Law Tech Headlines

July 20, 2009 (by Horatio Algren) According to reports investigators involved in the San Francisco light rail crash that injured as many as 44 people are now looking at the actions of the train operator.

Federal investigators are looking closely at the actions of the train operator, according to Ted Turpin of the National Transportation Safety Board. Investigators are trying to figure out why the train operator switched the controls from automatic to manual while the train he was operating was in the tunnel in the vicinity of the West Portal Station.

The federal investigators are also looking at the fact that he never applied the emergency break prior to the crash at the West Portal Station. According to NTSB, spokesman Ted Turpin if the train would have stayed on autopilot there would not have been at crash.

There are two National Traffic Safety Board investigators from the Los Angeles office that have been interviewing witnesses, assessing the train tracks, the signal system, and if they played a role in the train crash. Investigators know that at the time of the crash the light rail train that was traveling out of the tunnel was traveling at a 23 miles per hour when it struck the train that was stationary. They also know the operator of the train did not engage the emergency brake prior to the crash.

According to Mr. Turpin of the NTSB they are also looking into whether a cell phone was in use at the time of the crash by the train operator. Cell phone use, along with drug testing of the operator is standard after a train crash.

The train operator was hospitalized after the crash and his identity or condition has not been released, after the fourth major train crash in the United States in the past 10 months.  San Francisco train accident attorneys are always looking to operator failure.

One of the other California major train crashes took the lives of 25 people including the train operators of both trains involved in the crash between a passenger train and freight train. Evidence was later found that the operator of the train was sending text messages seconds before the deadly accident. Another of these crashes occurred in Boston injuring 50 people.

According to a report released by the Public Utilities Commission, the 45 year old driver of a T-Third train who had rear ended an N-Judah train stopped at King Street between Third and Fourth Streets in San Francisco near AT&T Park last summer, was fatigued, speeding and probably distracted by his personal cell phone prior to the crash. At the time of the June 16, 2008 accident, the driver of the T-Third, who had been traveling at approximately 22 mph when he rear-ended the other train, far exceeding the 5 mph train speed limit, was observed with a cell phone at his ear. 16 people suffered personal injury in the crash, including the drivers of both trains. Does someone need a lawyer? According to the report, the driver’s phone records revealed that the driver had been on 4 phone calls while in the train and he had even started an Internet download to his phone eight minutes prior to the crash! Even more disturbing, it was reported that the driver of the T-Third train, had previously
been found at fault in 2 prior avoidable accidents, as well as having been cited for having a cell phone plugged in inside the train. By the way if you are in San Francisco and need a leading San Francisco personal injury lawyer then may I suggest Scott Righthand. Make no mistake, he is one of the top San Francisco personal injury lawyer out there. The report also stated that inconsistent signs along Muniâ’s rail system and a lack of operator testing were likely contributing factors in the accident. No doubt the citizens of San Francisco, including those passengers who were injured in the crash, are happy to hear that the driver is no longer employed by Muni. There were no reports as to whether any of the injured passengers have pursued injury accident claims against Muni as a result of the former driver’s negligence and/or Muni’s apparent failure to properly screen their drivers effectively for public safety reasons.

In tragic accident/personal injury related news, an accident on a slush-covered I-78 in Berks County, leaves a Philadelphia man dead Friday morning. Eighteen year-old, Jonathan Medina was traveling west on I-78 in Greenwich Township when he passed a tractor-trailer driven by Richard Custer Jr., 59, of Jonestown. After passing, Medina attempted to move into the right lane.

Medina, lost control of the vehicle, and the car spun around three times as it traveled back into the left lane. Police report the tractor-trailer, traveling in the left lane about 120 feet behind Medina, swerved to the left as Richard Custer applied his brakes hard. Unfortunately, the truck struck the front, left of the car and pushed it more than 300 feet into the median barrier before riding over it. By the way if you reside near Philadelphia and require an outstanding Philadelphia personal injury lawyer then may I suggest the law Practice of  mark S. Rosenberg. Simply put, he is a leading Philadelphia personal injury lawyer. Medina was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Custer, who was wearing a seat belt, did not suffer personal injury, police said.

Meanwhile, in other tragic accident news, in Philadelphia, two police officers have died and fifty-nine other people have been injured as a result of police pursuits this year. Charles H. Ramsey, Police Commissioner, has decided that the department’s pursuit policy needs change and plans to do so next month. Who knows, the District lawyer may even get involved in this one. Philadelphia’s original 1994 policy, allows pursuits to nab someone suspected of committing a violent felony, to apprehend someone with a deadly weapon who used or intends to use it to cause personal injury, and to recover a stolen car -if the driver breaks traffic laws to elude arrest.

January 12, 2009 (by Michael Ehline)

The National Safety Council has asked for a total ban on the use of wireless devices while driving, this comes after the cell phone industry advocated safe driving with the use of hand free devices.  Cell phone injury lawyers have long advocated for hands free phone devices.

Studies that have been done have proven that talking on cell phones created hazardous conditions for drivers, putting them at four times the risk of being involved in an accident. According to statements from the National Safety Council president and CEO, Janet Froetscher comparing driving under the influence as being against the law and taking drivers keys away with it being time to take cell phones away.

The National Safety Council has a plan to approach the ban they are proposing for drivers use of cell phones and devices, the first is to advocate legislation, they also plan to lobby Congress and through education of the 1.5 million people annually who take defensive driving training.

There have been laws put into place in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington D.C. for drivers caught talking on hand held cell phones, as well as other states that have outlawed cell phones and text messaging by teen aged drivers and bus drivers.

What Froetscher and the National Safety Council is calling from an across the board ban on the use of cell phones while driving as studies that have been done by the government and universities have shown that hands free wireless devices have not aided in helping drivers to concentrate and might even be more dangerous in some cases.

This is the same sentiment of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who has not commented on the proposed ban called for by the National Safety Council.

On the other side of this proposed ban the GHSA stated that the numerous studies that have been done have found that the use of hands free cell phone devices does not diminish the risk of accidents, it has been found that activity in the brain is reduced by approximately 37 % with the use of a cell phone while driving. A recent study just completed by the University of Utah proved the use of hands free cell phone devices are as distracting to drivers as the use of a cell phone.

January 6, 2009 (by Otto Smyth)

According hit and run accident attorneys Los Angeles and Orange County, as well as authorities a man in his 20’s allegedly under the influence attempted to flee the scene of an accident that his passenger was fatally injured.

According to Anaheim Police Sgt. Brian Santy the accident occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. in the vicinity of Lincoln Avenue and Ohio Street when the driver crashed into the cement pole that holds the Illinois Street sign. The sign fell onto the vehicles roof after it was struck, the sign caused the roof to cave in.

The force of the crash knocked the driver and his passenger unconscious, with the vehicle continuing to travel. The car traveling eastbound then jumped a curb and continued coming to a stop in a strip mall parking lot.

The crashed vehicle was seen by a passing motorist identified as Keith Johnson, who alerted the Anaheim Police Department. Johnson approached the vehicle and banged on the window, the driver became alert and kicked open the vehicles door and attempted to flee the scene. Johnson stopped the driver’s escape and detained him until the police arrived at the scene.

The passenger whose name has not been released had remained in the vehicle had to be extracted by the Anaheim firefighters, which took approximately 20 minutes. The passenger was then transported to UC Irvine Medical Center where he died from the injuries sustained in the crash.

According to Sgt. Santy the driver whose name was not released was suspected of driving under the influence, he was also injured in the crash, he was transported to the hospital and treated for a severe cut to the head.

It is believed the driver will be charged with felony DUI and manslaughter charges due to the fact he tried to flee the scene when his passenger was severely injured.  Looks like the driver will need an Orange County or Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.

The eastbound lanes of Lincoln Avenue from the vicinity of Illinois to Ohio Streets were closed while the vehicle was towed and other debris and the investigators from the Anaheim Police Department went over the crash site.

December 29, 2008 (by Otto Smyth)

According to reports by motorcycle accident lawyers Los Angeles, a Saturday afternoon motorcycle crash on Highway 14 sent a Los Angeles Police Officer to the hospital with injuries.

According to California Highway Patrol Sgt. Rick Miler the Los Angeles Police officer who has been identified as Sheldon Williams was going to work at the time of the accident and riding between traffic that was backed up. The accident occurred in the vicinity of Highway 14 north of San Fernando Road, the traffic backup was due to a previous accident that occurred in that vicinity.

Sgt. Miller stated that while the accident is under investigation and there are no witnesses that remained at the scene they believe that officer Williams collided with one vehicle after it pulled out of the carpool lane hitting Williams’s motorcycle. This caused the motorcycle to go out of control where he then struck three other vehicles and when down on the asphalt.

Other drivers involved in the accident made statements, Jackie Sneed stated she was on her way to Los Angeles and sitting in her vehicle stopped in traffic when she heard something hit the Chevrolet Avalanche she was driving. When she got out of the vehicle she saw the officer lying on the ground and told him to lie still and not move. Another of the vehicles involved was driven by Sandra Retana who heard a loud noise and saw the motorcycle coming toward her vehicle. The officer was no longer on the motorcycle when it struck this vehicle.

Officer Williams injuries included a deep laceration to his foot and he was transported by ambulance to the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

The California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station responded to the scene of the accident, along with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

There were no other reports of injuries at the scene of the accident from any of the other motorists involved in the accident.

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December 23, 2008 (by Otto Smyth)

According to reports by injury lawyers Los Angeles, doctors in Britain are seeing approximately ten people a week with injuries to the right shoulder and the knee from what they allege is from the Wii.

They have dubbed this condition Wii-it is, Dr. Dev Mukerjee, a doctor at the Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex stated there is a one hundred percent increase in patients complaining of the symptoms of Wii-it is. These are similar to injuries that occur in tennis or running games. The other common injury is to the knee, this injury has been named Wii-knee. The Wii-knee the doctor believes to occur most often with the Wii-Fit game, in extreme cases of injuries the knee can pop out of joint or the knee cap can be dislocated.

They occur because of sudden movements and sudden extreme stretching of the tendons and can lead to arthritis or rheumatism. It is often discovered in these patients inflammation of the shoulder or the wrist. The course of treatment for Wii-itis is the use of cortisone injections and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Dr. Mukerjee also stated he is seeing as many patients between the ages of 8 and 13 with these injuries as he sees in adults. The doctor also stated it can take up to three months for these injuries to heal and recommends doing stretching exercises prior to playing the Wii.

December 16, 2008 (by Otto Smyth)

According to reports by auto accident lawyers in Los Angeles, a three vehicle accident occurred on the on the 10 Freeway at approximately 3:50 p.m. according to statements by the city fire department spokesperson d’Lisa Davies.

There was one fatality in the accident, identified as a 65 year old woman and three other people injured that have been reported as women ages 58, 61 and age 62. There have been no names released of the injured victims.

The cause of the three vehicle accident is still under investigation and was not known at the time of the released statement by Davies. At the time of the crash the 10 Freeway was congested due to the slick rain soaked roads.

December 14, 2008 (by Otto Smyth)

According to reports by Metrolink accident lawyers in Los Angeles, the autopsy is in from the Metrolink 111 engineer of the deadly Chatsworth crash, which occurred September 11. The homosexual engineer was reportedly responsible for the deaths of twenty-five people Robert M. Sanchez was found to have sustained massive traumatic injuries, blood loss and multiple fractures in the lower portion of his body. Also found was fat deposits and scaring around his heart which is said could have caused arrhythmia or irregular heartbeats. There was no evidence this long term diabetes was a cause of his death according to the Deputy Examiner Lisa A. Scheinin who has ruled his death from multiple blunt force injuries.

There has also been a second autopsy preformed at the request of Sanchez’s family by Dr. Marvin Pietruszka, which will not be released to the public.

In a comment by John Sanchez the brother of Robert M. is the family was not surprised at the findings during the autopsy. Readers will recall that Sanchez’ gay lover had recently committed suicide after discovering he had AIDS, and that Sanchez allegedly had a fascination with young boys, whom he texted back and forth as he operated the train from his cell phone.

The Chatsworth accident occurred precisely as he was texting little boys, prompting Metrolink to blame Sanchez for failing to pay attention to the train signal.

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In Chicago injury and accident legal news, on Wednesday evening, a bus carrying 53 students from Dunlap High School, located near Peoria, collided with a semitrailer shortly after 8 p.m., on Interstate 39 near Lostant. Two other vehicles  were also involved.Roads turned icy after temperatures dropped Wednesday after snow fall. Peoria Charter Coach President Bill Winkler said the truck jacknifed in front of the bus and the two vehicles collided.

Whether icy conditions factored in the crash is still under investigation. According to the injury report, passengers from the charter bus were taken to area hospitals, and the hospitals have reported that the victims were treated for their particular personal injury and released.

The bus was returning from a trip to Chicago with the students and a chaperone.

 The interstate was closed for several hours while the site was cleared. By the way if you happen to reside in Chicago and you require a superb Chicago Personal Injury Attorney then could I please suggest Budin Law Offices. They are among the best Chicago Personal Injury Attorney that you can find.

The driver of the bus, Ernst G. Reisinger, 53, of Deer Creek, also suffered a personal injury, according to Illinois State Police. The driver of the semitrailer, Robert L. Connauey, 52, of South Carolina, was not injured, but his trailer was damaged.

The other drivers involved were not injured, and two passengers in Krueger’s vehicle, ages 67 and 70, also were not injured, according to state police. This crash remains under investigation and obvioulsy, someone may need a competent Attorney.