A car accident in San Francisco, which officials say was caused by a suspected drunk driver, has left 9-year-old Ryan White critically injured. The San Jose Mercury News reports that the major injury hit-and-run crash occurred the night of August 4, 2011 on Mission Street.

The boy, along with a 58-year-old woman, was crossing the street when they were both hit by a white Toyota Tundra pickup truck. The driver left the scene, but was later arrested and identified as 21-year-old Andrew Vargas. Ryan is still in the hospital in critical condition. The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Vargas is facing DUI and hit-and-run charges.

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This is a guest post by Kevin Craig who is a financial writer associated with various finance related Communities. He has been providing advice on debt relief since 2007. With his advice, many people are now living a debt free life.You can get in touch with him at kevin.craig672@gmail.com.

Filing bankruptcy helps to discharge your debts effortlessly. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 are the personal bankruptcy commonly filed by the debt stricken consumers. But filing bankruptcy can blemish a person’s credit report for 7 to 10 years and it might create problems while applying for mortgage loan or for car insurance premium.

What will be the effect on your credit score?

Once you declare bankruptcy remember that your credit score will drop by minimum 100 to 300 points. The effect of bankruptcy will be more on filers with high credit score. The impact of delinquent accounts, charge-offs and judgments have already blemished their credit score, therefore the effect of bankruptcy will not be great for filers with low credit score.

Does filing bankruptcy affect the car insurance?

The car insurance issuer will regularly assess the credit score of his current clients. The credit score is a key factor when applying for new car insurance. Major number of insurance companies analyzes the credit score and credit history of the applicants in order to determine the risk of offering car insurance coverage. Therefore, if your credit score drops due to the effect of bankruptcy then it might affect while applying for insurance coverage and premiums.

Why credit score determines your car insurance?

The car insurance issuing companies evaluate a person’s credit score because they think that if a person manages his financial responsibility well then he can maintain his responsibilities towards his car. After filing bankruptcy your insurance premium can rise if you still haven’t filed a claim.

Remember that your credit report is blemished for 10 years after declaring bankruptcy. But the adverse effect on your credit score gradually decreases over time.

If you had no other option than filing bankruptcy then after the declaration you can immediately start working on rebuilding your credit scores by making your payment on time. If you pay your bills on time for 6 months without a single default then you can manage to improve your credit score. You can also apply for a secured credit card and sincerely mange your card then it will positively affect your payment history. This will help to boost your credit score. Therefore, these are few simple things that you can do to avoid the adverse effect of bankruptcy on your car insurance.

A car accident in Costa Mesa the morning of November 30, 2010 resulted in critical injuries for a 23-year-old woman. The Orange County Register reports that the victim was standing at the corner of Sunflower and Stevens avenues when she was struck by debris that flew out from a three-car collision. That car accident, officials say, was triggered by a 17-year-old driver, who ran a red light at the intersection, and struck two other vehicles. The pedestrian who was hit by the debris suffered major head injuries and was taken to an area trauma center. No other injuries were reported. An investigation is ongoing.

My thoughts and prayers go out to this woman who is apparently fighting for her life simply because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I pray that she recovers swiftly and fully from whatever injuries she has suffered.

Pedestrian Accidents

There were no fatalities, but 60 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Costa Mesa,
according to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In Orange County, during the same year, 31 people died and 785 were injured as a result of pedestrian accidents.

Laws and Liability Issues

California Vehicle Code Section 21453 (a) states: "A driver facing a circular red signal shall stop at the limit line before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and shall remain stopped until an indication to proceed is shown." In this case, it appears that the young driver was at fault for running the red light and causing the collision, which resulted in the pedestrian getting seriously injured. It is not clear why the teen driver ran the red light. Was he under the influence, distracted, speeding or just driving recklessly? I trust officials are investigating those issues as well.

If the young driver is determined to have been at fault here, he could be held liable for the accident and the serious injuries caused to the pedestrian. It would be in the best interests of injured victims to contact a skilled Orange County personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights are protected.

Seriously injured in an Orange County car accident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?

Call your best friends in the legal industry after a Costa Mesa pedestrian accident. Call 866-456-5235. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE Orange County personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.

In your opinion, will red light cameras at street intersections deter drivers from running a red light?

The law firm that sponsors this blog has agreed to provide a free, confidential consultation to any of our readers who were injured in this or a similar accident. The offer applies to the family of the accident victims as well.

At the time this article was posted, none of the parties mentioned in this article were represented by any of our sponsoring law firms. The source of our information is cited in the article. No independent investigation was conducted unless specifically mentioned in the article. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein; get a comprehensive consultation with a reputable law firm.

A jury in Miami, Florida on November 18, 2010 found that BankAtlantic Bancorp intentionally misled investors about problems with loans to commercial developers. The jury found that the bank holding company made eight false statements in financial filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission along with comments made by Alan B. Levan, chairman and CEO, and Valerie Toalson, CFO. If you have been misled in such a way, contact an experienced plantiff attorney. Read More

A suspected DUI collision in San Diego injured four people the morning of November 7, 2010. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the injury car accident happened on Palm Avenue when a BMW traveling at a high rate of speed struck a vehicle. A woman in the other vehicle sustained broken femur while her 17-year-old daughter was also injured. The 29-year-old driver of the BMW was booked on suspicion of DUI. An investigation is ongoing. Read More

A DUI collision in San Diego injured two people including the suspected drunk driver. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the injury car accident occurred at the intersection of 48th Street and Polk Avenue in the City Heights area when 20-year-old Marco Martinez ran a red light, crashed into three parked cars and then crashed into an apartment. Martinez and his passenger were injured. Martinez was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. No one in the other vehicles or in the apartment was injured. Read More

The 75-year-old beloved tribal leader who was killed in a October 20, 2010 pedestrian accident at the Santa Rosa Rancheria Reservation in the Fresno area, has been identified as William Vega. KFSN News reports that Vega was found lying on the roadway near the intersection of 17th Avenue and Monie Road in Lemoore. The hit-and-run driver has still not been found or identified. Authorities say the hit-and-run vehicle was heading north on 17th Street at the time of the accident. An investigation is ongoing. Read More

A school bus accident in Los Angeles resulted in injuries for the driver of an SUV that collided with the bus at a street intersection. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the car versus school bus accident happened the morning of October 19, 2010 at the intersection of Louise Avenue and Plummer Street in Northridge. There were 10 children in the school bus who were uninjured. The driver of the SUV, however, was transported to a local hospital with unknown injuries. Officials are looking into what caused this school bus accident. It is indeed fortunate that none of the children in the bus was injured. I wish the injured SUV driver the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Read More

A driver who was fatally injured in a DUI collision the night of October 15, 2010 has been identified as 25-year-old Humberto Orozco. The Press-Enterprise reports that Orozco was driving eastbound on Limonite Avenue in his 1999 Chevy when he was struck by a 1997 Lexus driven by 24-year-old Rafael Silva. Police say Silva drifted into opposing lanes of traffic and struck Orozco's vehicle. Silva was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI. Read More

Nicholas Hargraves, 20, was injured in an Orange County hit-and-run car accident after his bicycle was struck by a vehicle at a local intersection. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury car accident occurred the night of October 6, 2010 at the intersection of Rockfield Boulevard and El Toro Road. The female driver stopped only to ask Hargraves if he was OK, told him she was sorry and drove away. The hit-and-run driver is described as a female with blond hair, freckles, between 20 and 40 years old driving a black, newer C-class Mercedes-Benz with five-spoke alloy wheels. Hargraves is still recovering from his injuries. Read More