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.

A two-car crash in Stanton earlier this month led to the death of a pedestrian who was passing through the area in a wheelchair. The August 15 crash at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Chapman began when the driver of one car struck a small SUV as both vehicles were moving south.

The driver of the first vehicle then lost control and veered onto the sidewalk and struck the sixty-three-year-old wheelchair-bound man. Two parked cars were also hit in the crash.

Pedestrians Always at Risk

It’s tempting to think that the damage and injury from car accidents and other motor vehicle crashes is limited to the involved vehicles and their occupants. Unfortunately, pedestrians and others outside vehicles (including bicyclists) are often victims of car crashes. Nationally, pedestrians have been accounting for an increasing share of all traffic fatalities. In 2015, pedestrians made up 15 percent of all crash victims.

In California, the numbers are significantly worse. Last year, 25 percent of crash fatalities were pedestrians. That was a decrease from the year before but still left 359 California pedestrians dead. Even with the state’s poor record, some places stand out as dangerous hotspots; as many as 44 percent of fatal crashes in Los Angeles involve pedestrians.

Wheelchairs on the Radar

This incident—a man in a wheelchair on a sidewalk being killed by a driver—might seem to be a fluke, but similar crashes happen more often than you might suspect. We’re aware of about ten such collisions nationwide just this summer.

More specifically, we’ve seen at least three other crashes into wheelchairs reported in California in less than a week. Last week, a man in Arroyo Grande and a woman in Sebastopol were seriously injured when each was struck while crossing the street. In Fresno, another man in a wheelchair was struck and left in critical condition; full details of that crash haven’t been made available.

Drivers of all vehicles should take note: Wheelchairs and motorized scooters are everywhere. When you spot one, act appropriately. They might take more time crossing the street, and just as with other vehicles and pedestrians, they might take unexpected actions, such as crossing between intersections or using the street because there is no sidewalk or the sidewalk is blocked.

Orange County Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

When you’ve been the victim in a pedestrian accident (whether on foot, in a wheelchair, or in any other circumstance), get in touch with the experienced team at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys.

Our attorneys understand how to approach pedestrian accident cases and have helped many clients receive compensation that ensures their medical expenses, lost income, and other costs after an injury will be covered.

Call 1-844-404-2400 or fill out the contact form below to schedule a free consultation.

Workplace injuries can happen anywhere, and a feature story in a California newspaper earlier this summer shows that workers at nonprofit organizations are not immune from on-the-job risks.

The story in the Sacramento Bee highlighted the danger that workers at nonprofits face—specifically those at Goodwill Industries, which has been cited for numerous safety violations by the state and fined a record amount after the tragic workplace death of a young employee last year.

Lack of Safety Highlighted

After an investigation into the September 2016 death of the worker (who was crushed by a piece of heavy equipment) Cal-OSHA, the state agency tasked with protecting and improving worker health and safety, slapped Goodwill with six violations, including one deemed “willful-serious” with potential criminal liability.

The violations included more than $106,000 in fines. In the past ten years, the Sacramento Goodwill branch has been cited twenty-three additional times for other workplace safety violations.

The Cal-OSHA investigation found that Goodwill did not provide employees with adequate training for the equipment in use and that they had no safety procedures for employees. There were parallels to this worker’s death in a 2008 accident at an unrelated Goodwill facility in Tacoma, where a twenty-seven-year-old died in another heavy machinery accident.

Workers Need Protection

Employers sometimes play hardball when their own culpability in a workplace accident is at issue, and a nonprofit can react the same as any other employer. In the Goodwill case, the company actually went so far as to challenge the state’s approval of an employee’s unemployment compensation claim after he was fired by Goodwill.

That worker, who witnessed the accident that killed his co-worker, claims that he was fired for cooperating with investigators and providing them with information about the lack of safety procedures and training at Goodwill. He had repeatedly complained about—and documented—safety problems during his employment at Goodwill and said that not only was he fired for being a whistleblower, but that the organization has launched a smear campaign against him.

Reporting on the case, as well as Cal-OSHA’s intervention on his behalf in his unemployment claim, seems to support this. He’s currently pursuing a complaint with the California Labor Commissioner.

Beyond Workers Comp

Many employees mistakenly believe that workers compensation insurance covers all workplace injuries and that it covers them completely. They also believe that being in the workers comp system or accepting payments from it prevents them from seeking additional compensation.

None of this is true in all cases, and an injured employee should talk to a knowledgeable workplace injury lawyer before accepting any settlement. If an injury was caused by some kind of negligence, an employee may be able to pursue a personal injury case against the responsible party, whether that means a co-worker, an employer, or some other individual or legal entity.

With negligence alleged in the Sacramento case, that worker’s family might also be able to pursue a wrongful death claim.

California Workplace Injury Lawyer

If you’ve been hurt on the job and suspect negligence was involved, get in touch with an experienced workplace injury lawyer.

The team at Kohan & Bablove,Injury Attorneys can help you understand what’s involved in this kind of claim, and we offer a free consultation to discuss each case. Call us at 844-404-2400 or fill out the online contact form at the bottom of the page.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the beleaguered personal care products manufacturer, took a new approach recently in a case in California where the company faces the possibility of literally hundreds of multi-million dollar judgments over injuries caused by its products. The tactic: discredit the expert witnesses slated to provide testimony for the plaintiff.

Victims, Damages Adding Up

For more than a decade, J&J has been the subject of allegations that its talc-based products can, when used as directed, lead to serious health complications in some women. In the most serious cases, these products have been blamed for ovarian cancer, a disease which claims about 15,000 lives each year.

Since 2009, legal actions have proliferated against the company. To date, at least 2,400 women have filed lawsuits against J&J over this issue, with most of the cases consolidated in multidistrict litigation in Missouri, New Jersey, and California.

Prior to last year, J&J had experienced generally good success fending off these suits, either through confidential settlements or favorable verdicts. But several major cases have now gone against the company: Since February of 2016, four out of five verdicts have been for plaintiffs, and they’ve added up to over $300 million (although J&J has appealed and the final amounts could be reduced).

The Science—and the Responsibility

Does the science support plaintiff claims against J&J? The company’s lawyers argue strenuously that it does not.

In the preliminary hearing in June, they claimed that studies have been flawed: that they’ve relied on unreliable self-reporting, failed to account for other risk factors, or not undergone rigorous peer review. Discounting those studies, the only analysis J&J seems willing to accept is a 2014 report that found at best only a weak connection between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer.

And while plaintiffs argue that more than thirty other studies showing a connection are at least as valid, this sometimes misses the point: Some of the verdicts against J&J have hinged not on whether their product directly caused the cancer, but on whether J&J knew that there was some risk and chose to hide that information from consumers.

The deciding factor in these cases has really been the fact that J&J’s internal documents show that as far back as the 1980s there were concerns about possible cancer risks. In the late 90s, executives were warned of potential fallout if they chose to conceal these concerns—which is exactly the path they took.

Juries have decided that even when the risk is low or not decisively proven the company had a duty to inform consumers. Instead, as one plaintiff’s attorney has said, “they made a conscious decision not to warn the customers they were using a very dangerous product.”

California Talc Ovarian Cancer Lawyer

If you have used talc-based products and been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it’s vital that you contact a personal injury attorney with up-to-date knowledge of the cases underway. The team at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys has been following the talc injury issue closely, and we can help you understand what steps to take moving forward.

Give us a call today at 1-844-404-2400 or contact us online through the form below to schedule a free consultation to learn more.

A fiery crash on Gilman Springs Road west of Lakeview during the recent holiday weekend took the lives of two men and left a third with serious injuries.

It was yet another in a long string of crashes in which the victims were doing nothing wrong but suddenly found themselves part of a major wreck caused by another driver.

Witness Called for Backup

The crash unfolded on Monday, July 3, around 11:30 p.m., when a man driving a Corvette westbound at an unsafe speed failed to negotiate a bend in the road. Unfortunately, another driver was in the opposite lane, and the Corvette hit it head-on. The Corvette immediately caught fire.

An on-duty Hemet police officer witnessed the crash. The officer immediately called for fire department and California Highway Patrol assistance. Ultimately, at least four fire vehicles and others responded.

The officer tried to reach the driver of the Corvette, but the fire was too intense. Fortunately, the officer and another passing driver were able to free the driver of the other vehicle. They were not able to free the passenger in that vehicle, however, in part because the fire spread to it and some of the surrounding vegetation. Firefighters were able to free the man with the Jaws of Life.

Heavy Toll

The driver of the Corvette, a sixty-year-old Moreno Valley resident, was declared dead at the scene. It’s not clear whether he survived the initial crash.

The passenger of the other vehicle died about two hours after the crash at Riverside University Medical Center. The driver of the second vehicle was listed in serious condition after the crash.

A Dangerous Road?

Gilman Springs Road is getting something of a reputation. A week after this fatal incident, another crash on the same stretch of road left at least one person with serious injuries.

There have been at least two other major collisions on that road this year, including a four-vehicle pileup in February that hospitalized nine.

Riverside Car Accident Lawyer

Very few car crashes are true “accidents.” In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that about 94 percent of all crashes can be directly blamed on a driver for one of many reasons: aggressive or distracted driving, inexperience, operating under the influence, and so on.

Speed was reported as a factor in the July 3 crash, but law enforcement officials haven’t ruled out alcohol or drugs as contributing factors.

When you’ve been harmed or a loved one has been killed in a motor vehicle crash in Riverside County, get in touch with Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys. Our team understands automobile accident law and has successfully helped many clients receive the compensation they need after becoming victims in a crash.

Call us today at 1-844-404-2400 or fill out our online contact form below to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Summer is just around the corner, and while that brings sun and fun, school vacations, and all kinds of trips and recreational outings, the Southern California branch of AAA has been taking the time to remind all of us that the days between Memorial Day and Labor Day also come with some unwelcome baggage: year after year, this stretch of approximately one hundred days is the most dangerous for drivers—but especially for teen drivers.

Annual Crash Spike

According to AAA, which has labelled this period the “100 Deadliest Days,” fatal crashes involving teen drivers jump 15 percent during the summer window. They attribute the seasonal increase to a combination of inexperience (teens have had the least practice as drivers) and greater road exposure (with classes out, teens spend more time behind the wheel).

Teen drivers are also more likely, as a group, to engage in dangerous behaviors while in a vehicle. The auto club cites data showing that at least three factors are more common in crashes involving teens than they are for most other drivers: distracted driving (such as texting) is a cause in nearly six out of ten crashes; 60 percent of teens killed in crashes were not wearing seat belts, which would have reduced their risk of serious injury or death in a crash; and speeding is involved in nearly 30 percent of fatal teen crashes.

These and other factors weigh heavily on the youngest drivers: sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than more experienced drivers. When discussing what has been the most high-profile problem in recent years a AAA spokesperson noted that “Combining distractions and inexperience behind the wheel is a recipe for disaster.”

Everyone Can Help

We’re sorry to point out that at least one local teen has died in a car crash since the start of these deadly days: A nineteen-year-old was killed in a high-speed crash, possibly while street racing, during the first week of June.

Teen drivers should remember that they are not invincible. Cars are powerful, heavy, fast moving—and potentially lethal high-speed projectiles. They should always be used carefully, especially by drivers who haven’t yet become proficient behind the wheel.

At the same time, parents need to teach by example. It isn’t enough to tell your teen not to drive while distracted or to stick to the speed limit. If a parent doesn’t follow their own advice, the lesson is wasted. Always drive the way you want your teens to. You’ll be a better and safer driver for it, and so will they.

Other teens can also exert positive peer pressure by always driving responsibly and demanding that their friends do the same. Showing disapproval can be equally or even more effective: If a teen asks a peer to stop a dangerous behavior, or refuses to get into a friend’s vehicle because of how he or she has behaved in the past, it can have a profound influence on a teen driver’s future actions.

Riverside Car Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been hurt in a car crash, give Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys a call. Our experienced team understands all aspects of automobile accident law, and we’ve helped hundreds of clients reach appropriate settlements in their cases. Reach us at 1-844-404-2400 or contact us online through the form below to schedule a free appointment to discuss your case and how we can help you move forward.