Car and Auto Accidents

Witnesses to a Horrific Accident Scene Report Reckless Driving as the Cause

March 20, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

The scene in Walnut Creek sounds almost too dramatic; the horrific death and injuries sound almost too terrible. Sometimes reality is more extreme than the most over-the-top, made-to-scare (or, perhaps, “scar”) drivers’ education video. As a law firm with specific experience helping victims of the most catastrophic accidents, The Brod Firm knows that no exaggeration is needed when we warn people that reckless driving kills. Reality provides plenty of evidence that treating cars or motorcycles as toys leads to tragedy. The clients of our Oakland accident law firm are the victims of reckless driving and every one of them wishes that the drivers who caused their accidents had heard this message in advance of the crash.

Motorcycle and Car Collide on I-680

The Oakland Tribune called it “[a]n exhibition of dangerous driving,” a major accident that killed one, seriously injured another, and tied up a Walnut Creek thoroughfare for two hours on Sunday evening. Witnesses report that both a motorcycle and a black two-door coupe were travelling at a high rate of speed on a stretch of Interstate 680 just north of Alamo. One witness added that the motorcyclist appeared to be attempting tricks while racing with the coupe, travelling with his right hand on the bar and his left placed on the seat while looking behind him.

Head-On Collisions: Less Common, But More Dangerous, Than Many Imagine

March 13, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

It is a terrifying thought, looking through your car’s windshield to see another vehicle’s headlights coming straight at you. Head-on collisions are particularly terrifying to contemplate. Surprisingly, they are actually relatively uncommon, but head-on accidents can be among the most dangerous of roadway crashes. As an Oakland accident attorney specializing in cases involving catastrophic injuries, Attorney Brod is prepared to help victims of these crashes recover damages via a personal injury lawsuit or, in the case of a fatal accident, wrongful death claim.

Head-On Accident Claims Life in Half Moon Bay

It was shortly after 6 A.M. on Tuesday when the driver of a gray Volkswagen Jetta decided to pass a big-rig truck heading west on Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay near Pastorino Farms. CHP Officer Amelia Jack told The Oakland Tribune that the westbound Jetta crossed into the eastbound lane and collided with a Dodge Ram truck. The unidentified 20 year-old driver of the Jetta died in the head-on crash. The truck driver sustained only minor injuries.

Speeding: An All-Too-Common Threat to Roadway Safety

March 8, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

Whether on our highways, city streets, or residential roads, automobile accidents seem to be almost a daily occurrence in Northern California. These accidents cause serious injury, major property loss, and, all too often, the loss of life. As a San Francisco accident lawyer, Attorney Greg Brod works to help victims recover damages in California’s civil courts. This work allows our team to see firsthand the factors that lead to tragic crashes. While sometimes it seems like too basic a factor to mention, speeding remains one of the most common factors that contributes to roadway tragedies.

Three Injured in Danbury Car Accident, Officers Suspect Speeding Led to Crash

It was shortly after midnight when, according to a report in The San Francisco Chronicle, nineteen year old Jason Perez was driving east on White Street in Danbury. Investigators believe the teen was speeding when the 1992 Acura Integra ran off the road and careened into a telephone pole at the intersection with Shalvoys Lane. The car then spun, hitting and breaking a fire hydrant before rolling on its side and sliding across the street. Perez and his two passengers were injured and transported to Danbury Hospital. At the time of the report, details on their injuries and condition had not been released. In addition to speed, police are looking into whether alcohol or mechanical issues may have contributed to the incident.

San Francisco Accident Lawyer Considers Factors that Contribute to Fatal Car Crashes

March 1, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

According to the National Highway Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), 2,791 people lost their lives in fatal car accidents in California during 2011. While this is a slight increase from the year prior, there has general been a downward trend in fatal crashes in the state since 2007 when 3,995 people died on California roads. This is good news, but our San Francisco car accident law firm believes it is still 2,791 deaths too many.

Common Factors Leading to Fatal Crashes

Using data from the NHTSA, the Statistics Brain website compiled a list of the most common causes leading to fatal accidents. Looking at this research along with information from EHow, we’ve compiled the following list of factors that lead to deadly crashes:

Fatal Accident Serves as Reminder of the Danger of Distracted Driving

February 22, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

In recent years, the term “distracted driving” has worked its way into our conversations about driving safety. We believe this is a good thing. In the minds of the team at our Sacramento injury law firm, the more attention paid to safety, the better. We are glad people are talking about distracted driving and hope this awareness leads to accident prevention. However, too often these conversations focus solely on the danger of using mobile communications devices behind the wheel. While this is absolutely an important topic, we hope people remember that the danger of distracted driving is much broader issue and encompasses any number of threats that take the driver’s focus away from the road.

Truck Tumbles Down Canyon, CHP Blames Distracted Driving

As reported in the Sacramento Bee, distracted driving led to a fatal accident in the Concow area of Butte County on Wednesday afternoon. Nineteen year old Charles Taylor of Chico was driving a pickup truck along a narrow dirt section of Concow Road, an area bordered by a deep canyon. He told California Highway Patrol (“CHP”) officers that he became distracted by a conversation with his three passengers and took his eyes off the road for a brief moment. When he looked back, the left front tire of the pickup truck had drifted off the left side of the road. The truck proceeded to roll down the canyon, coming to a stop some 800 to 1000 feet below the road surface. All four occupants, none of whom were wearing a seatbelt, were ejected from the truck. The two survivors, Taylor and Samuel Montgomery (age 19, of Chico), had to climb up to the road in order to summon help. Two other passengers, a 39 year old woman from Oroville and a 24 year old man from Modesto, died at the scene. CHP attributed the accident to distracted driving. Alcohol was found in the truck but officers do not believe it was a factor in the accident.

Drowsy Driving Claims Four Young Lives

February 15, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

Sometimes the statistics aren’t enough. Sometimes it takes a story, one with very real tears, to make people pay attention to a serious safety threat. While we still believe in sharing statistics, the team at our Oakland accident law firm hopes that sharing the story of four lives cut short helps prevent future tragedies tied to drowsy driving.

Remembering the Victims of a Drowsy Driving Crash

According to The Oakland Tribune, it was the first year that George Moa’s parents allowed him to drive to Las Vegas with his cousins to watch a major rugby tournament. Along with David Moa (19), Malia Moa (17), Rachel Fisi’iahi (19), and Hunter Halatoa (17), George enjoyed a weekend of sports, concerts, and food, before climbing into a rented SUV for the trip home to Oakland on Monday. Rachel started off in the driver’s seat, but she handed the wheel to George because she felt too tired. About 50 miles southwest of Bakersfield, George fell asleep at the wheel. Police report the SUV was travelling at nearly 90mph when it drifted into the roadway’s center divider and flipped over. George, David, Malia, and Rachel all died nearly instantaneously. The only survivor, Hunter, incurred non-life-threatening injuries when he was ejected from the SUV. A family friend reported that several of the travelers were not wearing seatbelts. Police are performing tests to determine if drugs or alcohol played a factor in the accident.

Chronicle Highlights Dangerous Roadway in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill Neighborhood

February 8, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

We’ve all known them — The hard-to-navigate curves, the messy merges, the intersections that confuse even the locals. We almost come to expect to see the aftermath of an accident on these dangerous roads. Our San Francisco car accident lawyer often hears about these hazardous thoroughfares from accident victims who are angry that poor design and other road-related factors contributed to their injuries. We work with these victims to consider all potential civil claims and we also hope our efforts encourage localities to change dangerous conditions and prevent future tragedies.

Residents Report Concerns Regarding Hazardous I-280 Off-Ramp

Chronicle Watch is a weekly feature in The San Francisco Chronicle that allows readers to raise problems they would like the reporters to investigate and often focuses on safety concerns. One concern investigated in this week’s Chronicle Watch is the tricky Interstate 280 South off-ramp at Mariposa Street. Residents in Potreto Hill report that dozens of accidents have occurred on the ramp and on Pennsylvania Avenue and 18th Street, the roads at the ramp’s base. According to one local resident, drivers often overestimate the time they have to stop given the short off-ramp. When drivers reach the bottom of the ramp, they can either go straight in order to turn either way on 18th Street or make a full 180-degree turn to reach Pennsylvania Avenue. Either choice presents possible hazards with drivers losing control if they take the turn onto Pennsylvania too fast or if they drive through the 18th Street stop sign, hit a barrier, and potentially drop from the overpass onto the highway. Lighting in the area is reportedly poor, posing an even greater risk to drivers unfamiliar with the roadway who are travelling at night.

San Francisco Accident Attorney on the Dangers of Drunk Driving

February 6, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

Drunk driving leads to tragic results. This is one of the many truths that we confront regularly at The Brod Firm. We can help our clients, including injured victims and grieving families, recover damages in California’s civil courts. We cannot, however, answer one of the questions that we hear time and time again – How can an otherwise responsible individual get behind the wheel while intoxicated when the dangers associated with drunk driving are so well known?

Woman Sentenced for Fatal DUI Crash

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a California court sentenced Debbie Sumi to ten years in prison for the accident that claimed three lives. The first victim, Sumi’s fiancée, was partially ejected from Sumi’s Jeep Cherokee when it rear-ended a stopped vehicle on Highway 78 in San Diego County. Two other women who were standing by the second car were also killed in the crash. According to prosecutors, Debbie Sumi’s blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit at the time of the crash.

Focusing on Drugged Driving Following the Death of a Young Victim

January 18, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

Once again, a local headline not only captured our attention but also pulled at the hearts of all the members of our Sacramento injury law firm. The Sacramento Bee’s story is accompanied by a picture of a young boy whose smile takes up half the frame. The boy is six year old Henry Perez-Rocha. He passed away in the early hours of January 16, three months after a tragic car crash allegedly fueled by the mix of illegal drugs and driving. The death is a reminder of the on-going threat of drugged driving in California and across the nation.

Eight Year Old Dies Following October Crash, Police Suspect Drugged Driving Was Key Factor

On October 5, 2012, Henry and his eight year old brother Juan were walking to Skycrest Elementary in Citrus Heights with their mother close behind. As they passed through the crosswalk at Greenback Lane and Mariposa Avenue, a Chrysler 300 collided with a Chevy Suburban and then spun out and hit the children. The intersection had a reputation for being busy and dangerous, with drivers often travelling over 50mph despite the 40mph speed limit. Police later arrested fifty-two year old Tres Bales-Sterba of Orangeville, who was behind the wheel of the Chrysler at the time of the crash, on suspicion of misdemeanor charges for driving on a suspended license and suspected felony charges of driving under the influence and causing injury. A toxicology report revealed methamphetamine and other drugs in Bales-Sterba’s system.

Considering Punitive Damages in the Wake of Fatal Accident

January 4, 2013 | Gregory J. Brod

Any accident that causes a serious injury or death is a tragedy. It is upsetting how an innocent victim can suffer severe consequences due to another driver’s negligence. Despite serving as a San Francisco accident law firm for many years, there are still some cases that shock our team with the disregard shown for human lives. These cases in particular also lead our clients to ask us about the applicability of punitive damages in California injury cases.

Two Dead, One Seriously Injured in Collision After Gun Suspect Flees Police Stop

The first day of 2013 was marked by tragedy for a pedestrian and the occupants of a vehicle travelling in the Mission District. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the incident began fifteen minutes prior to the ultimate collision when police responded to reports of gunshots fired from a vehicle at the Valencia Gardens housing project, located at 14th and Guerro streets. Shortly thereafter, police spotted and pulled over a black Chevrolet Impala matching witness descriptions of the suspect vehicle. As officers approached, the driver sped off, heading east on 21st Street and running two intersections before colliding with a white Toyota proceeding north on South Van Ness Avenue. The impact caused the Toyota to spin into the intersection, hitting a pedestrian before landing in front of a liquor shop.