Personal Injury

Published on: June 12, 2009

Funeral Home Abuse Lawsuit Alleges Body Was Mishandled

By Brian Chase

California funeral home abuse attorneys at Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys have handled several cases on behalf of grief-stricken families who are plunged into further sorrow because of unethical funeral homes and cemeteries that cut corners while providing their services. Here’s one example of such funeral home abuse from Houma, Louisiana where one family has filed a funeral home abuse lawsuit claiming that an organ donation agency and other businesses that handled their loved one’s body, allowed it to decompose forcing them to have a closed casket ceremony.

According to an Associated Press news report, the family of Francis Toups Jr. alleges that the 53-year-old man’s body was treated with a “callous disregard for its condition and the effect it would have upon the deceased’s relatives.” The family claims that the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency failed to properly transport, embalm and take other steps to preserve the body. The family seeks unspecified damages from the agency, the Clark-Ducote and Samart funeral homes as well as Limousines Limited, a limo company in Crowley, Louisiana.
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Published on: June 12, 2009

Traumatic Brain Injury

By Brian Chase

If you receive a severe blow to the head, the force of the impact can cause your brain to bounce violently against your skull. When this happens, it can result in nerve fibers being torn and bleeding in and around the brain. This damage to brain tissue is known as traumatic brain injury or TBI.

Published on: June 11, 2009

Ventura County Construction Accident Injures Worker

By Brian Chase

A 36-year-old man suffered injuries in an Oxnard construction accident after he fell from the roof of a building where he was working. According to a news report in the Ventura County Star, the worker was fixing a hole in the roof of building that had been damaged by fire in the 3700 block of Hemlock Street, the morning of June 9, 2009. The worker fell through the roof hitting fluorescent lights on his way to the ground about 25 feet below. Oxnard fire officials said the man was knocked out briefly, but was conscious when he was transported to an area hospital. His injuries are apparently not life-threatening.

My heart goes out to this construction worker who suffered serious personal injury in this Ventura County on-the-job injury accident. But, I’m extremely relieved that he survived a 25-foot fall, which definitely, could have been catastrophic. I wish this man the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep this worker and his family in your prayers.

According to the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) statistics, there were 84 construction accident related fatalities in California in 2005. A total of 59 people died in California in 2005 in construction and industrial accidents involving falls from a higher elevation.
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Published on: June 10, 2009

San Bernardino County Car Accident Causes 50-Car Pileup, Injures Commuters, And Involves Big Rigs

By Brian Chase

Up to 50 vehicles were involved in a chain reaction San Bernardino car accident on the 15 Freeway near the summit of the Cajon Pass early morning on June 10, 2009, the Associated Press reports. The 50 vehicles included several cars and two big rigs, spread over a half-mile section of the northbound lanes, California Highway Patrol officials said. Some suffered personal injuries in this horrific San Bernardino car accident, but officials do not know how many injuries there were or to what extent people have been injured.

The chain reaction car crash apparently began when two tractor-trailer big rig trucks crashed in the northbound lanes near Oak Hills Road. Motorist Phil Cokkinos, who talked to reporters at the scene, said he saw three or four big rig trucks and a couple of cars that were crushed between them. There were three separate car-truck accident sections, Cokkinos said, all totaling to about 50 cars. Officials believe fog and poor visibility may have caused this multi-car and big rig truck accident.

My heart goes out to all the victims of this horrific multiple car crash. I hope none of the victims suffered catastrophic injuries. I wish them all the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep these injured victims in your prayers.
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Published on: June 8, 2009

Los Angeles County Bicycle Accident Injures Man

By Brian Chase

David Sotelo, 41, who suffered major personal injuries in a Whittier bicycle accident May 28, 2009, still remains in critical condition, the Whittier Daily News reports. California Highway Patrol officials recently contradicted an earlier report that had assigned fault for the car collision and are still looking into who may have been at fault for this bicycle accident. Sotelo was personally injured in the bicycle crash on Norwalk Boulevard north of Wadell Street. He was taken to an area hospital where he remains in critical condition.

CHP officials say the car-bike crash occurred as Sotelo was traveling southbound on Norwalk Boulevard in the northbound lane. He was traveling the wrong way. Sotelo then veered into the path of a Toyota RAV4 heading north. There were parked cars on the street and it seemed as if the bicyclist was trying to maneuver his way around the parked cars, officials said. The 56-year-old Whittier woman who was driving the SUV was not injured or cited.

My heart goes out to David Sotelo, who suffered critical injuries in this Los Angeles SUV-bicycle accident. I’m relieved that he did not suffer fatal injuries. I hope and pray that he makes a speedy and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there was one fatal bicycle accident and 26 injuries involving bicycle accidents reported in Whittier. In Los Angeles County, in 2007, 27 deaths and 2,902 injuries were reported as a result of bicycle accidents.
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Published on: June 5, 2009

Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Ben Glass Is Plagiarized by Montana Attorney

By Brian Chase

When injured victims seek out a personal injury attorney they are looking for someone with integrity. They have already been victimized. The last thing they need is to be further victimized by an attorney who lacks credibility or character.

On that note, let’s talk about Solomon Neuhardt, a personal injury attorney in Montana, who like personal injury attorneys has his own Web site and blog. He even bills himself as the author of several books that provide information for injured consumers. There’s nothing wrong with any of that. What’s atrocious is that some of the material he has posted on his blogs and passes off as his own appears to be plagiarized material, according to numerous sources.

Is it true Solomon Neuhardt that you copied word for word another attorney’s copy-written work and posted it as your own on your blog? Is the “Five Fatal Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Montana Accident Case” book that you offer to give to your Web site visitors a plagiarized book as well? I hope not, but I’m skeptical. Why? Here are the two sentences you use on your Web site to market this book, “Five Fatal Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Montana Accident Case”: “In this book I reveal what the insurance company will try to do to defeat or reduce your claim. I’ll show you how your own health insurance company may want to get your entire settlement for itself and what you can do about it.”
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Published on: June 4, 2009

Los Angeles County Pedestrian Accident Kills Man In Lancaster

By Brian Chase

A 55-year-old man was struck and killed in a Los Angeles pedestrian accident the night of June 2, 2009, Los Angeles police officials said. According to an article in the Los Angeles Daily News, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred in the 2600 block of West Avenue K near 27th Street West. The pedestrian, who has not yet been identified, was walking west on the south side of Avenue K and had just stepped out into the street when he was hit by a car heading west in the number two lane and driven by 41-year-old Alea Adams. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

My heart goes out to the family of this pedestrian for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved this man. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were five pedestrian involved fatal accidents and 41 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Lancaster. In Los Angeles County, 210 deaths and 5,095 injuries were reported as a result of pedestrian accidents in 2007.
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Published on: June 2, 2009

Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Critically Injures Woman

By Brian Chase

A 25-year-old woman was critically injured in a Los Angeles pedestrian accident the afternoon of June 1, 2009, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The woman was struck after an out-of-control car slammed into a bus stop in Van Nuys where the woman had been waiting, and dragged her several feet across pavement before coming to stop between a tree and a power pole.

Residents from a nearby apartment complex who saw the horrific Van Nuys car-pedestrian accident rushed to the scene, lifted the car and pulled her out from under it and revived her, Los Angeles police officials said. The accident occurred along the 14000 block of West Vanowen Street and Tyrone Avenue. The injured woman was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. LAPD officials say the pedestrian accident scene was extremely chaotic, everybody was in shock and that the bus bench was “in a million pieces.” The driver, who lost control of the four-door Infinity sedan, was also taken to a hospital, although his condition is not known. It is not clear why the driver lost control. Three other women also suffered minor personal injuries in this car-pedestrian accident.

My heart goes out to all who were injured in this pedestrian-car accident, especially the 25-year-old woman who was struck and then dragged by the car. I commend the neighbors who ran out of their homes to help this injured victim. I wish the young woman the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep her in your prayers.
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Published on: June 1, 2009

Los Angeles County Dog Bite Incident Injures Police Officer

By Brian Chase

A police officer in Glendora, who was responding to reports of a vicious pit bull at a local residence, became a Los Angeles dog bite victim, according to an article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. The incident occurred the evening of May 31, 2009 in the 700 block of Hunters Trail. The officer suffered puncture wounds to his leg, but is expected to recover. Neighborhood residents apparently called police to report an unleashed pit bull that had children trapped in a car.

When the officer arrived at the scene, the dog ran down the street and back into its own yard. The dog bite occurred when the officer attempted to close the gate to contain the dog inside the yard. The dog’s owner was cited for violating the leash law and having an unlicensed dog. The pit bull was taken away by animal control officials.

I wish this police officer the very best for a quick and complete recovery from his dog bite injuries. Here was an officer trying to protect a few children from a vicious dog and he got bitten and personally injured in the process. I commend the police officer for putting himself in danger to protect young citizens. He did his job well.
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Published on: June 1, 2009

Ventura County Pedestrian Accident Kills 76 Year Old

By Brian Chase

Joe Mora, 76, died in a Ventura County pedestrian accident after he was struck by a truck that was towing a piece of exercise equipment, the Ventura County Star reports. The fatal car- pedestrian accident occurred the afternoon of May 28, 2009 in the 600 block of East Virginia Terrace when a car towing the exercise equipment slid backwards and struck Mora. He was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour after the fatal pedestrian-car collision.

Traffic investigators determined that Mora’s 43-year-old neighbor was towing some exercise equipment up her driveway when the pedestrian accident occurred. Mora had earlier tried to help her manually move the package, Santa Paula police officials said. The woman had later placed the exercise equipment on a dolly behind her car and was pulling it when it slid backward for unknown reasons. Police are still trying to determine where Mora was at the time of the santa paula pedestrian-car accident. The woman has not yet been identified, cited or arrested pending an investigation. For now, officials are calling it a “horrible accident.”

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Joe Mora for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. From this news account, it appears Mora was a good neighbor and a man who was always ready to help. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Mora. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were no fatalities and eight injuries associated with pedestrian accidents in Santa Paula. In Ventura County as a whole, in 2007, eight deaths and 186 injuries involved pedestrian accidents.
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