Auto Accident

Injuries sustained during car accidents can range from minor scrapes and bruises to life-altering, catastrophic injuries. In 2007, a graduate of San Lorenzo Valley High School lost control of her vehicle, spun into oncoming traffic, and was struck by a pickup truck being driven by a Santa Cruz County worker. The accident resulted in catastrophic injury, and left the young woman a quadriplegic. According to a pressbanner.com article, the family of the Santa Cruz accident victim is seeking to file suit against the county after informal investigation of the circumstances surrounding the accident showed that road conditions may have played a contributing factor in causing the accident.

According to the claim, the safety of the road, including its drainage and current signage, is being labeled as dangerous. Furthermore, the speed of the vehicle being driven by the county worker has also been labeled a factor that may have caused the accident. If in fact these conditions are deemed to have played a role in causing the accident, then the injured party may be able to seek compensatory damages. Such recompense can assist with the costs associated with the accident, namely medical bills and physical therapy fees, if applicable.

Dangerous road conditions are not the fault of motorists. It is the responsibility of local governing authorities to ensure that roads and highways are safe to be traveled on. In the event that dangerous road conditions contribute to a San Jose car accident, the best course of action for an accident victim to take is retaining the services of an experienced Santa Cruz personal injury attorney. At Van Der Walde & Associates, our skilled injury attorneys will seek compensatory damages on your behalf and will hold those responsible for your accident accountable for their actions. Call us today at 877-862-6288 for a free case consultation.

Source:http://www.pressbanner.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Paralyzed+driver+to+sue+county+after+crash%20&id=4453921-Paralyzed+driver+to+sue+county+after+crash&instance=home_most_popular

According to tracypress.com, an auto accident involving a Mercedes-Benz SUV and a small Honda vehicle took the life of a 45-year-old man from Modesto, California. The Modesto man was a passenger in the Honda, which was being driven by his sister. Other passengers in the Honda included the Modesto man’s brother-in-law and nephew. The man’s sister, her husband, and their child were all injured in the crash. They were all taken to a Modesto-area hospital for treatment of injuries that included broken ribs, a punctured lung, and spinal injuries. Reportedly, no one in the SUV was injured.

In order to help cover the costs associated with the accident, the family of the deceased Modesto man has set up a fund to assist those affected by the crash. While such a fund is certainly a good idea, especially given the exorbitant costs associated with medical care and making funeral arrangements, it is not the only recourse to be taken in the event of a traffic accident.

Though investigation into this auto accident in San Joaquin County is still underway, police speculate that the SUV, which was traveling at unsafe speeds, may have been racing another vehicle. Such action is certainly to be deemed reckless and represents a degree of negligence that ultimately led to a loss of life and multiple personal injuries.

According to the report, police hope that evidence gathered at the crash scene combined with a computer simulation of the intersection where the accident occurred will provide them insight into what exactly happened, and will show whether or not the driver of the SUV was at fault for the accident.

In any event, an accident victim will benefit not only from police investigation, but from retaining the services of an experienced auto accident attorney that will help examine the details surrounding the crash to determine where negligent behavior may have contributed towards the crash. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact the skilled car accident attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates. Our knowledgeable lawyers will seek compensatory damages on your behalf that may assist with medical bills, wages lost, and other costs associated with your accident. Please call us today at 877-862-6288 for a free consultation of your auto accident case.

Source:http://www.tracypress.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Police+investigate+fatal+crash-+fund+set+up+for+victims%20&id=3804425-Police+investigate+fatal+crash-+fund+set+up+for+victims&instance=home_news_lead_story

The Mercury News recently reported in a story that four people were injured in San Francisco when a cable car collided with a city van. The accident occurred on Washington Street as the cable car was traveling towards Downtown. A total of four commuters, all of whom were in the cable car, were injured during the collision. Two of the four were treated at the scene, and two others were taken to nearby hospitals where they received treatment. No injuries sustained were life-threatening or serious, and no one in the van was injured.

In all vehicular accidents, it is critical to determine what exactly caused the crash. Though it was not reported as to what caused this particular collision, thankfully, no one was severely hurt. However, in many accidents, serious injury is often sustained by at least one party. Furthermore, it is important to establish the cause of an accident in order to hold negligent parties accountable for injuries sustained, property damaged, and any other negative impact the accident has on either those involved or the surrounding area. Besides driver negligence, auto accidents can be caused by dangerous road conditions, faulty automobile products, and even inclement weather. In any event, it is important to have someone on your side that will help decipher the true cause of your accident and help you obtain compensatory damages to help with recovery.

In you have recently been injured in a vehicular accident in San Francisco, please don’t hesitate to contact a skilled San Francisco auto accident attorney to ensure that your rights are protected in a court of law. At Van Der Walde & Associates, our skilled personal injury lawyers will examine the details of your accident to determine where negligence played a detrimental factor, and will hold all parties responsible accountable for their actions. Please call us today at 877-862-6288 for a free case evaluation.

Source Article: http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_13288000

The Mercury News recently reported about the aftermath of a 2008 traffic accident involving a fire truck and a police cruiser.  While no one was injured during the accident, the circumstances of the collision have been brought into question as the result of a suspension handed down to the driver of the fire truck for being declared responsible for the crash.  This story brings to light the issue of emergency vehicles, and whether or not accidents caused by those vehicles are considered the same as accidents involving all other motorists on the road.

Both vehicles were responding to an emergency involving a 9-year-old boy who had stopped breathing.  While the driver of the fire truck did slow down as he approached the intersection of Lincoln Street and East Lake Avenue, the fire truck nevertheless collided with a police cruiser that was also responding to the emergency.  Though the fire truck had both its lights and sirens turned on, the police department declared that the fire truck was at fault for the accident because it ran a red light.  Reasoning for the fire truck being at fault, as given by the police department, was speculation as to “what if the police car had been a minivan filled with people” and there had been injuries.  This scenario seems relatively cut and dry according to an objective viewpoint of the law.

According to the law, if an emergency vehicle is responding to an emergency, then all other motorists on the road are required to yield to that vehicle. In this case, with two emergency vehicles involved, the question arises as to who was truly at fault.  Had there been injuries, both the fire department and the police department would have each undoubtedly denied responsibility, and would have done everything in their power to blame each other, disregarding their actions by focusing solely on the resulting consequences.  While the police department posing the hypothetical situation of what would have happened if innocent motorists were injured is somewhat hypocritical, given the notion, the same could have been said in regard to the police cruiser’s actions.  Regardless, emergency personnel are not immune from accidents and injuries they create simply because they are responding to other accidents and injury victims.

Accident victims do have rights, and all circumstances surrounding an accident need to be taken into close consideration in order to determine exactly who was at fault for creating the accident in the first place.  If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a traffic accident, please don’t hesitate to contact the auto accident lawyers in Santa Cruz at Van Der Walde & Associates. We will hold negligible parties responsible for their actions, and will seek monetary damages on your behalf that can be used to help cover the costs incurred by your accident, such as medical bills and physical therapy fees.  Please contact us today for a free consultation at 877-862-6288.

Source Article:http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_13197563?nclick_check=1&forced=true

According to a San Francisco local CBS affiliate report, four Marin County teenagers were recently injured in a rollover accident. The driver of the car, 18-year-old Christopher Oshaben, was not injured, but his passengers, all under the age of 18 and not identified by name, suffered non-life threatening injuries. Those with injuries were taken to Marin General Hospital for treatment.

California Highway Patrol is investigating the car crash in San Francisco, and does not believe that alcohol played a factor. It was not reported whether or not any other vehicles were involved. Updates on the conditions of the injured teens were unavailable.

Rollover accidents can occur for a number of reasons. Driver inattention and reckless driving is one major reason, but there are other factors that can contribute as well. Faulty vehicle design, mostly with SUVs, can also contribute to vehicle rollover. Dangerous road conditions, such as poorly planned roads with sharp turns that do not have proper traffic signage to warn motorists to reduce speeds, can also cause a vehicle to rollover. Or, if traffic signage is present, then that signage may not be legible, either because it is obstructed by shrubbery, faded due to weather exposure, or in some other state of disrepair. Even poorly paved roads can contribute towards causing a rollover accident.

In the event of any crash, it is always a good idea to seek the help of a California personal injury lawyer. At Van Der Walde & Associates, our skilled Northern California auto accident attorneys will examine the details of your accident, deciphering what caused it and whose fault it was. Please contact us today for a free consultation, and we will see to it that those responsible for your accident are held accountable.