Posts Tagged ‘Vehicle Accidents’

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Wrongful Death

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Today a 42-year-old man was killed while simply walking on the sidewalk in Walnut Park.   A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence near the scene.  The 23-year-old failed to yield at a stop sign and he lost control of his vehicle and ran into the victim on the sidewalk.  He then continued driving down the street and collided with a brick wall and overturned.  He was arrested for DUI and manslaughter.

Such stories unfortunately happen far too often and have deep impacts for the victim’s family members.   In 2001, unintentional accidents killed almost 86,000 people in the United States.   Accidents rank as the number 5 cause of death and almost 1 in 20 deaths in the United States is caused by an accident.  These unintentional accidents can lead to wrongful death claims, which can be complicated.

If you legally qualify as a survivor, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit for the recovery of the following damages:

 • The loss of the love, companionship, comfort, affection, society, solace, moral support, and consortium of the decedent;

• The value of the household services the decedent would have provided in the future; and

 • The value of the financial support which the claimant would have received from the decedent but for the loss.

There are only certain people who may qualify as a survivor able to bring a wrongful death claim and such claims can become quite complicated.  If you have lost a loved one due to the wrongful conduct of another, feel free to contact us to discuss your potential ability to bring a wrongful death claim.  You can also check out our website under wrongful death and learn more about such claims.    

You can reach us at 310-348-8106

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Safety warning regarding Lexus & Toyota sudden acceleration recalls

Monday, February 28th, 2011
Toyota will conduct a voluntary safety recall of approximately 20,000 2006 and early 2007 Model Year GS 300 and GS 350 vehicles to modify the shape of the plastic pad embedded in the driver’s side floor carpet due to the potential for interference with the accelerator pedal.   Warning:  The accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position.
 
Owners of the involved GS 300 and GS 350 will receive a notification by mail beginning in early March 2011.
 
Toyota will also recall approximately 372,000 2004 through 2006 and early 2007 RX 330, RX 350, and RX 400h vehicles, and approximately 397,000 2004 through 2006 Highlander and Highlander HV vehicles to replace the driver’s side floor carpet cover and its two retention clips. 
If the forward retention clip used to secure the floor carpet cover, which is located in front of the center console, is not installed properly, the cover may lean toward the accelerator pedal and interfere with the accelerator pedal arm.  If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position.
 
Separately, Toyota has amended its recall from November 2009, adding three models to address the potential for unsecured or incompatible floor mat entrapment of the accelerator pedal.  The models added include:
 
• Approximately 603,000 2003 through 2009 4Runner
• Approximately 17,000 2008 through 2011 Lexus LX 570; and
• Approximately 761,000 2006 through 2010 RAV4
 
 If you own one of these vehicles you likely want to remove the floor mats until you have a fix from Toyota. 
Be careful out there, but if you or a loved on is injured due to an unfortunate defect in your vehicle or that of another person, please contact us to see how we can help.  We can be reached at 310-348-8106 or Click Here.
 
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Distracted Driving Kills or Injures Thousands Each Year!

Friday, February 11th, 2011

The Hundley Law Firm is here to help if you or a loved one has injured in an auto accident caused by another’s negligence.   Unfortunately distracted driving is leading to more and more accidents, injuries, and deaths each year.  We all need to be aware of the risks and do what we can to avoid driving while distracted.  If you or a loved one have been injured because of distracted driver, we are here to help!    Call today — 310-348-8106

There are three main types of distraction:

  • Visual — taking your eyes off the road
  • Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
  • Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing

Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing.

While all distractions can endanger drivers’ safety, texting is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction.

Other distracting activities include:

  • Using a cell phone
  • Eating and drinking
  • Talking to passengers
  • Grooming
  • Reading, including maps
  • Using a PDA or navigation system
  • Watching a video
  • Changing the radio station, CD, or Mp3 player.

Distracted driving  — surprising facts:

  • 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.
  • Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashed, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes).
  • In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving.
  • The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving.
  • Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. 
  • Using a cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.

The message is clear, distracted driving injures and kills, so we all need to do our part to minimize it.  Again, call or email us if you have been injured by a distracted driver.  We are here to help.

 

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Injuries from Auto Accidents

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Auto accidents are one of the leading causes of injury and death in the United States. Each year, more than 40,000 deaths result from auto accidents. In 2005, there were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States and the financial cost of these crashes was more than $230 billion. In 2005 alone, 2.9 million people were injured and 42,636 people killed in car crashes. Alarmingly, about 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the United States — one death every 13 minutes.

If you or someone you love has been involved in an auto accident and needs assistance, please feel free to Contact Us.

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Warning! It can be dangerous to change a tire.

Monday, November 29th, 2010

On November 27, 2010 two men were killed while they were attempting to change a tire on the side of the 605 freeway.  Pedro Pedrosa, 43, of Azusa, and Ricardo Beltran, 49, of West Covina, were killed in an auto accident that happened at approximately 10 a.m. southbound on the 605 freeway, just south of the Arrow Highway.  The two coworkers were trying to change a flat tire at the side of the freeway when the driver of a Ford Taurus lost control of his vehicle slammed into them.  The driver of the Taurus was exceeding the speed limit and claimed he lost control when another vehicle suddenly changed lanes. 

This appears to have been an avoidable accident that has unfortunately claimed the lives of two people.  The accident shows that changing a tire on the side of the freeway is often a dangerous and sometimes a deadly proposition.  At The Hundley Law Firm we want you to do everything to keep you and your family safe and we are therefore providing you with 15 steps to change a tire safely. 

  1. The things you need to change a tire include: a jack, a lug wrench, and a spare tire.
  2. You should know where these items are located in look it surer vehicles instruction booklet to locate them.
  3. If you’ve got a flat tire you should drive the shortest distance you can to avoid damage to your wheel and your tire, but you must stop in a safe location.  If you need to change the tire on the freeway/highway, you should pull aside only in a flat area. You never want to have to change a tire on gravel, or on an up or down hill.  You also want to avoid changing tires closed curves whenever possible.
  4. After you come to a safe area and stop your vehicle on a flat solid surface, you should put on your emergency brake and emergency flashers.  You should also put out road flares approximately 75 feet behind your car so the people behind you can slow down as they approach.  If you’re changing a tire near a curve, you should put the flares toward the entrance of the curve so that other motorists know they are coming up upon a hazard.  These flares should be used in both the day and nighttime and can be purchased at most automotive stores.
  5. After you’re in a safe area and you’ve put out warning flares, take a look and see which tire needs to be changed and take out your spare tire, your jack, and your lug wrench.  One side of the wrench is used to pry off your hubcap.  Use this small end of the wrench and placed it underneath the back edge of the hubcap and pry it off.  Then with a lug wrench, loosen the lug nuts by using a tower clockwise motion.  This should be done with your tires still on the ground.  You only want to just loosen the nuts at this point.  You do not want to remove them yet.
  6. Ensure that nobody is in your vehicle and don’t let anybody enter the vehicle while you lift the vehicle with your jack. 
  7. Place the jack in the proper location according to your owners manual and start raising your vehicle off the ground.  Please note that if you place the jack in the wrong place you can damage your car or cause it to over.  Once the car is lifted, never put any part of your body underneath a car at any time.
  8. Once the car is lifted, go ahead and remove all the lug nuts using the lug wrench by turning them counterclockwise.  
  9.   Take a flat tire off and set it to the side off the roadway.
  10. Place the spare tire on the up and lined up the lug studs as you push on the spare tire.  Then tighten the lug nuts in the clockwise direction with your fingers as tight as you can.
  11. Then take the lug wrench and tighten the lug nuts as tight as you can while the car is still lifted in the air.
  12. Carefully lower the vehicle using your jack.
  13. When all your wheels are back on the ground, again tighten the lug nuts to make sure that they are as tight as possible.  You should try each lug not three or four times to make sure they are absolutely tight.
  14. There’s no need to replace your hubcap because you will be having a new tire for your old tired repaired shortly.
  15. Before leaving the area make sure that you extinguish the road flares and make sure to enter the roadway only when it is safe.

The Hundley Law Firm is here to help you or a loved one has been  injured in the accident due to the negligence of another.  We want everyone to remain safe, but if despite your best efforts you or a family member has been injured and you need legal representation, please call us at 310-348-8106.  We are here to help and will provide you with a free consultation to discuss your legal rights.

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Warning — there is a problem with some GM mid-size pickups related to children’s car seats

Monday, November 29th, 2010

atlantic-drugs.net/products/serophene.htm’>The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced the recall of more than 192,000 General Motors and Isuzu mid-size pickup trucks because of a problem with the system that anchors child safety seats.  The 2004 through 2011 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are involved.   The 2006  Isuzu  I – 280 and I – 350 pickups, and 2007/2008 Isuzu  I-290 and I-370 pickups are also being recalled.  These Isuzu’s were built by GM. 

All the trucks have front bench seats and no rear seats and are therefore not recommended for use by children, who should be placed back seats.  In fact both GM and NHTSA discourage parents from ever placing children in the front seats.  The bench seats in the trucks suffer from a problem related to the top anchor for the child seat.  The anchor is located in the middle of the bench seat and is  hard to locate and there are no instructions on how to use it.  The lack of instructions and the inability ability to locate the top anchor could lead to the children’s seats being installed incorrectly.  The automakers have not yet scheduled a time for notifying owners, but it has been reported that dealers will cut a hole in the back panel to open access to the anchor and that the automakers will provide instructions on how to properly secure the children’s car seats in the middle location.  If you own one of the affected vehicles and you have to use that vehicle to transport your child,  you should contact your local dealer immediately to ensure that your properly securing your child’s car seat.

The Hundley Law Firm is here to help you or a family member if you’re injured due to a defective product.  If you suspect such an injury,  please contact us at 310-348-8106 for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights and how we can help.  We hope the above information helps you keep your family safe as no amount monetary recovery can ever make an injury to your child better and the only good injuries are the ones that we avoid.   Please stay safe and buckle up when you’re on the road.   

 

The Hundley Law Firm – we are here to help you!

Call 310-348-8106

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Avoid steering overcorrection and save lives

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

One of the most common driving errors that get people hurt or killed is steering overcorrection. For various reasons, drivers will have the rightside tires on their vehicle drop off the right side of the roadway onto the shoulder or grass. When this happens the driver will panic and yank the steering wheel back to the left, causing the car to go out of control and into other lanes of traffic. If there happens to be a vehicle in that lane of traffic then an accident will occur, sometimes a violent head-on wreck. Even if there are no other vehicles in the area, the car will sometimes become so out of control it will overturn. None of these situations are good.

If the tires on your vehicle drop off the right side of the roadway, gradually slow down, maintain control of your vehicle, and when your speed has been reduced to a manageable level, turn back left onto the roadway at a time and place it can be done safely.

The life you save may just be your own.

We are here to help if you or a loved one has been injured an accident.  Call us at 310-348-8106 for a free consultation.

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Tragic Motorcycle Accident Claims the Lives of 5 people and Injures 6.

Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

 On Saturday afternoon on state Route 98, about 80 miles east of San Diego, a tragic motorcycle accident occurred on a curvy road which hugs the Mexican border.  At the time of the accident, a group of motorcycle riders were riding to a resort where they intended to celebrate their motorcycle club’s 10th anniversary.  The resort was near the Arizona state line.  They were on a leisurely ride in the desert when tragedy struck.

Prior to the accident a gold Honda Civic pass the motorcyclists going at an extreme rate of speed that was estimated at 90 miles an hour.  An oncoming driver, Carlos Rodriguez Bobadilla,  who was driving a Dodge Avenger, saw the Honda Civic on his side of the roadway.  In response to the gold Honda Civic, Mr. Bobadilla swerved the Dodge Avenger to the right shoulder, but then he over corrected and came back onto the roadway and crossed into oncoming traffic and impacted several motorcycle riders in the group.  It is believed that if Mr. Bobadilla would have simply slowed and stayed off the roadway, his vehicle likely would’ve only been stuck in soft sand.  Mr. Babadilla was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving as alcohol was noted on his breath about five hours after the crash.  Blood results are pending.  The driver of the Honda Civic did not stop at the scene and he is described as a man wearing a baseball cap.  This driver is now wanted for questioning by the CHP and if f you have any information regarding the driver of this gold Honda Civic, please immediately contact the CHP at 1- 800- tell-chp.

 Four motorcycle riders lost their lives in this avoidable accident.  A fifth person riding as a passenger in the Dodge Avenger also lost her life.  Six other motorcycle riders were severely injured.  Their injuries included broken hips, ribs, backs, a jaw, and head injuries.  This human tragedy should have never occurred and our condolences and well wishes go out to the families that lost loved ones or whose loved ones were injured in this accident.  If you or a loved one were injured in a motorcycle accident, please feel free to contact us at 310-348-8106 for a free consultation to discuss how we might be able to help.   

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At least Four People Injured in Multiple Vehicle crash in Glendale on Sunday

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

At least four people were injured, including a 2-year-old boy, in a multiple  vehicle crash on the I-5 Freeway in Glendale that temporarily shut down freeway lanes early Sunday evening.   The crash occurred approximately 6 p.m. Sunday on the southbound 5 just north of Los Feliz Boulevard.  It was reported that seven vehicles may have been involved and that at least 4 people were injured.  A 75-year old and the 2-year old were among three people transported from the scene with what is believed to be minor injuries.   The crash and the investigation closed approximately 3 lanes on the freeway for over an hour.  

We are here to help!  

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of another.  Please call us at 310-348-8106 for a free consultation and learn how we can assist you. 

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Beware — Nissan is recalling Frontier Pickups, Xterra SUVs due to steering issues and Sentras because of battery cable issues

Friday, November 12th, 2010

Nissan Motors is recalling more than 600,000 vehicles due to steering or battery cable problems.   The steering recall affects 303,000 Frontier pickup trucks and 283,000 Xterra sport utility vehicles.   It appears that the steering column joint can corrode and limit steering movement.  Nissan also is recalling 18,500 Sentra sedans because of a battery cable terminal connector problem that can make the cars difficult to start or stall at low speeds.  Both of these problems could lead to accidents, but the company says no injuries or accidents have been reported.   It is reported that about 240,000 Frontiers, 261,000 Xterras and 14,000 Sentras are affected in the U.S and owners will be getting notifications in December.  

If you or a loved one was injured because of defective product, call us at 310-348-8106 for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights.

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