December 11, 2009

Huge Pipe Falls off Big Rig and Nearly Crushes Cab Driver and Passenger

A cab driver and his passenger were nearly crushed this morning when a 25-ton steel pipe rolled of a commercial truck and fell off a freeway overpass, landing on the unsuspecting taxi driver and his passenger.

According to news reports, the large pipe, which measured 25-feet long and 8 feet in diameter, was being transported to a local dam project. The truck carrying the pipe lost control on the interchange from SR-125 to eastbound I-8, and struck the barrier wall. The impact with the wall caused the huge pipe to break free and roll over the bridge, dropping 75 feet on top of the cab.

Inside the taxi was its 47-year-old driver and a 73-year-old passenger. The two were taken to local hospitals with undisclosed injures, but both are expected to survive...amazingly.

CHP officers investigating the accident are saying that the driver of the big rig was traveling at an excessive speed.

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Source: 10News.com

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

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , San Diego Car Accident , Trucking Accidents

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September 29, 2009

Imperial County Big Rig Crash Kills Two

A big rig truck crashed on eastbound Interstate 8 last night, claiming the lives of the driver and his passenger. According to witnesses, the truck was traveling down a fairly steep decline under the speed limit when, for reasons unknown, drifted to the right shoulder and slammed into the dirt slope on the side of the road. The truck burst into flames upon impact, killing the occupants immediately.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation, and it is still unclear if the accident was caused by driver negligence or whether the truck malfunctioned in some way. Anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to contact the Imperial County office of the California Highway Patrol.


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Source: San Diego Union Tribune

The San Diego truck accident lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent individuals and families who have been impacted in all types of trucking accidents. Call (760) 607-1325 for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Burn Injuries , Trucking Accidents , Wrongful Death

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September 17, 2009

Dramatic Big Rig Rollover in Oceanside Kills Driver

The driver of a Lexus sedan was killed this morning when his car was crushed by a big rig truck that rolled over on Interstate 5. According to reports, Gustavio Gracia, the driver of the Lexus was transitioning from the I-5 to SR 78 east, when the semi tractor trailer rig rolled over on top of the Lexus. Garcia suffered major head injuries and died at the scene.

The I-5/SR 78 exchange remained closed for five hours as the crash was investigated. The cause of the crash is still unknown, and the 1996 Freightliner will undergo a complete inspection to determine if malfunctioned.

Drugs or alcohol are not believed to have played a role in the big rig crash.

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Source: SignOnSanDiego

The personal injury lawyers at the Walton Law Firm 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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Posted In: Oceanside Accident , Trucking Accidents , Wrongful Death

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June 3, 2009

Overweight Truckers Pose Risk to Road

MSNBC is out with an article about the dangers posed by heavy, drowsy truck drivers. Apparently a growing number of trucking firms are screening drivers who are considered at risk for sleep apnea, and then pay to monitor and treat divers who have the condition.

Sleep scientists at Harvard University have renewed a call for federal regulations that requires mandatory testing of all obese drivers. These researches believe that there is a strong link between obese drivers and truck crashes that kill more than 5,200 and injure over than 100,000.

“Screenings of truck drivers will be ineffective unless they are federally mandated or required by employers,” said researcher Dr. Stefanos N. Kales.

There have been numerous reports of truck accident fatalities due to drivers with sleep apnea. In May 2005, a Kansas mother and her 10-month-old child were killed when a truck collided with their SUV, and a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer died in 2000 when a truck struck his police car as he guarded a highway work zone. The drivers of both we known to have suffered from sleep apnea. Some studies state that nearly one in three drivers has sleep apnea, and that sleep apnea increases the risk of an accident by two to seven times.

Federal regulators have been considering a new regulation for more than a year that would require screeing drivers whose body mass index exceeds 30. No action has yet been taken on the new rule.

The San Diego personal 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, trucking accidents, bicycle accidents, construction accident. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Personal Injury , Trucking Accidents

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May 6, 2009

Fatal Truck Accident Closes I-5

Interstate 5 was closed for a period yesterday when a box truck rear-ended a slow-moving big rig in the Camp Pendleton area. The driver of the truck, 49-year-old Henry Wei of Rosmead, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to witnesses, Wei was traveling at freeway speed when it plowed into the big rig, which was slowing as it approached the Border Patrol inspection station. Witnesses say that there was no evidence that the box truck braked at all before rear-ending the truck ahead. The cab of Wei's truck was crushed, and it took two hours to remove his body.

That Wei did not brake raises interesting liability questions. Either he was not paying attention to the road in front of him - which is fairly commonplace in this day cell phones and texting - or there was some sort of mechanical problem with his truck, which investigators are looking into. It would be interesting to know the age and maintenance history on the truck Wei was driving to learn if the truck was unable to stop because of mechanical issues.

The accident and injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals and families throughout Southern California who have been injured in automobile accidents, truck accidents, product defect cases, work site accidents, dog bites, and other accident cases. Call (866) 607-1325 or complete our online form for a free and confidential consultation.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Trucking Accidents , Wrongful Death

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May 4, 2009

Eight Critically Injured in Riverside County Bus Accident

A tour bus on its way to Colton from San Diego crashed into a freeway median yesterday, critically injuring eight people. According to reports, the bus hit the center divider on the northbound I-215 near Temecula, at the Nuevo Road exit. The bus then crashed through another barrier before coming to rest in the backyard of a private residence.

As many as 45 firefighters responded to the accident, including three helicopters and nine ambulances. Rescuers had to free several passengers who were trapped in the back of the bus, and it took more than an hour to free everyone. The most seriously injured passengers were those riding in the front of the bus.

The tour bus was owned by a charter company called Inland Empire Stages, of Rancho Cucamonga, which, according to records, had two vehicles involved in other crashes over the last 30 months. The cause of the accident is still unknown.

Here’s a KTLA video about the accident:

The Temecula injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals and families who have been injured in accidents, including car crashes, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, construction accident, and all other personal injury matters. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Trucking Accidents

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April 23, 2009

Most Fatal Commercial Trucking Accidents Caused By Passenger Cars

The California Highway Patrol is out with a report today designed to educate drivers on traffic safety when in proximity to a big rig truck. According to the report, of the 7,262 accidents involving commercial trucks last year, 56% were the fault of the driver inside the passenger vehicle, such as a car, pick-up or other non-commercial vehicle.

In Orange County, 616 people were injured in 452 accidents involving big rigs in 2007, including 17 fatalities. In San Diego County, 349 people were injured, with 19 fatalities. And in Riverside, 477 people were injured, including 24 fatalities. To read the full report, click here (.pdf)

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The injury and accident attorneys at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals and families throughout Southern California who have suffered due to automobile accidents, work site accidents, defective products, spinal and brain injuries, dog bites, and other accident cases. Call (866) 607-1325 or complete our online form for a free and confidential consultation.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Trucking Accidents

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April 4, 2009

Big Rigs Banned from Highway after Accident

After a fatal big rig accident, California's top transportation official has temporarily banned large commercial trucks from Angeles Crest Highway for a period of 90 days.

On Wednesday, a big rig truck transporting automobiles lost its brakes while driving down a steep grade on the Southern California highway. The large truck smashed into several cars - killing a young girl and her father - then crashed into the window of a bookstore, injuring several others.

As a result of the accident, felony charges of vehicular manslaughter were filed against the driver of the truck Marcos Costa of Massachusetts.

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The personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals and families throughout Southern California who have suffered due to automobile accidents, work site accidents, defective products, spinal and brain injuries, dog bites, and other accident cases. Call (866) 607-1325 or complete our online form for a free and confidential consultation.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Pedestrian Accidents , Trucking Accidents , Wrongful Death

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March 17, 2009

Passenger Dies in I-10 Big-Rig Truck Accident

A 28-year-old Palm Desert man was killed today when the car he was riding in rear-ended a big-rig truck. The driver of the car was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to the CHP, the accident occurred at approximately 1:15 a.m. on westbound I-10, near Dillon Road, when the 2007 Mustang failed to slow in time and plowed into the large truck. Apparently the driver of the commercial truck was uninjured.


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The Riverside car accident lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals and families who have injured in all types of accidents. All consultations are free and confidential.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Trucking Accidents , Wrongful Death

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February 28, 2009

San Diego Wrongful Death Verdict to be Reviewed by Supreme Court

In 2006, a San Diego jury gave the widow and children of Scott Keener $4.9 million after he was struck on his motorcycle by a truck driver. When the judge polled the jurors for their votes, he forgot to get the answers from one juror on two of the 13 questions. While the juror found that the truck driver was negligent, the judge forgot ask him if he agreed with the other jurors on the apportionment of damages, which they found to be 80% on the defendant, and 20% on the plaintiff.

That mistake led to an appeal and a reversal of the verdict by the Fourth District Court of Appeals, which concluded that:

...the trial court erred in accepting the juror declarations to inquire into and resolve the results of the jury's decision making process, and also when it made a credibility determination that Santana could not effectively have voted other than 80/20 at any relevant time.
The Keeners have appealed to the California Supreme Court, and arguments will be held on Tuesday.

The entire 4th DCA opinion can be read here (.pdf).

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Posted In: San Diego Car Accident , Trucking Accidents , Wrongful Death

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October 30, 2008

San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers

Based in San Diego’s North County, Randy Walton and Scott Barber represent individuals all over San Diego County in matters of personal injury and wrongful death. Whether you live in Escondido or El Cajon or Chula Vista, or anywhere else, Randy and Scott can help you obtain monetary justice for the injuries you have suffered.

Personal injuries, or course, can arise in a variety of circumstances, but usually occur due to car accidents, construction mishaps, dog bites, slip-and-fall incidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, or assault and battery. For over a decade our attorneys have been handling claims on behalf of injured people, and all cases are taken on a contingency fee basis. That means that we do not earn a fee unless there is a monetary recovery.

For more about our firm visit our website at www.WaltonBarber.com.

Home and hospital visits are available, and consultations about cases are always free.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Dog Bites , Medical Malpractice , Pedestrian Accidents , Personal Injury , San Diego Car Accident , San Diego Personal Injury , Trucking Accidents

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July 21, 2008

Trucking Accidents Frequently Caused by Medically Impaired Drivers

Studies show that hundreds of deaths and injuries on the highway each are caused by truck drivers suffering from medical problems behind the wheel. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration admits that it hasn't implemented any of the eight recommendations regulators proposed in 2001. The number of trucking crashes has been described as a "major public safety problem," and impacts drivers in every state.

The leading cause of serious accidents by large trucks occurred where drivers fell asleep, suffered heart attacks or seizures, or otherwise became impaired because of a medical condition. The FMCSA medical oversight board states that trucking accidents are one of the biggest causes of occupational death in the US, and is urging more doctors visits for truck drivers.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Trucking Accidents

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