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.

Posted by Walton Law Firm | | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accidents , Brain Injury , Motorcycle Accidents , North County Accidents , Oceanside Accident , Personal Injury , San Bernardino Accident , San Diego Head Injury Lawyers , San Diego Motorcycle Accident , San Diego Personal Injury , Spinal Cord Injury , Temecula Accident , Uninsured Motorist , Vista Accident

Bookmark and Share

January 7, 2010

Police Seek Help in Finding Vista Hit-and-Run Driver

Authorities in Vista are looking for public help in identifying a hit-and-run driver who struck a 15-year-old boy, and left him with serious injuries. The pedestrian accident occurred on December 28th at E. Vista Way near Arcadia. At approximate 9:30 p.m. the boy attempted to cross the street, inside the crosswalk and on a green light, when a negligent driver ran a red light and struck the boy. The victim was thrown onto the roof, and then run over.

According to reports, the boy suffered very serious injuries, including a head injury, a ruptured spleen and kidney damage.

Police were unable to identify the car, but are asking to public to look for a car that has damage to the hood and windshield. A reward of $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the driver. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Anonymous e-mail and text messages can be sent at www.sdcrimestoppers.com.


View Larger Map

Source: North County Times

The Vista personal 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 accidents, bicycle accidents, construction accidents, and property injuries. Call (760) 571-5500 for a free consultation.

Posted by Walton Law Firm | | Email This Post

Posted In: Pedestrian Accidents , San Diego Head Injury Lawyers , Vista Accident

Bookmark and Share

December 7, 2009

Driver in Lexus Accident Recovering Slowly from Injuries

There has been a lot of news lately about the Toyota recall, and specifically about the family that was killed in San Diego when the accelerator on their Lexus got stuck, causing them to barrel down the road at speeds in excess of 100 mph, and ultimately run a red light and clip a law abiding vehicle. What we haven't heard much about is the condition of the law-abiding driver. Yesterday the Union Tribune did a profile story about him.

Phillip Pretty has no real memory of the accident itself. All he remembers is turning left from SR-125 onto Mission Gorge Road, then getting hit by the white Lexus. "It was more or less lights out," he told the UT. He didn't learn that the family inside the Lexus was killed until he woke up in the hospital.

It's been over three months since the fatal car accident, but Mr. Pretty is still far away from a complete recovery. The impact left him with a serious concussion and memory loss, which he has been told may last awhile. He has difficulty with simple memory tasks such as remembering someone's name. He also suffered a knee injury, which may require surgery, preventing him from surfing or bicycling, activities he enjoyed before the accident.

Adding insult to injury, while Mr. Pretty had medical insurance, it wasn't enough to cover all of his medical expenses. As a delivery driver, he's not rich, so he has retained a personal injury lawyer to try to recover some of what he has lost. He hasn't decided whether to pursue a lawsuit, but he rightfully agrees that someone should be held accountable.

Source: San Diego Union Tribune

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

Posted by Walton Law Firm | | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accidents , Defective Products , San Diego Car Accident , San Diego Head Injury Lawyers , San Diego Personal Injury

Bookmark and Share

November 28, 2009

Traumatic Brain Injury

The subject of mild traumatic brain injuries has received quite a bit of press lately thanks to the NFL. Research is showing that in addition to knee and back injuries, NFL players are suffering brain damage in previously unreported numbers. In response to the growing public concern, the co-chairmen of the NFL's committee on brain injuries resigned from the group last week after much criticism that the group had been downplaying the brain-injury risks associated with the game.

What is well known is that over 1.5 million suffer from an injury to the brain every year, and nearly 50,000 die. While brain damage can be triggered by a myriad of causes, the biggest culprit is trauma to the head. These brain injuries, commonly referred to as traumatic brain injuries, are the easiest to diagnose and usually have the greatest impact on a victim's life.

Within the definition of traumatic brain injury there are numerous types, the most common being concussion, diffuse axonal injury, coup-contrecoup injury, and contusion. Though football has been in the news recently as a cause of traumatic brain injury, the majority of brain injuries are caused by an accident of some sort, or an intentional act.

As a personal injury firm, we most-often see brain injuries in the context of motor vehicle accidents, including both cars and motorcycles. But brain injuries can be caused by other sources, including prescription medications, slip-and-fall incident, and crimes (battery).

If you suspect you, or someone you know, has suffered a mild traumatic brain injury, it is important that you get appropriate medical treatment right away, and get a proper diagnosis. Here is an excellent resource from the Mayo Clinic on the symptoms of traumatic brain injury.

The Walton Law Firm represents personal injury victims throughout San Diego County and has recovered millions of dollars for individuals involved car accidents, pedestrian accidents, nursing home malpractice, motorcycle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, defective products, construction accidents, slip and fall injuries, dog bites, and insurance disputes. Call (760) 607-1325 for a free consultation. Vista Personal Injury Lawyer.

Posted by Walton Law Firm | | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accidents , Brain Injury , San Diego Head Injury Lawyers , San Diego Personal Injury

Bookmark and Share

November 2, 2009

San Diego Scientists Put Heads Together to Solve Spinal Cord Problems

In any spinal cord injury, the degree of ones recovery is usually dependent on the speed of treatment after the injury-producing event. The longer the wait, the more likely nerve cells wither and die, and paralysis follows. But now, for the first time, Neuroscientists at UCSD have been able to re-grow axons in damaged spinal cords in lab rats whose spinal cord injuries were up to a year old.

This discovery would not have been possible without the concentration of neuroscience research being performed in the San Diego area. Five major neuroscience institutions call San Diego home: UCSD, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, The Scripps Research Institute and The Neurosciences Institute.

"San Diego has a heavy concentration of people doing both experimental and theoretical work, from molecule to the mind. There are only a few places in its league – cities like New York with Columbia University, Boston with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Baltimore with Johns Hopkins University," Said Dr. Michael Goldberg, president of the Society for Neuroscience.

The close geographical concentration has allowed for some intra-institution collaboration, which, because of the quickly expanding sciences, is done out of necessity.

"The science is so big now," said Dr. Stuart A. Lipton, who previously worked at Harvard University and is now director of Burnham's Del E. Webb Neuroscience, Aging and Stem Cell Research Center. "No one person or institution can have all of the toys, the big instruments, the necessary technologies and techniques."

San Diego neuroscientists have been leaders in studying the causes and treatments for neurological syndromes such as autism, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, and brain growth. It is estimated that more than 260,000 Americans live with chronic disabilities caused by spinal-cord injuries.

Source: San Diego Union Tribune

The Walton Law Firm represents individuals who have suffered disabling injuries in all types of accidents, including motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, burn incidents, construction accidents, and animal bites. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

Posted by Walton Law Firm | | Email This Post

Posted In: Brain Injury , San Diego Head Injury Lawyers , San Diego Personal Injury , Spinal Cord Injury

Bookmark and Share

July 6, 2009

Woman Dies After Falling Off San Diego Pedicab

A retired teacher visiting San Diego from Illinois died over the weekend after falling out of a pedicab at the 100 block of Harbor in San Diego's Marina District. Sixty-year-old Sharon Miller was participating the National Education Conference when she and another participant decided to take a pedicab ride on Saturday. At about 11:30 a.m. the driver of the pedi-cab began serving back and forth, causing Ms. Miller fall out and strike her head.

Ms. Miller was taken to UCSD Medical Center and diagnosed with a closed-head injury. She was placed on a ventilator and pronounced brain dead at approximately 6:15 p.m. that evening.

Police are still investigating the accident, and have not yet confirmed the cause.

UPDATE: Police are reportedly investigating the 23-year-old pedicab driver and contemplating manslaughter charges for his role in the death of Ms. Miller. The pedicab driver is from Turkey and here in the US on a work visa. According to witnesses, he was driving the pedicab with Ms. Miller in back in an area marked for pedestrians. One witness said he was driving in an "unsafe manner."

UPDATE II: The pedicab story has taken on a life of its own. San Diego officials are now proposing new rules regarding the operation of pedicabs (a little late, don't you think?), the driver of the pedicab that claimed Ms. Miller's life was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. Sukru Safa Cinar, from Turkey, was taken into custody and faces up to four years in prison.

The San Diego accident and injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals who have been injured in all types of accidents. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

Posted by Walton Law Firm | | Email This Post

Posted In: Brain Injury , San Diego Head Injury Lawyers , San Diego Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

Bookmark and Share

March 27, 2009

Temecula Boy Receives $20 Million Settlement in Traumatic Brain Injury Case

A Temecula boy who fell from a play structure at a local Burger King restaurant was awarded a $20 million settlement. Jacob Buckett, now 12, suffered a traumatic brain injury when he fell at a location in the play structure where there was no cushioned flooring. According to reports, the boy suffered damage to his parietal lobe, his left front lobe, and to his lungs when he fell.

Jacob was hospitalized for more than a month, which was followed by six weeks at a rehabilitation facility. Due to the size of the personal injury settlement, it is very likely that Jacob suffered permanent brain damage that will require attention for the long term.

Several defendants were named in the lawsuit arising from the accident, including the franchisee, the parent company, and the company that installed the playground equipment. It is unclear whether one defendant or all contributed to the settlement.

The Temecula injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent accident victims throughout Southern California in cases of personal injury and wrongful death.

Posted by Walton Law Firm | | Email This Post

Posted In: Brain Injury , Defective Products , Personal Injury , San Diego Head Injury Lawyers

Bookmark and Share

March 18, 2009

Minor Head Injuries Can Turn Major...Fast

A patient with a serious head injury can appear "deceivingly normal at first," according to Dr. Carmelo Graffagnino of Duke University. Even though the injury may appear minor, and not particularly painful, over-time it can develop into a serious and irreversible injury.

That may be what is happening to actress Natasha Richardson, who is reportedly in very serious condition in a New York hospital after suffering a fall while skiing. According to reports, the fall occurred on a beginner's slope, and appeared to cause no serious harm at the time.

Brain%20Photo%2002.jpg According to doctors, minor head trauma can cause an epidural hemorrhage, where blood gets trapped between the skull and the layer of skin between the bone and the dura matter. Blood flowing from the hemorrhage then builds and punctures the dura.

Dr. Graffagnino says the initial fall or injury doesn't have to be hard at all, and the delay in symptoms can range from five minutes to three hours after the accident.

For more on Traumatic Brain Injuries visit MayoClinic.com.

The San Diego brain injury law firm of Walton Law Firm LLP represents individuals and families throughout San Diego County, including Chula Vista, El Cajon, Oceanside, and Escondido who have been impacted by traumatic brain injuries. Call today for a free and confidential consultation.

Posted by Walton Law Firm | | Email This Post

Posted In: Brain Injury , Personal Injury , San Diego Head Injury Lawyers

Bookmark and Share

Randy Walton Photo

Randy Walton

Subscribe

Subscribe to the blogs's ATOM feed Subscribe to the RSS feed

Subscribe

Recent Entries

Legal Blogs