California Injury Blog

Published on: December 15, 2010

Why The System is Failing Nursing Home Residents

By Brian Chase

According to a recent report from the American Association for Justice entitled, “Standing Up for Seniors: How the Civil Justice System Protects Elderly Americans,” nursing home abuse and neglect is increasingly becoming a reality for many of our nation’s seniors in nursing homes. There are laws meant to protect senior citizens and regulators assigned to ensure that these laws are being followed, so what is behind this increase in the numbers of seniors experiencing elder abuse or neglect?
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Published on: December 14, 2010

DUI Collision Causes Major Injuries

By Brian Chase

Several people were injured in a car accident, which police say, was caused by a driver who was under the influence of drugs. According to a news report in The Californian, the car accident occurred on Highway 156 near Castroville the afternoon of December 11, 2010. Police report that Christina Louise Zuniga-Butler, 52, let her Kia Soul swerve into oncoming traffic where it struck a 2005 blue Honda CRV. Both drivers sustained major injuries and two occupants in the Honda SUV sustained minor injuries. Zuniga-Butler has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.

My thoughts and prayers are with the many injured victims of this Monterey County car accident. I wish everyone injured here the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

DUI Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 21 people were killed and 109 were injured as a result of DUI collisions in the unincorporated areas of Monterey County. Countywide, 23 deaths and 180 fatalities were reported involving alcohol-related car accidents during the same year.

Traffic Violations

If this news account is accurate, the driver of the Kia entered into oncoming traffic lanes. Authorities believe that Zuniga-Butler was under the influence of drugs, which may have caused her to lose control of the vehicle. According to California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a): “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.”
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Published on: December 14, 2010

Seniors Vulnerable to Medical Errors in Nursing Homes

By Brian Chase

Did you realize that preventable medical errors are number six on the top ten major causes of death for people in America. According to a recent report by the American Association for Justice’s recent report entitled “Standing Up for Seniors: How the Civil Justice System Protects Elderly Americans,” hundreds of thousands of Americans, including the elderly living in nursing homes, are killed or seriously injured by preventable medical errors every year.
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Published on: December 13, 2010

Police Pursuit Ends in Los Angeles Car Accident

By Brian Chase

Eight people were injured in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say, was caused by a suspected DUI driver involved in a police pursuit. According to an ABC news report, the pursuit resulted in a three-vehicle accident on Nordhoff Street in Northridge the night of December 10, 2010. Police in Malibu had earlier tried to stop a driver they believed to be under the influence of drugs when he sped off. This initiated the police pursuit that ended when the suspect’s vehicle crashed into two other vehicles. The suspected DUI driver suffered critical injuries, while two victims in a Mercedes sustained serious back and neck injuries, and five others suffered relatively minor injuries.

My thoughts and prayers are with the many injured victims of this Los Angeles car accident. I wish them all a complete and speedy recovery from their injuries.
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Published on: December 13, 2010

Abuse of the Elderly in Nursing Homes

By Brian Chase

Do you have a loved one in a nursing home? If so, do you know who is taking care of your beloved grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, or friend? Unfortunately, it is entirely possible that the person watching your loved one may have a criminal record. According to a recent report from the American Association for Justice, entitled “Standing Up for Seniors: How the Civil Justice System Protects Elderly Americans,” many nursing homes fail to properly check the criminal records of its staff, or they run checks and ignore the results. This negligent hiring of employees with criminal records has devastating consequences often leading to nursing home abuse for seniors.
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Published on: December 12, 2010

Three Hurt in Los Angeles School Bus Accident

By Brian Chase

Three people were hurt in a Los Angeles car accident involving a school bus and another vehicle, which officials say, was caused by a suspected drunk driver. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the injury accident occurred at the intersection of East 166th Street and Clarkdale Avenue in Norwalk the afternoon of December 6, 2010 when a pickup truck collided with the school bus. Two high school students in the bus suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup truck, identified as 30-year-old Ramon Garcia, is suspected of driving under the influence. He was transported to a local hospital with unknown injuries. An investigation is ongoing.
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Published on: December 11, 2010

New Study Links Drug Use with Fatal Car Accidents

By Brian Chase

A new government report, the first one of its kind, shows that drug use is up among drivers who are involved in fatal DUI collisions. According to an article in Consumer Reports, the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that one in five fatally injured drivers tested in 2009 were under the influence of legal and illegal drugs. Among those tested, fatally injured drivers using drugs rose from 13 percent to 18 percent.
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Published on: December 10, 2010

Los Angeles Car Accident Injures 12-year-old Girl

By Brian Chase

A 12-year-old girl sustained injuries in a Los Angeles car accident when a car struck her in front of her school. According to an article in The Glendale News-Press, the injury pedestrian accident occurred on Monterey Road in Glendale the morning of December 6, 2010. Officials say the girl was struck by a car moments after getting dropped off at school. She suffered injuries, which were not life-threatening. The young victim was in a crosswalk at the time of the car accident.
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Published on: December 10, 2010

Insurance Companies Scamming Seniors

By Brian Chase

People invest in life, long-term care, and other types of insurance thinking it will protect them when they need it. The last thing they expect is that they will need protection from the insurance companies themselves. In the recent American Association for Justice’s report entitled “Standing Up for Seniors: How the Civil Justice System Protects Elderly Americans,” it appears that people, especially senior citizens in nursing homes, are often the victims of senior fraud perpetrated by large insurance companies.
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Published on: December 9, 2010

Los Angeles Car Accident Injures Baby in Stroller

By Brian Chase

A baby in a stroller sustained injuries in a Los Angeles car accident after the stroller was struck by a vehicle at a street intersection. According to a news report in the Glendale News-Press, the injury pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of East Jackson and Harvard streets in Glendale the morning of December 7, 2010, when a driver heading south on Jackson made a left on Harvard and hit the stroller that was being pushed by the mother . The stroller tipped over with the baby still inside, but thankfully, the child did not appear to have suffered any major injuries. The baby was transported to a local hospital as a precaution. An investigation is ongoing.
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