It’s been a bad stretch for motor vehicle collisions with pedestrians in Orange County recently. There have been several high-profile incidents already this month, and with December usually ranked as one of the worst months for pedestrian crashes, we’re bound to see more before the new year.

Pedestrians are advised to be extra cautious at this time of year, and drivers—who, after all, are behind the wheels of the most dangerous element of the collision equation—are urged to be more alert than usual during the winter months.

Different Circumstances, Similar Results

The first crash happened in Huntington Beach on the 7th. A man who was walking in one of the northbound lanes of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Seapoint Street was struck and killed around 5:30 in the morning. The driver who struck him stayed at the scene, and part of highway was closed for more than four hours.

The following evening, just a few miles farther north on PCH, a woman was struck and hospitalized in serious condition at First Street in Seal Beach. That driver also stayed on the scene.

Just a couple of hours earlier in Garden Grove, a seventy-one-year-old man was struck as he crossed Brookhurst Street near Bixby Ave. That victim, unfortunately, died at the scene. The driver in that collision also stayed on the scene.

The fact that all three of these drivers stayed on the scene is unusual but a welcome change, considering that, in recent years, California has had a big problem with hit-and-run drivers.

Seasonal Increase in Risk

In 2015, Orange County ranked a better-than-average forty-fourth among California counties in pedestrian injuries and fatalities, with 938 total incidents. Statewide, California saw 742 pedestrian deaths that year.

But those incidents aren’t evenly distributed from month to month. The shorter daylight hours at this time of year always bring more danger: During the winter months (December, January, and February), nearly two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities occur between 3 p.m. and midnight. In fact, two of the three incidents mentioned above were in that time window.

Orange County Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Despite the best intentions of ambitious programs like Road to Zero, pedestrian traffic fatalities are likely to be a concern well into the future. When you find yourself the victim of a car crash, whether as a motorist or a pedestrian, it’s important to work with a firm with years of experience helping clients secure fair compensation.

Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys offers every client a free consultation. Give us a call at 1-844-404-2400 or fill out the online contact form below to schedule yours today.

Every member of the girls’ junior varsity basketball team from the Newport Christian School in Newport Beach was reportedly injured when their van failed to stop in traffic and rear-ended another vehicle, ultimately becoming part of a five-vehicle crash.

The November 16 crash on the 91 Freeway in Riverside, near the Adams Street exit, left all eastbound lanes closed for nearly an hour in the early afternoon. The road was partially reopened at that point, and the crash was completely cleared within two hours, although delays lingered.

Thirteen people, including all eleven girls on the team, were taken to area hospitals. The most seriously injured victim was said to have a broken bone. At least one driver of another vehicle involved in the crash was among those taken for medical treatment.

Bus Crashes a Daily Occurrence

Buses, including school buses and vans used to transport students, are involved in a lot more crashes than you might suspect. In 2015, there were about 53,000 crashes resulting in property damage, about 15,000 crashes with an injury, and 257 crashes that led to a fatal injury. Only 295 people died in bus crashes that year, compared to a total of more than 35,000 in all motor vehicle crashes.

The good news for bus passengers, but not for the pedestrians and other motorists involved in bus crashes, is that the majority of victims in those fatal bus crashes (246 of 295, or more than 83 percent) were outside a bus and not passengers on one. Even when an occupant of a bus is a victim, it’s more likely to be a bus driver than a passenger.

School Bus Crash Risk Low

School bus crashes are infrequent events, although they still happen. Historically, they account for less than 0.5 percent of all crashes and an even smaller portion of all traffic fatalities. It’s still not difficult to find examples, though, and we’ve seen a few recently that not only involved buses but affected other school sports teams.

A bus crash in Missouri in September claimed the life of a middle school running coach, while in October three people on a bus carrying a high school football team were injured when another vehicle crossed the median. (The driver of the other vehicle died in that collision.) The players from Newport Beach were fortunate that the end result of their crash was not so bad, although more vehicles were involved.

Orange County Bus Accident Lawyer

When you’ve been the victim in a motor vehicle accident of any kind, including a bus crash, call on the experienced team at Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys. We understand all the potential complications in this kind of case and have helped many clients settle their cases with those who caused them harm.

We also offer a free, no-obligation consultation to all new clients to discuss the details of their injuries. Give us a call today at 1-844-404-2400 or fill out the form below to learn more or schedule an appointment.

Two men were seriously injured last week when the quad ATV they were riding on was hit by another vehicle, which may have been fleeing a crime scene. An investigation is still underway, but the occupants of the truck might have just stolen marijuana plants from a nearby property.

The crash sent the two men on the ATV to the hospital via airlift. The vehicle, a pickup truck, fled the scene and has not yet been found. Add this incident to the ever-lengthening list documenting an ongoing problem in Riverside County: hit-and-run crashes.

Long List of Recent Incidents

On the last day of October, a two-vehicle hit-and-run in Thermal left one man dead and two other people hospitalized with serious injuries. The driver suspected of causing that crash was located and arrested a few hours later.

A few days later in Perris, a Corona man was killed in a collision between his motorcycle and a large truck, which the fled the scene. At last report, police are still seeking that driver.

Only a couple of days after that tragedy, a driver hit a motorcycle and two other vehicles on the 215 in Riverside but kept going. When that driver stopped, an off-duty LA County sheriff’s deputy held him at gunpoint until CHP arrived. That driver, from Corona, was driving on a suspended license. The good news in that particular case is that no one was injured.

A Statewide Problem

This list could easily go on. If it seems like there’s a serious hit-and-run in Riverside County nearly every day, that’s shockingly close to the truth. In 2014, the most recent year with available data from the California Office of Traffic Safety, Riverside County saw 625 combined serious injuries and deaths due to hit-and-run drivers. While that’s not a number to be proud of, there’s some consolation in knowing that it landed the county on the safer side when it came to hit-and-runs that year: Only six California counties saw fewer.

Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious offense which can be categorized as either a misdemeanor (for property damage) or a felony (for causing injury or death). The maximum penalty for a hit-and-run driver, besides paying any restitution, is four years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Riverside County Car Accident Lawyer

Those penalties apply in criminal court, but when you’ve been harmed in a car crash it’s usually in your best interest to also go after the person who caused the accident in civil court. Filing there improves your chance of receiving the compensation you deserve.

When you need to pursue restitution for any kind of motor vehicle accident, including a hit-and-run, turn to the experienced attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys. We understand what needs to be done to reach a successful settlement in an automobile accident case, and we offer a free consultation to all new clients. Pick up the phone and call us at 1-844-404-2400 or contact us online through the form below to make an appointment today.

A crash on Rubidoux Boulevard at Market Street in Jurupa Valley claimed the life of a young Riverside County woman last week. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital. There were no passengers in either vehicle.

Left Lane with Fatal Consequences

Riverside County Fire Department and Cal Fire spokespersons reported that the driver of one vehicle, a nineteen-year-old from Moreno Valley, was heading south on Rubidoux Boulevard around 9:15 p.m. on the evening of November 14. For unknown reasons, she drifted into oncoming traffic at the Market Street intersection, striking another vehicle head-on.

Investigators haven’t commented on whether the impact itself was immediately fatal, but the driver of the car that left its lane died at the scene. They have said, however, that drugs and alcohol do not appear to have been involved in the crash.

Head-On Crashes Are Frequent

Head-on collisions are shockingly frequent. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t see a report of one in one of the California counties where we practice, or at least somewhere in the state.

The same week as the crash in Jurupa Valley, we heard about two men seriously injured in a head-on in Santa Ynez, while a woman was killed and a seven-year-old injured in Boyes Hot Springs. At the end of September, both drivers were injured and a passenger killed in a head-on crash on University Avenue in Riverside.

In the last several weeks, there have been several head-on fatalities involving motorcyclists, the most recent when a biker veered into the path of a pickup truck in Mountain Center here in Riverside County.

They’re Also Deadly

Head-on crashes are also more dangerous than other types. Head-on collisions account for only 2 to 3 percent of all crashes, but they’re responsible for double or triple that number of fatalities (7 to 10 percent of all crash deaths).

They’re the opposite of rear-end crashes, which are the most common (around a third of all collisions) but are much less likely to end with a fatality (only about 5 to 7 percent of the time).

What Happened?

We can only speculate about how this crash happened, but a look at potential causes would have to include both drowsy driving (the crash happened at night) and distracted driving.

Between 800 and 1,000 crash deaths each year are known to be caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel—but the true figure might be much higher. Distracted driving, which includes anything from fiddling with the radio to using a phone, has been on the rise and now accounts for close to 10 percent of all traffic fatalities.

Jurupa Valley Car Accident Lawyer

When you’ve been suddenly caught up in a car crash, whether it’s a head-on, a rear-end, a sideswipe, or any other configuration, it’s important for you to have the right team on your side as you pursue financial justice for your injuries.

At Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys, our attorneys have years of experience in the practice of auto accident law, and we offer a free consultation to every client. We’ve helped many victims successfully resolve their cases, and we’re ready to help you. Give us a call at 1-844-404-2400 or enter your information into the form below to learn more.

Several cases asserting abuse in California nursing homes and assisted care facilities have recently raised important questions about the safety of elderly patients and residents.

As a personal injury law firm with an interest in helping the victims of elder abuse, we’ve been keeping an eye on these reports to understand how things might have gone wrong and allowed trusted caregivers to cause injury and even death to those in their care.

Fresno Facility Accused of Dumping Patients

In one case, a Fresno facility is being sued by a seventy-four-year-old former resident who says the nursing home dumped her outside her own home (from which she had earlier been removed because she was not capable of caring for herself).

Not only had she not been given the required thirty-day notice that she was being transferred, but the partially paralyzed stroke victim was then left on the curb after she got sick and soiled herself. That suit doesn’t end there. It also claims the facility allowed another patient to victimize her during her stay.

The state has already fined that facility $20,000 over this incident, which is one of three violations it was recently penalized for.

Oxnard Home Blamed for Death

The family of a woman who died at an Oxnard nursing home is suing that facility, claiming that neglect of the seventy-four-year-old patient, who had difficulty moving without help, led to her death.

Her family says she was admitted with mobility issues but that the home failed to monitor or treat her properly, leading to a series of new problems. The facility’s disregard for her health allegedly led to respiratory failure, pneumonia, the need for a feeding tube, and other complications and injuries.

At the time of her death, the suit alleges, she was undernourished and dehydrated, had terrible bed sores, and was in excruciating pain.

Inability to Provide Care an Issue

In yet another case, a Thousand Oaks facility has been accused of accepting a terminally ill patient, even though it was unable to provide the care she needed and was not licensed to deliver the appropriate treatment. The victim’s daughter says the eighty-eight-year-old cancer patient needed twenty-four-hour care and that she was admitted despite the facility’s shortcomings—purely for profit.

In this case and the others above, the accused businesses deny all the allegations.

Orange County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Elder abuse takes many forms, and it’s often not as extreme as the neglect and inadequate care at issue in the cases we described in this post. Senior citizens are sometimes abused psychologically or emotionally by those who have been trusted to care for them, and many are financially abused by someone who gains their trust.

Regardless of the specific type of abuse, when someone takes advantage of a vulnerable elderly person, it’s important to hold the abuser accountable. Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys has experience with nursing home abuse cases, and we offer every client a free consultation. Give us a call at 1-844-404-2400 or complete the form below to schedule an appointment.

A Costa Mesa man and his passenger both died from injuries sustained in a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash on the 57 Freeway late last month. The ultimate cause of the early-morning crash on October 28 hasn’t been determined, but news reports suggest that several risk factors came together at the wrong place and wrong time, ending with a tragic outcome.

Secondary Crash, Alcohol Involved, Distraction Possible

The victims were heading south in a Toyota Corolla on the 57 in Diamond Bar just before 3 a.m. when they came across a flatbed tow truck on the right shoulder. The truck was there to help another vehicle.

For reasons unknown, the Corolla swerved and struck the tow truck. It’s not known how seriously injured the Corolla’s occupants were at that point, but about a minute later, a Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by an allegedly drunk driver slammed into the Corolla, causing both occupants to be ejected onto the highway. The pickup then hit another vehicle (unoccupied) which had stopped to help after the Corolla crash. That caused the Tacoma to roll.

The Corolla passenger died at the scene, and the driver passed away at the hospital. The Tacoma driver was injured and later arrested on a DUI charge.

DUI a Tremendous Risk

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a huge danger both to those who do it and to everyone else on the road. Yet an astounding number of California drivers do it: Every year from 2003 to 2013, law enforcement made at least 160,000 DUI arrests. Most years, drunk drivers claim more than 1,000 lives in our state.

Secondary Incidents

The Corolla crash was a “secondary incident,” meaning that it happened after some other crash or vehicle problem had already happened in the same place. That’s true for about 20 percent of all crashes, which is part of why police and other responders try to clear crash sites as quickly as possible.

Every minute a crash stays on the road brings traffic delays and increased crash risks for other motorists.

Good Samaritan Also Victim

Less than forty-eight hours after the crashes in Diamond Bar, early on Monday, October 30, another Orange County man (from Fullerton) died in Garden Grove, along with the driver he had stopped to help. A third vehicle crashed into the two men as they inspected the damage. Both died at the scene, and it’s still unknown whether alcohol or drugs were also involved in that crash.

Orange County Car Accident Lawyer

Car crashes happen for all kinds of reasons, but whether they happen because of reckless driving, distracted driving, high speed, or DUI, 94 percent or more of all crashes are preventable. When a driver causes a crash and injures others, the victims can often turn to the courts for help.

When you need assistance pursuing your traffic injury compensation, give Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys a call at 1-844-404-2400 or fill out the contact form below. We have years of experience in the practice of automobile accident law and have helped countless clients recover compensation We also provide new clients with a free consultation to discuss their case, so you have nothing to lose.

A sixty-two-year-old Temecula man was killed in a crash caused by a suspected intoxicated driver late last month. The pileup happened during rush hour on Alessandro Boulevard at Meridian Parkway, approaching the 215 freeway from the west, between Riverside and Moreno Valley.

Seven vehicles were ultimately involved when the apparently drunk driver, who at least one witness said was speeding, crashed into an area where drivers were slowing because of road construction. The victim died at the scene, and one other person received minor injuries and needed medical attention.

All or part of the intersection was closed for more than four hours after the crash.

Repeat Offender, Facing Serious Charges

The thirty-eight-year-old driver accused in the crash is now facing second-degree murder charges for causing a fatal crash while driving under the influence. Other charges against him include gross vehicular manslaughter and driving on a suspended license. It’s been alleged that he also fled the scene, which would increase the penalties.

That driver was discovered to have several previous felony convictions, including spousal abuse and weapons possession. He also has three earlier DUI convictions, which will certainly not weigh in his favor. He was being held without bail after the crash.

Heavy Riverside DUI Involvement

It’s been a bad stretch for serious DUI crashes in southern California recently. About a week after the Alessandro Boulevard incident, a Riverside couple and their teenage son were killed in a fiery crash on the 605 in West Whittier. That crash was reportedly caused by a drunk driver, reported to be an off-duty Los Angeles police officer.

On October 1, an elderly woman was killed when her daughter drove off the 60 freeway and into an embankment in Riverside. The daughter was charged with vehicular manslaughter while under the influence.

A few days after that, a Riverside man injured himself and two others and killed a woman when he caused a head-on collision near Lake Matthews; he also was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Riverside Car Accident Lawyer

Car crashes happen for many reasons, but far too many of them involve drivers who make the decision to get behind the wheel while under the influence. A 2015 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 31 percent of motor vehicle deaths in the previous year involved alcohol.

When you have been harmed or someone close to you has been harmed or killed by a drunk driver, turn to the experienced automobile accident attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys to help you get justice.

We have helped many clients get the compensation they needed to pick up the pieces of lives profoundly affected by the recklessness of dangerous drivers. Give us a call today at 1-844-404-2400 or fill out the contact form below to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

The driver of a FedEx semi-truck was killed late last month when a car caused his truck to go off a highway bridge on State Route 905 in Otay Mesa, on the south side of San Diego. The crash happened around 2:30 in the afternoon on September 26 and forced the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to close the westbound lanes of the highway and the road below for several hours.

Driving Decisions Questioned

CHP officials have stated that the car driver, a thirty-year-old San Diego woman, attempted to pass the truck on the right near the Beyer Boulevard exit. Witnesses have suggested that the driver was speeding, but the CHP has not confirmed this. Something happened during the passing maneuver that caused the vehicles to collide, and both drivers appear to have lost control at that time.

The car hit the bridge railing on the right and came to a rest, but the truck veered across the highway to the left, where it crashed through and over the guardrail. The truck rolled as it went down the embankment, coming to a stop in a broken heap on Del Sur Boulevard partially beneath the eastbound lanes of SR 905.

The FedEx driver is believed to have died on impact, as the cab hit straight on and was then crushed by the trailer behind it. None of the people in the car (the driver, four children, and another adult) were injured.

Safety Above All

Many people believe that passing on the right, as the car driver was doing in this crash, is illegal, but in most cases, it’s a perfectly legitimate maneuver, especially on a multi-lane highway. However, regardless of the traffic laws, drivers still need to make good decisions when it comes to their safety and the safety of those around them.

Drugs and alcohol are not believed to have been involved in this crash, but police haven’t determined whether other charges will be filed.

Truck-Car Collisions

Truck drivers will tell you that, in their opinion, car drivers cause almost all of the crashes between trucks and cars. While this might not be true, one thing is certainly supported by the data: When cars and trucks meet in a collision, it’s usually the car and its occupants who come out the worst. In fact, in more than 85 percent of all cases, the victims in a fatal crash with a truck are not in the truck—they’re in other vehicles or they’re pedestrians. That makes this crash an unusual exception: Everyone but the truck driver walked away unharmed.

Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer

When you’re the victim of a car or truck crash, it’s important that you make a full recovery. The team of experienced automobile and truck accident attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys has helped many clients get the justice they deserve. Call us today at 1-844-404-2400 or fill out the form below to schedule a free appointment to discuss your case and learn how we can help.

Two men were killed on a Riverside County highway last week when their motorcycles collided head-on in the mountains southwest of Lake Elsinore.

The Sunday morning crash on September 17 forced officials to close the Ortega Highway (SR-74) between Riverside and Orange counties for nearly three hours. Driving conditions were good at the time, and the information available so far points to speed being the major factor in the crash.

It Only Takes One

Head-on collisions are perhaps the most terrifying kind of motor vehicle crash. Even the safest driver, who obeys all traffic laws, always stays at or below the speed limit, and drives with the best defensive practices, can’t always avoid them. They come out of nowhere, veering into oncoming traffic, crossing the yellow line, or even hurtling in the wrong direction down divided highways.

That seems to be what the evidence points to in this case. One of the bikers, a Buena Park man, was traveling westbound and operating safely when the other biker, a La Habra man traveling east, reportedly approached a curve at an unsafe speed. He reportedly crossed the double yellow line and struck the other vehicle head-on without warning. Both men died at the scene.

Second Crash, Third Fatality

This two-fatality crash on the Ortega Highway was tragic, but it was followed up with more bad news. The following day, another motorcyclist died on the same road in similar circumstances. He also drifted over the center line while traveling at an unsafe speed, striking a passenger car moving in the opposite direction. That marked the sixth fatality on that road in a month.

Riverside Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Not all motorcycle wrecks are fatal: In one recent year, more than 12,000 riders were injured in motorcycle crashes in California and survived. But those who suffer injuries can face serious problems in the aftermath.

When you’ve been in a motorcycle crash caused by another driver, it’s vitally important that you enlist the aid of an experienced legal team to recover compensation that ensures that all of your immediate and long-term needs are met. Crashes can leave a victim with medical bills that go on for many years, as well as the added burden of lost wages and income.

The attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys have the experience you need and are ready to meet for a free consultation to discuss your case. Give us a call at 1-844-404-2400 or fill out the form below to see how we can help you.

A motorcyclist lost the lower part of a leg recently when a hit-and-run driver crashed into him after his motorcycle became disabled on I-15 in Lake Elsinore.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, was last reported in critical but stable condition. There were no witnesses to the crash, but California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers are still seeking information to identify the driver who fled the scene.

Engine Trouble Turns to Tragedy

The chain of events that led to the biker’s injury began around 11 p.m. on August 29, when his motorcycle had engine trouble. That much isn’t in doubt, but there have been conflicting reports of what happened next.

Initial reports suggested the biker may have still been on the bike when he was struck, but CHP stated that the man was trying to cross the highway on foot at the time of the crash. His reasons for doing this aren’t known, but there are numerous businesses in the area (near the Central Ave. interchange with I-15), at least one of which is open twenty-four hours, so he may have been seeking assistance.

Vehicle parts were collected at the scene, but it’s not clear whether this was debris from the car that struck him or if the motorcycle was also hit in the crash.

Best Efforts by Responders

Part of this story would sound like something out of a horror movie if it wasn’t so real and so tragic: Despite a search by police officers and paramedics, the victim’s leg could not be found along the dark road for more than six hours. There was no word on whether surgical reattachment was attempted or if the delay or crash damage ruled that out.

Days Later, Another Incident

Only a few days later, another motorcyclist was killed in a separate hit-and-run crash near the same Lake Elsinore interchange. Just before 7 p.m. on September 1, the driver of a passenger car struck and killed a biker and then attempted to flee on foot.

Justice for the slain biker might be more likely, at least so far—CHP caught up with that driver near the scene, and he’s reportedly being held on several very serious charges, with bail set at $1 million. Alcohol and drugs may have been factors in that crash.

Riverside County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycle operators are victims of crashes that cause injury and death at a rate much greater than what other motorists experience. But they shouldn’t suffer more or be compensated less than others, so when you’ve been hurt in a crash, you need to make sure you have a team on your side that will fight to win the resources you need for a full recovery.

The attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys have extensive experience with motorcycle accident law, and we offer a free consultation to every client. Give us a call today at 1-844-404-2400 or complete the online contact form at the bottom of the page.