California Injury Blog

Published on: January 26, 2011

Police Chase Culminates in Los Angeles Car Accident

By Brian Chase

A 45-minute police chase stemming from minor traffic violations resulted in a Los Angeles car accident, which injured two people the night of January 24, 2011. According to a Fox News report, the incident began in Old Town Pasadena when the male driver of a Volkswagen committed “minor traffic violations” and then refused to stop for police. Officers initiated a pursuit that continued across the San Gabriel Valley and ended at the intersection of Barranca Avenue and East Puente Street in Covina as the Volkswagen broadsided a Mazda.

The driver of the Mazda, a woman in her 20s, was hospitalized with what were described as moderate injuries. The driver of the Volkswagen was arrested on suspicion of felony failure to yield. Officials are also looking into whether alcohol or drugs played a part.

My heart goes out to the injured driver of the Mazda. It is indeed fortunate that she was not catastrophically injured or killed, given the circumstances. I wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. She will be in my prayers.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were five fatalities and 134 injuries involving car accidents in Covina. In Los Angeles County as a whole 667 people died and 52,229 were injured in car accidents during the same year.
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Published on: January 25, 2011

Los Angeles Hit-and-Run Car Accident Causes Injuries

By Brian Chase

A male pedestrian was seriously injured in a Los Angeles car accident after he was struck by a driver who then left the scene of the accident. According to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the major injury pedestrian accident occurred early morning on January 23, 2011 at the intersection of Saticoy Street and Reseda Boulevard. The man, said to be in his 30s, was crossing Saticoy when he was hit. He sustained broken bones among other injuries. The hit-and-run vehicle is described as a white car with front-end damage. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 818-644-8000.

My heart goes out to the injured victim of this hit-and-run car accident. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. He will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Pedestrian Accidents

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 104 fatalities and 2,716 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in the city of Los Angeles. In Los Angeles County as a whole, 214 fatalities and 4,985 injuries were reported due to pedestrian accidents during the same year.
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Published on: January 24, 2011

Man Killed in Los Angeles Car Accident Involving Tour Bus

By Brian Chase

Samuel Bendimez, 23, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say, was caused by a drunk driver. According to a report in The Pasadena Star-News, the fatal car accident occurred the morning of January 21, 2011 on Valley Boulevard near San Gabriel Boulevard in San Gabriel.

A woman, who was driving the pickup truck in which Bendimez was passenger, lost control and rear-ended a parked tour bus that was loading passengers at the time. Another female passenger in the Ford F-150 truck was hospitalized with serious injuries. Several bus passengers were treated for minor injuries. The driver of the Ford pickup was also seriously injured. She has been charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Samuel Bendimez for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. My heart also goes out to the other seriously injured victim in the truck as well as the injured bus passengers. I wish these victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

DUI Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were no fatalities, but 17 injuries involving DUI collisions in San Gabriel. In Los Angeles County as a whole, 258 people died and 4,832 were injured due to alcohol-related car accidents during the same year.
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Published on: January 23, 2011

Aviation Expert Jim Worsham Critically Injured in Victorville Car Accident

By Brian Chase

Jim Worsham, a longtime aviation expert and former president of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation was critically injured in a San Bernardino car accident. According to The Victorville Daily Press, the injury car accident occurred on January 13, 2011 in Victorville. The report states that a car broadsided Worsham’s vehicle. Worsham sustained numerous broken ribs and a collapsed lung. An investigation is ongoing.

My heart goes out to Worsham and his family for what they are going through at this time. He is apparently well-known in the area for bringing aviation companies as well as an aviation school to Southern California.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 16 people were killed and 266 were injured in Victorville car accidents. During that same year, there were 263 fatalities and 8,504 injuries reported due to car accidents in San Bernardino County.

What Caused This Injury Accident?

The report does not specify how this accident took place. Broadside accidents often involve a driver failing to properly yield right-of-way at an intersection or a driver running a red light. According to California Vehicle Code Section 21800 (a): “The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle which has entered the intersection from a different highway.”
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Published on: January 22, 2011

Pet Owners Arrested in Connection with Vicious Dog Attack in Barstow

By Brian Chase

Police have arrested the owners of two dogs that were involved in a dog bite incident in Barstow, which left a 52-year-old woman seriously injured. The victim was walking down Riverside Drive on December 29, 2010 when a Rottweiler and a Rottweiler-pit bull mix lunged at her and bit her on her legs, arms and chest. Neighbor Laura Hamilton saw the dog attack and came to the woman’s rescue. She was able to scare the dogs off and rescue the victim with a pickup truck.

Police say that the woman would have died, had Hamilton not rescued her in a timely manner. Police shot the two dogs when they lunged at officers as well. One of the dogs died and another ran away. The severely injured victim is still recovering. The dog owners, 55-year-old Ronald Ferrell and 38-year-old April Hearn, are facing felony charges.

My heart goes out to this injured dog attack victim. Such vicious dog attacks can certainly lead to serious injury or death. I hope this woman’s injuries were not catastrophic. I wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
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Published on: January 21, 2011

DUI Collision Proves Fatal for Elderly Driver

By Brian Chase

James Austin Withers, 84, was killed in a Mendocino County car accident, which police say, involved a suspected DUI driver. According to a news report in The Press Democrat, the fatal DUI collision occurred on Highway 1 near Fort Bragg the evening of January 15, 2011. Withers was fatally injured when his Volkswagen Beetle was struck head on by a Toyota 4Runner driven by 32-year-old Mary Kotila. Officials arrested Kotila on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and drug possession, and gross vehicular manslaughter.

My deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of James Austin Withers. My thoughts and prayers are with them following this tragic car accident.

DUI Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 15 people were killed and 70 were injured due to DUI collisions in the unincorporated areas of Mendocino County. During that same year, there were 16 fatalities and 83 injuries reported involving alcohol-related car accidents in Mendocino County.

Vehicular Manslaughter

Based on this news report, police have determined that the driver of the Toyota was driving under the influence of drugs. A driver whose act of driving under the influence results in the death of another will likely face vehicular manslaughter charges, as Kotila does in this case.
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Published on: January 20, 2011

Two Killed in Orange County Car Accident

By Brian Chase

Vanessa Cease, 24 and Alan Reyes, 26 were killed in an Orange County car accident, which police say, was caused by a drunk driver who was going the wrong way on a freeway. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal car accident occurred on the eastbound 91 freeway in Anaheim early morning on January 19, 2011.

California Highway Patrol officials say 21-year-old Anthony Louis Fragoso was travelling west in the eastbound lanes when he crashed his 1996 Mercedes-Benz into a 2006 Toyota Scion. The two occupants in the Scion, Reyes and Cease, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fragoso sustained major injuries and has been arrested on suspicion of DUI. He may be charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Vanessa Cease and Alan Reyes. My thoughts and prayers are with them following this tragic DUI collision.

DUI Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), eight people were killed and 181 were injured in DUI collisions in Anaheim. During that same year, there were 62 fatalities and 1,492 injuries reported as a result of alcohol-related car accidents.
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Published on: January 19, 2011

Elderly Driver Killed in Orange County Car Accident

By Brian Chase

Patricia Thompson-Yates, 77, was killed in an Irvine car accident after her car was broadsided by a van at a street intersection. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal car accident occurred the afternoon of January 18, 2011 at the intersection of Culver Drive and Farwell Avenue. Thompson-Yates was eastbound on Farwell in a Toyota sedan while the van was traveling south on Culver. Thompson-Yates was transported to an area hospital where she died shortly afterward. The other driver’s injuries are not known at this time. Officials are looking into which vehicle had the right-of-way at the time.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Patricia Thompson-Yates for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep this grieving family in your thoughts and prayers.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), five fatalities and 840 injuries were reported involving Irvine car accidents. During the same year, 152 people died and 13,414 were injured in Orange County car accidents.

Right-of-Way Issues

Based on this news report, it is not entirely clear how or why this tragic car accident occurred. However, we do know that it occurred at a street intersection monitored by traffic lights. It is possible one of the drivers ran a red light at the intersection or simply failed to yield right-of-way in this case.
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Published on: January 18, 2011

DUI Collision in Los Angeles Proves Fatal for Woman

By Brian Chase

Alyssa Leon, 21, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident, which police say, was caused by a repeat DUI offender. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the fatal car accident occurred the morning of January 16, 2011 on Valley Boulevard in Lincoln Heights. Officials say Peter Barragon, 24, lost control of his 2007 Saturn Aura while making a turn, hit a curb and a tree. The vehicle rolled over and Leon, who was a passenger, sustained fatal blunt-force injuries. Barragon and two other passengers were hospitalized for minor injuries. Barragon has been arrested for suspicion of murder. Officials say he had a prior DUI arrest.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Alyssa Leon. My thoughts and prayers are with them following this tragic DUI collision.

DUI Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 105 people were killed and 2,252 were injured due to DUI collisions in Los Angeles. During that same year, there were 258 fatalities and 4,832 injuries reported involving alcohol-related car accidents in Los Angeles County.
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Published on: January 18, 2011

Brain Injuries and How They are Caused

By Brian Chase

Brain injuries are amongst the most debilitating injuries that one can receive, and they can be received through a variety of different forces. Brain injuries that happen after birth are categorized as traumatic brain injuries and acquired brain injuries. Victims of severe brain injuries are usually handicapped for life, having to rely on their loved ones to help them do things that you and I might consider second nature.

Victims of brain damage are not completely helpless. Many survivors are able to perform tasks and overcome obstacles that their doctor’s would have thought were impossible under the victim’s circumstance. A positive attitude and a passion to live life to its fullest have proven to be powerful allies for those adjusting to their new lifestyle.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

If you received brain damage resulting from a head injury, chances are that it would be categorized as a traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries are usually caused by a direct blow to the head, where the force of the blow can break through the skull and damage the soft brain tissue. This type of TBI can be caused by:
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