March 1, 2010

San Diego Marines Motorcyle Deaths Decline Due to Marine Corps Increased Safety Efforts

The number of local Marines killed while riding motorcycles decreased for the first time in three years. The decrease is the result of new safety classes made available to Marines at Camp Pendleton and Miramar Air Force Base. In particular, the Marines are targeting those who ride sport bikes which are lightweight, powerful and popular with younger riders. The course teaches practical skills and mental training according to Richard Stampp, who works with Camp Fox Professional Services which designed and delivers the new course. The Marines have made the new course more accessible, and riders don't have to wait to get into the course. At both Miramar and Camp Pendleton, riders can enroll very soon after signing up for it. As another means to promote safety, the Marines are encouraging more experienced riders to act as mentors for those with less experience. The mentors hold monthly rides and demonstrate safe riding techniques. Marine leaders are committed to training riders and helping them avoid injury and death.

Source: North County Times.

Walton Law Firm, a North San Diego County law firm, represents accident victims throughout San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties and has recovered millions of dollars for individuals injured by car accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, defective products, construction accidents, slip and fall injuries, dog bites, insurance disputes, and medical malpractice suits. Call (760) 571-5500 for a free consultation.

February 26, 2010

Pedestrian Killed By School Bus in Fallbrook

It is being reported that a Fallbrook school bus struck a man in the 1700 block of Reche Road killing him. According to news reports, the man was "drawing on the road with chalk" when the bus hit him and knocked him into a Ford Explorer. The accident occurred in front of Potter Junior High School.

The driver of the 25-seat bus, Gabriel Perez, told SHP that the pedestrian looked up but did not move out of the way in time. It is not clear what the man was doing in the middle of the road.

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Local news coverage of this story can be found by clicking here, here, and here.

The North County based personal injury law firm of Walton Law Firm represents accident victims throughout San Diego County and has recovered millions of dollars for individuals involved car accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, defective products, construction accidents, slip and fall injuries, dog bites, insurance disputes, and medical malpractice suits. Call (760) 571-5500 for a free consultation.

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February 6, 2010

Fatal Car Accident Raises Question: How Old is Too Old to Drive?

In the 24-hour period after the death of 15-year-old Lucas Giaconelli, the Vista boy hit by a car while riding his skateboard, police were looking for a hit-and-run driver. Those of us who followed the story assumed it was some felonious character, who probably fled the scene because he (or she) had something to hide. When a 92-year-old man turned himself in the following day, people were stunned. Not necessarily because he was 92, but because despite a major impact - his car was damaged - he was totally unaware that he had hit a person.

Old%20Driver.jpgThis terrible tragedy raises the question: when is someone too old to drive? For friends and family of Lucas, this man should never have been allowed to have his license renewed. As one said, “If he's 92 years old, why is he on the streets driving?"

There has been a recent spate of San Diego car accidents involving elderly driver, including fatalities. Last year an elderly driver slammed into a Chula Vista home. In October, a 75-year-old man drove of a cliff in Point Loma and died when he mistook the accelerator for the brake. And just a few months ago, an elderly man with no known medical problems drove into an El Cajon Carl’s Jr., killing a diner.

According to the DMV, a California driver over 70 years can not renew a driver's license by mail, but there are no other mechanisms in place monitor elderly drivers. It is really up to individuals and families to determine when it is too old to drive.

Source: 760Kfmb.com

The car accident and injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm represent individuals throughout San Diego County who have been injured in all types of accidents, including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian injuries, construction accidents, property injuries, and malpractice matters. Call (760) 571-5500 for a free consultation.

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February 3, 2010

Worker Injured in Vista Grocery Store Explosion

VISTA - A man working on the refrigeration system at Northgate Market in Vista suffered concussive injuries yesterday when a pressurized tank exploded. The explosion caused major damage to the store. The injured man was taken to a local hospital.

It is currently unclear what caused the explosion, but authorities say the company was hired by the store to replace a compressor. The store remained open during the work, and arrangements were made to keep foods chilled while the compressor was changed. It's unclear how that was done, and whether or not it contributed to the accident.

The injured man may have barely escaped with his life. According to Vista Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Hahn, "a containment tank about the size of a scuba tank exploded with significant force, and did a lot of damage to the refrigeration system. The man was very close, but was not hit by the tank."


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Source: sandiego6.com

The San Diego North County injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm represent individuals throughout San Diego County who have been injured in all types of accidents, including auto accidents, property injuries, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, construction accidents, and wrongful death cases. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free consultation or submit a confidential online form.

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December 24, 2009

Non-Profits Help Injury Victims at Christmas Time

A major injury can cause major financial burdens, particularly at Christmas time. In San Diego County, there are a few non-profit charitable organizations founded by injured individuals and their families that are there to help. The Can't Keep Me Down foundation, founded by Bobby DuCharme of Mira Mesa who was paralyzed in a surfing accident, and the Del Mar foundation HeadNorth, founded by Eric Northbrook, who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, have stepped up big time.

In today's Union Tribune are stories of local families who face the arduous task of caring for someone who has suffered a serious injury. For example, Maria Rodriguez was having a tough year and an event tougher Christmas. She cares for her 15-year-old son, who was rendered quadriplegic in an accident, when the transmission on the transport van failed. Then the home she was renting was foreclosed upon, forcing her to move. The events drained her savings.

That's when the Can't Keep Me Down foundation entered the scene. The DuCharme family filled the Rodriguez' living room with a big television, clothes, toys, and holiday decorations. The HeadNorth foundation added to the giving with furniture and a Christmas tree.

As an unemployed single mother with four children, Maria Rodriguez already has a tough life. But it’s been even tougher lately. “We’ve been blessed with amazing, amazing people in our lives,” said Rodriguez.

Watch this video for more about her story.

The Union Tribune story, which can be found by clicking here, profiles the stories of other accident victims.

The accident and injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals who have been injured in all types of accidents, including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, construction accident. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free consultation.

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November 9, 2009

Two Injured in Unrelated San Marcos Car Accidents

Two people suffered serious injuries in unrelated car accidents in San Marcos this weekend. The first occurred on Saturday afternoon when a woman driving a GMC Yukon was traveling north on Woodland Parkway and was t-boned by a Dodge truck as she entered the intersection at Rancheros Drive. The force of the collision caused the Yukon to overturn, and partially ejected the driver, who suffered serious injuries in the crash. According to news reports, the woman is expected to survive.


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The other accident occurred at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Pico Avenue near the Corky Smith Gym. In that accident, a Saturn car hit a pedestrian as he was trying to cross Pico. The collision caused the pedestrian to roll onto the Saturn's roof and on to the road. Interestingly, the man got up from the scene and walked to his home nearby. His daughter called for medical help, and the mane was taken to Palomar Medical Center with a broken arm and a skull fracture.


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Source: North County Times

The North County based Walton Law Firm represents accident victims throughout San Diego County and has recovered millions of dollars for individuals involved car accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, defective products, construction accidents, slip and fall injuries, dog bites, insurance disputes, and medical malpractice suits. Call (760) 607-1325 for a free consultation.

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November 3, 2009

Decade Old Teen Driving Laws Seldom Enforced

The car accident deaths of two San Diego teens and prompted a reexamination of the enforcement of teen driving laws that were enacted a decade ago. Under those laws, teen drivers ages 16 to 18 are prohibited from driving a vehicle with anyone under 20 years old in the car during the year after they first get their license, unless an adult was present. [Cal. Veh. Code 12814.7] The teen license is called a provisional license.

It is widely agreed that teenagers that follow the law are safer drivers. In the case of the two local deaths, there is a good chance both accidents would have been presented with an adult in the car. Studies have shown that when a teen has one other teen in the car, the risk of a car accident doubles. With three or more passengers, the risk quadruples.

But many believe that the teen driving laws are rarely enforced. Under the law, a teen cannot be cited solely for violating the provisional license. They must be pulled over for some other infraction first. According to CHP officer Lew Hall, most officers don't write many tickets for provisional license violations because they are more focused on the driving infraction, and may not notice that the driver had been licensed for less than a year.

Last year, CHP cited 2,106 teen age drivers for driving in violation of their provisional license. Many believe the laws have been working. Only two years after the laws were enacted in 1998, car accidents involving 16-year-old drivers dropped 24 percent. In 2007, the last year data was available, personal injury and fatal accidents involving 16-year-old drivers were at a 13-year low.

Source: North County Times

The Walton Law Firm represent accident victims throughout San Diego County and has recovered millions of dollars for individuals involved car accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian injuries, uninsured motorist claims, defective products, construction accidents, slip and fall injuries, dog bites, insurance disputes, and medical malpractice suits. Call (760) 607-1325 for a free consultation.

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September 15, 2009

Unlicensed Driver of Rental Car Kills Motorcyclist in Ramona

A terrible story out of Ramona this evening, where a motorcycle rider lost his life after being hit by the negligent driver of a rental car. According to reports, the driver was unlicensed.

The unlicensed driver was driving a 2007 Dodge Caliber westbound on Hanson Lane when she stopped, then attempted to make a U-turn. She didn't see 46-year-old Mark Taylor, who was riding his Honda motorcycle. The front of the rental car clipped Taylor's bike, sending him into the road. He suffered major injuries and died at the scene of the crash.

Many questions remain about this accident, and CHP is continuing its investigation. The big question is how does an unlicensed driver end up behind the wheel of a rental car. Presumably rentals can only be made to licensed drivers. Second, why is the woman unlicensed? Did she have a license that was taken away for reasons related to her ability to drive? According the news article, criminal charges may be made against the woman.


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Source: SignOnSanDiego.com

The accident and injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals and families who have been injured in all types of accidents, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, property injuries, and other negligence related injuries. Call (760) 607-1325 for a free consultation.

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