Articles Posted in Auto Accidents

by

Although inclement weather is not a problem during the holiday season in Escondido the way it is in other parts of the country, many Southern California residents travel north for the holidays where inclement weather can make driving conditions significantly more hazardous. Yet even if you remain in San Diego County this holiday season, it is important to know that many more vehicles are likely to be on the road, increasing the risk of a motor vehicle collision. What can you do to avoid a serious car crash during the holidays? Our experienced Escondido car accident lawyers can help. 

Do Not Engage in Distracted Driving Behaviors

Distracted driving is a leading cause of motor vehicle collisions and deaths in California and across the country. During the holiday season, more vehicles are traveling on California freeways, and roads are congested. With more drivers on the road, the risk of a motor vehicle collision increases, especially if you are not paying attention to your surroundings. Avoid all distractions, from talking or texting on a smartphone to eating in the car or inputting a new address into your GPS. Avoiding distractions can reduce the likelihood that you will be involved in a collision.

Continue reading

by

Motor vehicle collisions in San Marcos and throughout Southern California can be devastating, whether they occur on a freeway or on a neighborhood street. In the immediate aftermath of a crash, it can be difficult to think about anything other than getting the medical treatment you need and healing enough to return to work. Yet once you have begun to recover from your injuries, or once you realize that your bills are piling up because of your inability to get back to your job, you should begin thinking about filing a car accident claim. Who can you sue for injuries you sustained in a traffic collision? 

The answer to that question will vary depending upon the particular circumstances of your case. Our San Marcos auto accident lawyers want to provide you with more information about parties that may be liable.

Negligent Motorist

Continue reading

by

double-fatal-i-15-fiery-crash-300x169The City of San Diego will pay nearly $10 million to two families who lost loved ones in a 2018 car accident in I-15. In the accident, Jesus David Dominguez and Isaac Felix will split $9.7 million from the city and the limits of an additional $300,000 insurance policy maintained by the driver who initially caused the accident.

That car crash that killed Mr. Dominguez and Mr. Felix occurred when a drunk driver named Jeffery Levi rear-ended the Toyota Corolla carrying the two men near Miramar Road on I-15 on January 2, 2018. That left the Corolla disabled and without lights when an off-duty police officer driving a Ford Interceptor issued by the city crashed into the Corolla at full speed, caused the gas tank to explode.

A lawsuit was filed three years ago by attorney Warren Ellis, but was delayed because the criminal prosecution of Levi, who was sentenced to 34 years behind bars.

Continue reading

by

ca-078_eb_exit_001_03-300x226Walton Law Firm is based in North County, and no personal injury firm knows North County better.

Car accidents in Vista, California can range from mild fender benders to more serious crashes. Because the 78 runs through Vista, auto accidents in the Vista area can be very serious, and, as you know, sometimes fatal. This highway is one of the most notoriously dangerous highways throughout the state of California, contributing to a high percentage of the fatal accidents in the San Diego area.

After a car accident, many people will decide to have the case handled solely by the insurance companies of those involved in the accident. An alternative option, assuming that the accident caused significant damage or those involved believe the insurance companies aren’t providing enough support, is to seek out the assistance of a Vista auto accident attorney. Attorneys will work to negotiate with insurance companies and help those involved in an accident receive the highest settlement possible.

Continue reading

by

Traffic crashes can happen in San Marcos and throughout Southern California for a wide variety of reasons, from distracted and aggressive driving to intoxicated or impaired driving. A recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) addressed collision rates following the legalization of marijuana in California and several other states. While the study revealed that the legalization of recreational marijuana in various states did lead to a “statistically significant increase in injury crash rates,” the beginning of marijuana sales in those states did not correspond with any additional increased risk of a collision. Accordingly, the study suggests that marijuana legalization may lead to an increase in traffic collisions at the outset, but further access to marijuana through retail sales does not result in any additional rise in accident rates. 

Car Accident Data and Marijuana Legalization in California

Recreational marijuana has been legal in California since 2016 with the passage of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). In the recent IIHS study, researchers looked at traffic accident rates in five states that legalized the recreational use of marijuana between 2012 and 2017, including Colorado, Washington State, Oregon, California, and Nevada. The researchers looked at car accident data in the immediate aftermath of the legalization of recreational marijuana in these states, followed by accident data in the period immediately following the start of recreational marijuana retail sales. Those dates are as follows for the states involved in the study:

Continue reading

by

Personal injury law is a broad area of the law that can include many different kinds of accidents and injuries, including car accident cases and other motor vehicle collision claims. While car accident cases are certainly one type of personal injury case that a person might file in order to seek financial compensation for a serious injury, people often hear that auto crash cases are different from other types of personal injury cases. To be clear, there are a variety of distinctions among each type of personal injury case, from the theory of liability to the essential elements an injury victim must prove in order to win a damages award. Yet car collision cases are distinct in that they almost always begin with an auto insurance claim as opposed to a lawsuit against the at-fault driver, although many of these cases ultimately end with a civil lawsuit. Our Carlsbad car accident attorneys want to provide you with more information about the key distinctions in a motor vehicle injury case. 

Deciding Which Type of Auto Insurance Claim to File

Unlike many other types of accidents in Carlsbad and throughout Southern California for which injury victims must file a lawsuit against a liable party in order to seek financial compensation, car crash cases already have an established system for seeking compensation through California’s auto insurance laws. 

Continue reading

by

For most Valley Center residents, news of a distracted driving accident does not produce an image of an older adult driver talking or texting on a cell phone. Yet seniors in California routinely use their phones when they are behind the wheel of an automobile, including in San Diego County. California has had a ban on handheld cell phone use while driving since 2008, but seniors, along with drivers of other ages, continue to talk and text on their phones despite the ban. Indeed, data from a distracted driving study in Southern California suggests that teenagers and young adults certainly are not the only age group responsible for distracted driving crashes resulting from improper cell phone use. What should you know about older adult drivers and the risks of distracted driving? 

UC San Diego School of Medicine Study Shows Seniors Engage in Distracted Driving Behaviors at High Rates

According to a study conducted by researchers at the UC San Diego, seniors use cell phones behind the wheel much more frequently than you might think. Indeed, researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine’s Training, Research, and Education for Driving Safety (TREDS) program found that almost 60% of seniors aged 65 and older use their cell phones for talking or texting while driving, putting themselves and others on the road at serious risk of injury in a distracted driving collision. 

Continue reading

by

Whether you are involved in a motor vehicle collision in Rancho Bernardo or elsewhere in Southern California, you may already know just how important seat belts are to preventing serious and fatal injuries. Yet many vehicle occupants still do not buckle up, especially when they are sitting in the back seat of a car or SUV. A recent article in Bankrate addresses the history of seat belts and motor vehicle safety and considers who far we have come by 2021. We want to discuss some of those considerations with you here and to urge you to seek advice from a Rancho Bernardo car accident attorney if you need help filing a claim for financial compensation. 

Long History of Motor Vehicles and Limited Seat Belt Use

According to the Bankrate article, seat belts have been around for much longer than you might think. To be sure, this safety device actually dates back to the 19th century—long before a majority of Americans owned any kind of vehicle—yet they have not been used as widely as many safety advocates would like. Indeed, by 1980, only about 10% of Americans reported that they wore seat belts when driving a car or occupying a passenger seat in a vehicle. Those numbers improved significantly in the late twentieth century and into the twenty-first century. By 2019, just over 90% of Americans report that they wear a seat belt whether driving or riding in an automobile.

Continue reading

by

Nobody expects to get hurt in a car accident in Vista or elsewhere in Southern California, yet negligent motorists routinely cause serious crashes that result in significant and debilitating injuries. When someone is injured in a collision, they should be able to have the option of filing a third-party claim through the at-fault driver’s insurance or filing a first-party claim through their own insurance. As you may know, California is an at-fault state or a “tort” state when it comes to auto insurance, and motorists are required to carry liability coverage to compensate others who have been injured in collisions. 

What happens when an uninsured motorist causes a car crash in Vista or in another part of San Diego County? What options does an injured party have for seeking financial compensation?

Determine if You Have Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Continue reading

by

north-county-san-diego-map-179x300With its office central to all North County San Diego cities, Walton law firm has been representing car accident injury claims for North County residents for over 20 years. From Del Mar to Oceanside to Escondido to Poway, the firm’s San Marcos office (along the 78) is easily accessible from all North County cities.

Have you been involving in a motor vehicle accident in North County, San Diego? If so, we can help.

With its main office in central North County (San Marcos), Walton Law Firm has represented residents from every North County city in car accident injury claims. With over 20 years of experience, our North County car accident lawyers know the roads and freeways and understand how complicated the claims process can be for the uninitiated. In short, the insurance companies who handle the claims have one objective, get you to sign a release while paying as little money as possible.

Continue reading
Justia Lawyer Rating
Super Lawyers
BBB Rating A+
Avvo Rating 10.0
Elder Justice Advocates
Consumer Attorneys California
AV Preeminent badge
Contact Information
North County Office
338 Via Vera Cruz
#250
San Marcos, CA 92078
Toll Free: 866.607.1325 Local: 760.571.5500 Fax: 760.571.5501
San Diego Office
2169 1st Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
Toll Free: 866.607.1325

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2023, Walton Law Firm
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design