Archives : 2007 : November

Modesto California Teenager Battles for Life After SUV Crash

November 30th, 2007

19-year-old Mauricio Alaniz is a gifted young man – a basketball player at Modesto Junior College, music technician for his church’s Spanish services and deeply involved in his church’s high school group. On Thursday night, the teenager was out in his SUV when it was slammed into by a vehicle driven by a 60-year-old woman. Alaniz suffered life-threatening injuries and is battling for life in the intensive care unit of the Memorial Medical Center.

Posted by rreeves at 12:03 pm: No comments

Ford to Settle Sacramento Rollover Lawsuit with Vouchers

November 29th, 2007

When a group of lawyers brought a huge class action lawsuit in Sacramento California against Ford Motor Company for return of profits the company made by selling its defective rollover-prone Explorer SUVs, customers who have watched their Explorers decline sharply in value, might have expected to be compensated, if not extravagantly, at least justly for their troubles. As it turns out, the only justice they can expect is a $500 voucher on their next purchase of an Explorer or $300 if they want to purchase another Ford vehicle.

Posted by rreeves at 1:23 pm: No comments

Riverside and San Bernardino Holiday Accident Toll Includes SUV Rollover

November 28th, 2007

It looks like it’s going to be a holiday of fewer weekend fatalities than last year. At least that’s what the California Highway Patrol is hoping as it comes out with holiday injuries and arrest figures for San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.

A total of 8 people were killed in road accidents in these two counties and 133 were arrested on charges of drunken driving, the California Highway Patrol reports.

Riverside County saw a total of five accidents over the weekend. One was an fatal SUV rollover which involved a family of four. 25-year-old Cindy Ponce, and her 3-year-old son were killed when they were ejected from their seats when the boy’s father Alfredo Calva swerved the SUV to avoid a parked vehicle. Their one-year-old daughter is battling for life at the Loma Linda University Medical Center. Calva and a five-year-old son who were in the front seat of the SUV received minor scratches and injuries.

Overall, Riverside saw 40 people arrested for drunken driving over the weekend.

In San Bernardino, 3 people were confirmed dead as a result of accidents over the weekend. Over 93 people were arrested for drunken driving.

Posted by rreeves at 11:21 am: No comments

Increase in Number of Children Injured in ATV Accidents

November 27th, 2007

According to a report presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, there has been a substantial increase in the number of kids suffering ATV related injuries.

ATVs or All Terrain Vehicles are motorized vehicles that are meant for off highway use. They can weigh up to to 600 pounds and have low pressure tires. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns against their use by children under the age of 16, but monitoring accidents and related injuries that occur in children is difficult because most of these accidents occur on private property or off the highway.

In 2005 alone more than 40,000 children were rushed to emergency rooms across the country as the result of being involved in an ATV related accident. The number of deaths in the same year stood at 120. This marked a dramatic increase over a 10-year period.

Injuries sustained cover the gamut from spinal injuries including spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries, head injuries including skull fractures and brain injuries, and lung injuries. Over 70 per cent of the children who were involved in ATV related accidents reported injuries to the kidneys, spleens and liver. It’s not difficult to see where all this extensive damage comes from. Most ATV accidents involve crashes, rollovers or ejections. Consider the fact that a typical small sized ATV will weigh up to 600 pounds and it’s easy to understand the potential for damage when children are allowed to drive these.

Even toddlers haven’t been spared from ATV related injuries. At least 2 two year olds were rushed to hopital over the past year, one of them suffering severe disability, when they fell off an ATV. One fails to understand why there are ATVs that are meant for kids when the American Academy of Pedatrics has made it clear they are dangerous for children under 16. Even if these are manufactured, it shouldn’t be difficult to introduce a device that ensures that children below a certain weight are not allowed to get on these dangerous vehicles. A sensor that detects when a 2-year-old is trying to start the ATV and then shuts itself off to avoid a potential disaster could help prevent more such disasters in the future.

Meanwhile, the list of children injured by ATV related accidents, some of them with permanent and lasting damage, is growing longer by the day. These injuries that can be prevented through some foresight by the manufacturers involved.

If your child has been injured in an ATV accident, call the experienced California accident lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

Posted by rreeves at 10:31 am: No comments

Two Children Killed in Oakland Hit and Run

November 26th, 2007

It was going to be a great Thanksgiving. 4-year-old Oakland toddler Jacklin Monguia-Herrera, her 3-year-old sister, mother, and cousin Stephanie Cervantes were in a Ford Mustang heading East on D Street in Oakland, California. It was 7:20 pm and it was Thanksgiving.

Posted by rreeves at 11:28 am: No comments

Defective Design May have Been Responsible for Fatal Car Crash

November 21st, 2007

Not too many were willing to give Guadalupe Gomez the time of day when the 68-year-old insisted he tried in vain to control his car just before the accident that killed a San Jose, California man earlier this summer. As it turns out Gomez was telling the truth all along. New investigations have pointed to a design defect in Gomez’s Toyota Camry that California Highway Patrol officials now say could have been the main factor in the crash.

Posted by rbrmail at 11:25 am: No comments

Better Trucker Health for Fewer Accidents

November 20th, 2007

A large number of truck accidents can be traced back to the overall health of the driver at the time of the accident. The trucking profession is not generally known for the high standards of fitness members are required to maintain. After all, with their long hours and frequent stops at unhealthy roadside fast food stalls, health related problems in the profession have long been regarded the norm. A new reality TV show, in fact is aiming to change all that. Country Music Television is featuring a line up of real life truckers who are being put on a strict diet and exercise schedule to slice off the pounds and makeover their stressed out and overworked lives.

Posted by rbrmail at 8:38 am: No comments

DUI to Blame in Deadly Wildomar California Crash

November 19th, 2007

DUI has been pointed as the causing factor in the fiery multi-car collision in September on Interstate 15 in Wildomar, California. This marks an about face from the previous theory that the 56-year-old driver of one of the vehicles was driving the wrong way, and this was the reason for the crash.