Car Accident Statistics

Car accidents are the number-one cause of injuries to children.  The National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NCSA, reports that nearly a quarter-million children are injured each year in car accidents, or an average of 700 children per day.  Approximately 2,000 of these children will die of their injuries each year.  Approximately half of those children are killed when they are being driven by an intoxicated adult.  The leading cause of acquired disabilities in children is also automobile accidents, with brain damage and paralysis being common results of these crashes.

These horrifying statistics are even more frightening when coupled with the information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which shows that approximately 72% of all child restraints are used incorrectly.  Properly-installed child restraint systems can result in an almost 75% reduction in child death and injuries during car accidents. Read More

A car accident in Baldwin Park involving a suspected drunk driver resulted in injuries for three people including a mother and her two children. The San Gabriel alley Tribune reports that the injury crash happened near the intersection of Garvey and Vineland avenues the afternoon of January 13, 2012. Officials say 25-year-old Arturo Meza, who was driving a Toyota Camry, crossed over the center median and collided head-on with a Kia Spectra carrying the 32-year-old woman and her children, ages 12 and 2. The woman and her children were transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Meza is expected to be charged with felony DUI.

My heart goes out to the injured victims of this car crash. I pray for their swift and full recovery.

Read More

Defective products in cars and other auto defects have been around since cars have been around. Nobody and no car are perfect, but sometimes the defects are more serious than a simple broken cup holder. The more serious types of auto defects include: seatbelt failure, seatback failure, airbag failure and defective tires to name a few.

There are many more types of auto defects, but we come across these more often than others. If you’ve suffered serious injury due to these types of defects, you have a great legal claim against the auto manufacturer. Nobody should be able to get away with making a lesser quality product just to save a few dollars on manufacturing costs.

The biggest problem with these types of cases is that people have no idea that their case is much larger than a simple insurance settlement. Auto defects are an incredibly serious item that have resulted in billions of dollars across the United States and hundreds of millions of dollars with our law firm -- Bisnar & Chase -- alone. Read More

A car accident in Los Angeles the morning of January 13, 2012 killed three people and resulted in major injuries for three others, NBC Los Angeles reports. Police say the fatal crash happened on Downey Avenue at Somerset Ranch Road in Paramount. A speeding Chevy Tahoe SUV went out of control, crashed into several objects, overturned and burst into flames. Five people were ejected from the vehicle. Three suffered fatal injuries and three others were transported to an area hospital with major injuries. An investigation is ongoing, although officials suspect that excessive speed was a factor.

My heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident. My thoughts and prayers are also with the injured victims of this rollover accident. I pray for their swift and full recovery.

Read More