Best Accident Personal Injury Blog by an Attorney in Los Angeles

April 22, 2009: Head on accident leaves 2 dead and 6 injured in Pasadena, California

Victor Hairapetian — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:39:23 +0000

Today in Pasadena, California, an SUV vehicle being driven by one adult along with several children cross over the center line into oncoming traffic resulting in 2 deaths and 6 injuries. Police are still investigating the cause and reasons for the accident, and no doubt that an extensive investigation will follow. At this time, it is clear that the lives of the families of those who died, as well as the lives who survived the accident will be changed forever.

Far too often, a head on auto accident or collision is totally unexpected and there is almost very little time to react. Head on accidents are one of the most catastrophic and dangerous types of accidents for automobile drivers, and the chance of serious bodily injury and death is much higher than in other types of impacts. In such accidents, speeds are actually substantially increased since you actually have 2 moving cars that are going towards each other and the speeds are added together (one care doing 25 mph and another going in the opposite direction also going 25 mph means the impact speed for the victims is actually 50 mph!). While seat belts, air bags, and other restraint systems may be available in most cars, these types of cases are truly among the most heart wrenching. It is also not uncommon for other vehicles or pedestrians in the area to be involved in the accident as well since most cars in head on crashes don’t just stop at impact and will usually keep going some distance further thereby making contact with other cars and people (causing other damage, injuries and death to such victims as well)

As a personal injury attorney who has represented victims of such cases, we sincerely wish the best for the people involved, and can only hope that life will continue to have meaning for the victims and their families. Once the initial shock settles, it is not unusual for victims in such cases to hire lawyers to represent them in civil cases for damages and money that are expected to follow. While there are alot of good attorneys in Southern California, unfortunately there are many who simply do not have enough experience in catastrophic cases. In such cases, there is a lot to keep track of and a competent attorney will start building their case within hours of the accident. Anyone who is injured in such cases should take the time to speak to an experienced lawyer (or get a second opinion) before hiring anyone. For these victims, the lawyer becomes a friend, counselor and legal representative and you should only hire someone that you know will represent you because they want the best for you, and not only because your injuries are a way for them to make money. After all, for those of us who became lawyers to help people, life is about more than just money.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this blog, you may direct your inquiries to Victor Hairapetian at the Esquire Law Firm Inc. at 888-247-3414 or 818-500-9881, or by email at blog@esqlawfirm.com

April 15, 2009: Street Racing causes catastrophic injuries and death

Victor Hairapetian — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 01:00:49 +0000

Recently, we’ve all heard about the unnecessary and senseless deaths to drivers and passengers who are the victims of illegal and unsanctioned street racing events. Every year across the United States, and here in Southern California counties, innocent people are victims find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time because a bunch of negligent, reckless, and carless drivers would rather use our public streets to inflate their egos.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar, street racing deals with 2 or more cars racing against each other on our public streets. Usually, street racers will pick roads that are either straight or curvy depending on the type of race and the mood of the drivers. Any such racing is done outside any law enforcement or racing agency and is totally illegal.

Our hearts go out to the innocent victims as most never see the race coming or become crash victims when the racers lose control of their vehicles and collide with those around. Having represented victims involved in similar serious cases, anyone (or their family) injured or killed in such an incident should hire a competent attorney to represent them. Far too many times people who are victims of such cases don’t realize the amount of time and work that’s involved with representing victims of catastrophic injuries, and simply sign up with the first lawyer who claims they can get them a “good settlement”. These types of cases don’t deal only with money, but more importantly involve representing persons and their families in the healing process as well as being a contact point to assisting the district attorney or city attorney prosecute their case while keeping in the forefront the victims’ rights and desire for justice.

This type of racing should be left to sanctioned races by professionals where public safety and the safety of the drivers is priority number one. I recommend that anyone who wants to see the best of the best on public streets go to the upcoming Long Beach Grand Prix and see how it’s suppose to be done, and save an innocent person or family the unwanted disaster of any injury or death. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this blog, you may direct your inquiries to Victor Hairapetian at the Esquire Law Firm Inc. at 888-247-3414 or 818-500-9881, or by email at blog@esqlawfirm.com.

April 10, 2009: 1 Drunk Driver causes accident with 3 Deaths, including Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart in Orange County

Victor Hairapetian — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:00:36 +0000

In the early morning hours of April 9, 2009, another stupid drunk driver ran a red light at an intersection colliding with a vehicle with 3 innocent passengers, one of which included a rising star with the Los Angeles Angels. Nick Adenhart, Henry Pearson and Courtney Stewart were all killed in Orange County as a result of the accident because of the selfish and senseless act by the other driver.

Far too often these types of catastrophic and serious injury accidents are totally avoidable if the other driver simply made the right choice of not driving. Side impact accidents and collisions cause thousands of deaths each year in the United States, and unfortunately this incident in Orange County California was no exception. Most such collisions are unexpected sudden and happen with 2 vehicles traveling in totally different directions and the car that gets hit is usually in the most vulnerable position with the side of the car exposed.

Driving under the influence is illegal in California per California Vehicle Code Section 23152. The driver in this case actually tried to leave the scene, but was apprehended. The driver was also driving on a suspended driver’s license and had a prior DUI conviction. The idiot who has changed the lives of these families forever should be held accountable in both a criminal and civil courtroom. While no amount of punishment or money will bring these 3 young men back, their deaths should not be in vain and if the driver is made an example, hopefully other deaths can be avoided by others making better choices after having had a few drinks.

As these families try to put their lives back together, the first thing we would recommend is that they get the best competent legal attorney representation. They need to hire a lawyer who is preferably local in Los Angeles or Orange County to protect their privacy and allow them to grieve. Then, their lawyer should make sure that they help the family cooperates and participates with the district or city attorney so that their voice is heard with any punishment to be given. Finally, the lawyer should have experience with such catastrophic and death cases so as to competently assist and help the family through the civil money portion of their case. Having represented people in such cases, we hope the best for these families and recommend that people take their time finding a lawyer who understands their concerns and treats the families with respect. Far too often many lawyers see a client’s pain as a settlement or recovery dollar sign, and lack experience in these types of cases. For instance, the lawyer must look into what various types of insurance available, including third party liability, uninsured and underinsured motorist by the victims’ own auto policy, as well as certain rights and claims with the California victims restitution fund.

We wish the best for these families, and hope that they can find peace in the future. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this blog, you may direct your inquiries to Victor Hairapetian at the Esquire Law Firm Inc. at 888-247-3414 or 818-500-9881, or by email at blog@esqlawfirm.com.

April 8, 2009: Hit & Run Accidents leave pedestrians injured, the public must help

Victor Hairapetian — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:00:04 +0000

Today in Los Angeles, an innocent boy was hit today when a hit & run driver ran into a pedestrian causing serious injuries. This time the victim was an innocent 6 year old boy. To make matters worse, the boys older brother may have been assaulted when he tried to take the driver’s license plate information. The driver was described as black, mid-20′s 5 feet 6 inches with tattoos on the side of his face, neck and arms. Apparently, information about the vehicle and its license plate are in possession of the police department. Anyone with information should call the LAPD.Unfortunately these types of accidents happen too often with pedestrians being victims of unnecessary injuries. The police need the public’s help to catch these idiots, but those who do the “right thing” must be careful. The most helpful thing the public can do is to take the license plate, description of vehicle, and description of the driver from as safe a distance as possible without getting immediately involved. Sometimes these people have guns, knives or just use the car as a weapon which can cause serious bodily injury or death. Likewise, those with information should not avoid providing it to the police as these innocent victims count on such witnesses to bring these types of criminals to justice. Many times the hit and run driver will face both criminal and civil penalties, but can only be held responsible if caught. The family of this boy will certainly now be dealing with things that most have never dealt with before, and we wish the best for this little boy. Hopefully once the driver is caught, the family will receive swift and full justice. One of the things we recommend to pedestrians and their families with such cases is that they hire a competent lawyer to assist with their case. By having a good lawyer, and assuming the person is caught, the lawyer can walk the family through the criminal and begin making preparation for the civil process. This includes finding helpful physicians that will provide care, evaluate the persons future claims, and help the family so that the victims injury or death is not in vain. Most do not even know that even though a pedestrian is a victim that their own insurance policy on their vehicle is an available source of money in various cases, and we recommend that such victims seek professional advice so they know their rights. Our office has represented innocent pedestrian victims and has helped them put their lives back together. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this blog, it may be directed to Victor Hairapetian at 818-500-9881/888-247-3431 or by email to blog@esqlawfirm.com.

April 1, 2009: La Canada runaway truck accident and injured victims

Victor Hairapetian — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:00:40 +0000

On April 1, 2009, a runaway truck veered into a book store in La Canada after coming down a hill. Unfortunately, this is not the first time such an accident occurred in that area, and there were many innocent victims to this incident who had serios bodily injuries, including 2 people who died when the semi truck ranaway and hit them. In trying to find who was liable and at fault, in addition to the driver’s own carlessness, there is information already that the mayor of the city knew and complained to Caltrans, the California Transportation Authority, that the slope was dangerous since there was another similar incident about 6 months ago.

The victims who were injured, and the families of those who were killed are certainly in everyone’ thoughts and prayers. If we were counseling them, the first thing we would recommend as we have in prior similar cases is to hire a competent attorney to protect the familyies’ privacy. The families should not be bothered with the press and they should be able to tend to those who were injured, or grieve for those who died. There is a way to protect people’s privacy that many lawyers don’t know, and people should look for solid experience in this area.

The next thing we would recommend is that the same competent lawyer immediately and properly investigate the accident and evaluate the extent of the injuries and damages. This will require that experts in accident reconstruction and analysis be hired immediately. Also, since the state, and possibly local city may be defendants, their representative should caution them about strict deadlines for filing claims and lawsuits when government agencies are involved.

These types of cases should only be handled with lawyers who have trial experience, and who are willing to do what is necessary to help the families heal and recover. With catastrophic cases, while life will probably never be the same, the attorney’s job is to protect the victims both personally and legally.

If my firm was hired to represent these victims, as with prior clients, we would start with providing step by step direction, and treat these victims with the dignity that they deserve. Far too often lawyers treat their clients as case numbers and do not give the personal attention and results that clients deserve. Having handled multi-million dollar claims, the amount of attention, care and results we offer truly sets aside the benefits, values and results that can be provided in such cases.

We only wish the best for these victims, and for all such victims in catastrophic cases. I truly hope that the readers make use of this blog, and can reach me about any questions, concerns or comments at the following contact address: Victor Hairapetian, 818-500-9881/800-247-3431 or by email at blog@esqlawfirm.com. Thank you.