Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Last week in Los Angeles, Sacramento, California's sister to the south, a teen was killed in a car crash and three passengers were injured.

Danielle Barrett, 16 years old, left her high school at lunchtime on May 1st with three of her friends, to have a pleasant lunch not expecting it to be Barrett's last one. According to www.venturacountystar.com:

Danielle Barrett, 16, was driving north on Grand Avenue in the unincorporated area of north Fillmore at a high speed when she ran off the road onto the dirt shoulder and lost control of her car, according to the CHP. Barrett's car then veered across the road and overturned several times before it came to rest on its wheels in an orange grove.

Barrett was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected out of her car. Upon impact with the ground she suffered major head trauma and internal injuries. She was life flighted to the Ventura County Medical Center where she later died.

As for the three passengers, they only suffered minor injuries and were released from the hospital that day. This blogger is unaware if they have obtained lawyers.

The moral of this story is clear: WEAR YOUR SEATBELT! This tragic ending could have been avoided and another child would have lived if only she had worn her seatbelt. As you can see the three passengers, who were restrained suffered only minor injuries.

For the full story Click Here

If you or a loved one have been badly injured in a car accident that wasn't your fault, you have rights. A lawyer can help you obtain those rights. I have been a practicing lawyer for over 27 years, and I can help you get the money you need to pay for your medical bills, reimburse you for time off work, and compensate you for all your pain and suffering.

Please call me and my staff at the Law Office of Moseley Collins at 1(916)-444-4444, or visit our website at www.moseleycollins.com

God Bless.

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Posted In: Car Accidents

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A man in Paso Robles has been rearraigned and is facing three felony charges from a car crash he caused on Highway 101 near Ventura, CA.

In the crash, the man, Jeremy White, killed one man, Andreas Parra, 20, and severely injured another, California Highway Patrolman Anthony Pedeferri, 36. Officer Pedeferri has been with the CHP for over 11 years and is an accomplished tri-athlete. He is currently in the hospital for rehabilitation

The charges the young man, only 20-years-old, face are gross vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence, causing an injury and refusing to take a chemical test, and selling/transporting marijuana.

Also, he faces several allegations including causing great bodily injury resulting in brain injury and paralysis, and causing injury or death to more than one victim.

At the scene, White refused to take a drug test but was forced to later on. At his hearing on April 1, forensic scientists testified that the drug Ecstasy was found in White's blood, as well as marijuana.

White's bail is currently held at $250,000.

For the full story, please click here.

Here in Sacramento, CA, many victims are injured by drunk or otherwise intoxicated drivers. These injuries can be moderate to severe, and can even end in death. California law makes it illegal for anyone to drive under the influence of alcohol and/drugs. It is simply too dangerous. According to AlcoholAlert.com:

There were 16,885 alcohol-related fatalities in 2005 – 39 percent of the total traffic fatalities for the year.

If you or a loved one has been badly hurt by someone driving under the influence, my staff and I can help you. Please call us at 916.444.4444, or visit our website, www.moseleycollins.com. You have rights. We can help you get them.

God bless.

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Posted In: Car Accidents

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Note: This article was taken from the Charleston Gazette Law Blog page of their website. To view the article, please click here.

From the Charleston Gazette:

Girl hurt in wreck gets $1.25 million

By Andrew Clevenger
Staff writer

After a four-day trial in Kanawha Circuit Court, a jury awarded more than $1.25 million to a Scarbro girl who was injured when a truck ricocheted off another truck and pinned her leg against a power pole in 2004.

Stefanie McKinney, now 14, needed 720 square centimeters of skin grafts on her leg, said her lawyer, Chad Love.

“The scarring was just unbelievable,” he said.

The jury’s verdict included $250,000 for pain and suffering, $200,000 for mental and emotional distress and $550,000 for disfigurement. In addition, the jury awarded $257,858.52 to cover McKinney’s medical bills.

McKinney was standing on a corner in Oak Hill when a 1997 Ford Ranger truck driven by John Anderson collided with a 1994 GMC truck driven by Jimmie Souder, according to the lawsuit she filed in 2006. After the impact, Anderson’s truck pinned her leg against the pole.

The jury found that Souder was 100 percent liable for the accident, and Anderson was not negligent.

Beckley lawyer Tim Hayes, who represented Souder, could not be reached on Friday.

Charleston attorney Andy Brison, who represented Anderson, said he was glad that the jury had concluded that his client was not at fault.

“It’s a tragic case. This little girl was standing there advertising her mother’s yard sale, and she gets hit like that,” Brison said.

McKinney impressed Brison as the kind of person who refused to become a lifelong victim.

“She had a really good recovery,” he said, noting that by the spring of 2005, she was playing softball, even making the all-star team. “As her dad said, she worked her butt off to get into that shape, and I agree. She’s just not going to let this get her down. She doesn’t seem like the kind of kid who would do that.”

Judge Paul Zakaib Jr. presided over the case.

What a win! Everyday, here in Sacramento, CA, innocent people are injured by negligent drivers, just like this young girl. They need the same legal help and compensation that she received. An attorney can help you in this. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, I can help you. My name is Moseley Collins and I have been helping injured victims receive the compensation they deserve for over 25 years. Please call my office at 916.444.4444, or visit my website, www.moseleycollins.com. My staff and I would love to help you.

God bless and happy Easter!

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Another bizarre car accident occurred this week, this time in Burbank, CA, a city near Sacramento's strange sister to the south, Los Angeles.

On Monday, March 24, an elderly woman drove her vehicle into a post office, injuring three people, including herself. Apparently, according to the Los Angeles Times, the woman mistook her gas pedal for her brake. The Times states:

"Typically, that's what happens in these cases," Sanchez said. "It was an accident. There was no mechanical failure and no intent to cause harm."

(Sanchez is Burbank Police Sergeant Tracy Sanchez, the reporting officer at the scene).

Three people were injured; the driver, a post office employee, and a 62-year-old man. None of them were seriously hurt although the 62-year-old man was taken to a hospital for a head injury. Officer Sanchez reported that he was "alert and conscious".

It is unknown whether anyone involved has obtained an attorney.

For the full story, click here.

Although the cause of this accident was accidental, and the elderly woman who caused it was not malicious in her conduct, she is still responsible for the injuries she inflicted on others. Thank God that no one was seriously hurt, but, as you know, that is not always the case. If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt in a car accident that was not your fault, I can help you. Please call me and my staff at (916) 444-4444 or visit our website by clicking here. We are waiting to help you.

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A man caused a four car collision on Highway 20 in Grass Valley, CA, a rural town north of Sacramento, on Thursday, March 13. Steve Poston, 55, of Smartville, apparently weaved and swerved through the morning traffic scattered along the highway, reaching speeds of 80 miles per hour, despite a heavy fog that blanketed the road and reduced visibility to only 200 to 300 hundred feet.

According to witnesses and California Highway Patrol Officer, Dina Hernandez, the officer who reported to the scene, Poston lost control of his silver Dodge pickup and sideswiped the white Ford 250 of James Klauer, 42. Thus began the chaos. In the words of Hernandez, interviewed by TheUnion.com:

The ensuing wreck looked like a war zone,

After being struck by Poston, Klauer lost control of his truck and it began spinning all over the highway. While spinning, Klauer's truck struck two other vehicles, a maroon Honda Accord driven by Tong Field, 39, and a maroon Chevy pickup, driven by Mitchell Hinds, 47. Again, in the words of Officer Hernandez:

They all ended up scattered in both lanes. There was debris everywhere.

In fact, Rough and Ready Highway was such a mess that traffic had to be re-routed for over an hour.

Poston suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to a hospital where he made a good recovery. None of the other drivers were substantially injured.

For the full story, please visit TheUnion.com.

According to California Vehicle Code 22350:

No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property.

Steve Poston was in clear violation of this code Thursday morning. If you or a loved one has been injured because someone drove in violation of this code, or any other vehicle code, you have rights. The California Vehicle Code was put in place to keep people like you and the ones you love out of harm's way. If you have experienced this situation, call my law office, The Law Office of Moseley Collins, at 916.444.4444, or visit our website by clicking on the highlighted link. We would love to help you.

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Posted In: Car Accidents

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A 44-year-old Rio Linda, California man died this past Saturday, March 8, 2008, while trying to help a young woman involved in a car accident.

Kaili Jackson, a 20 year old woman from Sacramento, CA, was driving southbound on SR-99 when she drove her Toyota Tundra into the center median and the vehicle rolled over. News10.net reports:

Witnesses said 44-year-old Guy Pierce of Rio Linda stopped on the righthand shoulder and walked across the lanes and checked on the condition of the occupants in the Tundra.

As Pierce checked on Jackson, Christina Garner, a 31-year-old woman from Sacramento, drove southbound on SR-99 towards the scene. She saw the Tundra ahead of her in her line of traffic and attempted to change lanes but was blocked by a vehicle to her right. Garner then slammed on her brakes and veered to the right but was unable to miss hitting the Tundra. She struck the Tundra with her vehicle and then struck Pierce, killing him instantly.

Guy Pierce is remembered by his friends and family as a loving,compassionate, family man, who was devoted to his wife, Lori. His brother, Ron Johnson, told News10.net:

"My brother had a good heart on him. He loved people and he'd do what he can to help anyone,"

According to FARS, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia, over 42,000 people die in car accidents every year, nation wide. Over 4,500 of those deaths are pedestrians such as Guy Pierce.

If you or a loved has been injured in a car accident and the other party is at fault, you have rights. If the actions of another cause a car accident, by California law, they are responsible for the economic and emotional damages their actions ensure; whether they are medical bills, wage loss, pain and suffering, or, as in this case, death.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, my staff and I can help you. Please contact us at The Law Office of Moseley Collins. You can visit our website or contact us by phone at 916.444.4444.

God bless you.

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Don't let your pessimistic friends fool you! There are still good people out there. Case in point: Dava Tennet. On the afternoon of February 4, 2008, in Folsom, CA, a suburb outside Sacramento, Tennet pulled an injured man out of his burning car and then called for police assistance.

“I saw the car crash and couldn’t believe it,” Tennant, 29, said. “It was like auto-pilot – I hopped out of the car to make sure everybody was OK.”

Joy Snider had been waiting on a red light at the intersection of Russi Road and Blue Ravine when she was struck from behind by Douglas Burns, who, allegedly, was driving drunk. Burns' sports car became wedged underneath Snider's truck and caught fire. Tennet, a witness to the accident, rushed over and pulled Burns from his vehicle. In her interview with the Folsom Telegraph, Tennet described Burns as resistant at first to her attempts to pull him from his vehicle but eventually gave in as he had little control over his body.

“I just knew that I had to get him out of the car,” Tennant said. “I didn’t know if it was going to blow. I didn’t think about me getting hurt by helping him.”

Once Burns was safely out the car, Tennet reports he ran into a nearby wooded area which is where police found him after a few minutes and arrested him on suspicion of hit and run.

It is a terrible thing to be involved in a car accident, no matter what the circumstances. But when the cause of the accident is a drunk driver, the situation becomes more terrible. Why? Because it could have been avoided. It is one thing if the person responsible for an accident made an honest mistake, but when they deliberately drink and then get behind the wheel of their now potentially fatal automobile, it is another. It is reckless and malicious. Thank God that no one was seriously hurt in the accident described above. Such is not always the case.

According to Lt. Sheldon Sterling of the Folsom Police Department, DUI arrests are up in Folsom and DUI collisions are down. In 2007, the number of DUI collisions decreased by 41 compared to the year prior, while there were 362 DUI arrests, compared to the 252 in 2004.

For the full story please click here.

If you are or a loved one has been injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, please call me, Moseley, at The Law Offices of Moseley Collins at (916) 444-4444. My staff and I would love to help you.

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Posted In: Hit-and-Run

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Outside our Sacramento home, in Dixon, CA, a boy was hit by a car as he was crossing Highway 113. The boy, 12 years old, was crossing the highway after leaving his school, Neighborhood Christian. According to reports, the boy was unable to see oncoming traffic because of a parked big-rig truck. Venturing into the road, a car traveling southbound struck him.

The boy was taken by ambulance to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and was treated for a broken ankle and a possible perforated bowel.

The town of Dixon is in the beginning stages of moving the highway out of downtown. Having it in the center of town poses many risks. Neighborhood Christian School is a prime example of the dangers involved in having a highway nearby, as many students have to cross it to and from school. In addition, reports state that the only way to cross the highway from the school is through a marked crosswalk with no stop sign or signal to provide more safety for the students.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please call the Law Offices of Moseley Collins. I will be able to explain your situation and subsequent options to you in a clear and concise manner so that you can be confident in your future decisions. I look forward to hearing from you.

Web Resources:

Accident has ironic aspect, The Reporter

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Posted In: Car Accidents

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A horrific accident occurred last Sunday just southeast of our Sacramento home in Santa Barbara County Around 2:15 in the morning a man was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Camaro with two female passengers at high speeds. As he took a turn, he lost control of his car, sending it hurtling through a freeway overpass. The Camaro and its passengers fell 40 feet off the overpass onto another freeway, Highway 101.

The car landed on its passenger side with its roof facing oncoming traffic. Immediately, a family of five in a Honda sedan collided with the camaro. The two women passengers were then ejected from the car, dying at the scene. The driver was severely injured. Luckily, the family of five (two adults and three children) left the scene with minor injuries.

Police officers state that the driver of the Camaro's BAC was way over the legal limits. It is amazing to know that people still drink and drive even with the news stories, all the statistics, and the grave consequences that can occur as result. Studies from the NHTSA show that a driver is 11 times more likely to be involved in a fatal caar crash with a blood alcohol content between .05 and .09. You can only imagine how the stakes rise when greater amounts of alcohol are involved.

If you have been injured or know someone that has been injured because of a drunk driver, you should seek legal help and advice. Please call me at the Law Offices of Moseley Collins. I will inform you on your options and rights, explaining them in a way that make sense to you in your time of need. As for all of you on the road, do not drink and drive, and be careful out there.

Until next time…

For the full news story of this accident, please click here.

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Posted In: Car Accidents

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A family is suing the company EvenFlo, maker of baby products, for the death of their seven month old child. The suit comes after the mother and her son, Issac, were in a car accident. Issac’s mother was changing lanes and had to overcorrect herself. The overcorrection made her lose control of her car, causing it to flip over. Issac was in his EvenFlo car seat at the time and was properly belted in and secure. Unfortunately, the car seat ejected from the car when the car flipped over, resulting in Issac’s death.

EvenFlo isn’t unaccustomed to lawsuits. Just two months before Issac’s family filed a suit against EvenFlo, a $10.4 million jury verdict was set against the company for a defective car seat that caused a four month old boy to die of head injuries. The NHTSA has since recalled this car seat, the “On My Way” model.

When a company puts out a defective product, they are liable for injuries or death that is caused by such defect. If you or a loved one has been injured because of a product’s defect, please call the Law Offices of Moseley Collins. I will be able to explain your options and give you the help and advice you seek.

Until next time…

For the full article, please click here.
To view recent product recalls, please visit www.recalls.gov.

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Posted In: Causes & Precautions

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I read an article today that showed the damage that a big rig can cause when colliding with a car. The report stated that two women were attempting to pass another car, when the driver lost control. Their car slid out and ended up colliding front-first into a semi-truck. The two women were killed instantly. The driver of the big rig suffered only minor injuries.

It is incredible that in an accident, two people can die instantly while the other leaves the scene with only cuts and bruises. However, this is often the case in an accident involving a big rig and a car. The weight and size of the big rig is totally devastating to a car upon impact. In addition, it takes much more time for a semi to come to a complete stop, so if a car is suddenly in it’s way, it is more likely than not that the big rig will run into it.

If you or someone you love have been injured in a collision with a big rig, you will need legal advice and assistance. Please call the Law Office of Moseley Collins, I am here to help.

To read the full article on this big rig accident, please click here.

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Posted In: Truck "Big Rig" Accidents

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I was looking through the internet today and I found quite the interesting article. I don’t know just how much help it will give to you, but think of it as an ice-breaker to be used at the next awkward situation you face. Take, for example, that you discover that the person standing next to you (in such awkward situation) works at Camel Cigarettes. “Oh, so you’re a tobacconist?”, you would say, “Well, do you know that you are in the second-most likely profession to be involved in a car crash?” Ice-breaker success!

Take at the research supplied by moneysupermarket.com on what professions are the most likely/least likely to be involved in a car crash…

Most likely are:

1. Lifeguard - 13.79 per cent
2. Tobacconist - 13.64 per cent
3. Doctor/ GP - 12.96 per cent
4. Surgeon 12.76 per cent
5. Systems Analyst 12.59 per cent
6. Psychiatrist 12.55 per cent
7. Gynecologist 12.5 per cent
8. Insurance Inspector 12.44 per cent
9. Psychologist 12.33 per cent
10. Meteorologist 12.26 per cent

Least likely are:

1. Astrologer 1.75 per cent
2. Watchmaker 2.05 per cent
3. Driving examiner 2.63 per cent
4. Chimney sweep 2.67 per cent
5. Boiler man 3.21 per cent
6. Actor 3.33 per cent
7. Mobile hairdresser 3.4 per cent
8. Driving instructor 3.49 per cent
9. Promoter 3.6 per cent
10. Gravedigger 3.83 per cent

To read the full article, please click here.

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Posted In: Knowledge & Statistics

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