San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

10News has reported that one person was killed and another was seriously injured yesterday in a crash involving two motorcyclists on Otay Lakes Road in San Diego east of Chula Vista. CHP officers arrived at the scene at approximately 11:00 a.m. and spotted two motorcyclists down on Otay Lakes Road at the divider Creek Bridge, east of Interstate 94 and Chula Vista.

Tthe CHP reported that a 22-year-old active duty sailor was riding his motorcycle westbound and tried to pass a group of motorcyclists who were riding together. The sailor crashed head-on into another biker going in the opposite direction. Emergency crews performed CPR to revive the sailor, but unfortunately he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other motorcyclist sustained leg and arm fractures, and was flown to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Legal Rights

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. With over 28 years of experience litigating personal injury and wrongful death claims, Jason Kerckhoff can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Continue reading "Otay Lakes Motorcycle Crash Causes One Fatality ~" »

The statistics on dog attacks are startling. There are an estimated 75 million dogs living in the United States today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 900,000 people seek medical attention for dog bite injuries each year and thousands of dog attacks go unreported.

In 2009, 32 people were killed in dog attacks nationwide. Nearly half of all American children are bitten by the time they turn 18. In fact, attacks on children account for nearly 50% of all reported bite-related injuries and 79% of all bite-related fatalities.

Dog attacks are responsible for some of the most gruesome personal injuries, particularly when children are involved. Dog bite injuries frequently result in permanent scarring, infection, disfigurement, and lasting nerve damage, in addition to the substantial psychological harm caused by an encounter with a vicious dog. Dog bite injuries can have a devastating impact on the victim's quality of life for years to come, often resulting in the following:

• Wound infection


• Sepsis


• Cosmetic deformity requiring reconstructive surgery


• Loss of limbs


• Loss of motor function


• Nerve damage


• Death

The most dangerous breeds of dogs include labradors, pit bulls, shar peis, german shepherds, rottweilers and dobermans. In fact, pit bulls and labradors are responsible for nearly half of all dog attacks in the United States each year. Even the most docile breeds can attack without warning, however. Dogs that are unaltered are far more likely to bite than animals that have been spayed or neutered.

Compensation For Victims

When dog attacks occur, the victims are entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering, medical expenses, and time missed from work while recovering from their injuries. The majority of dog bite injury claims are paid by the dog owner's insurance company, because most attacks occur on the owner's property. In fact, dog bite claims account for 33% of homeowners' insurance policies.

It is not a good idea to attempt to negotiate a fair settlement with an insurance company without the assistance of an experienced dog bite injury attorney. An attorney can fight to ensure that you receive the highest possible compensation for your or your child's injuries. If you need advice regarding your dog bite injury, call Kerckhoff Law, APC at (866) 606-3059 today.

California's Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) admitted to routinely increasing pressure on gas lines prior to the September 9th explosion which killed eight people and damaged 38 homes in San Bruno. Mercury News reports that federal prosecutors are investigating whether PG&E's practices are responsible for causing the explosion.

A spokesman for PG&E, Brian Swanson, said the company intentionally upped the pressure on 11 different gas lines beginning in 2003. One of those spikes in gas pressure occurred just before the San Bruno explosion. He said PG&E is currently analyzing its records to determine the circumstances surrounding each pressure increase.

PG&E experts said that spikes in pressure can potentially weaken gas lines. Expert Bob Bea, an engineering professor at UC Berkeley, claims the practice of increasing gas pressure to the maximum allowable level is generally safe, as long as the pipes are in good condition. He contends that if a pipe is damaged in any way, the surge in pressure "could help grow the defect," but under normal conditions, increasing the pressure from 375 to 400 psi shouldn't be a problem.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that although the San Bruno pipeline had seams in it prior to the multiple-fatality blast, PG&E's records described it as "seamless." Regulators have since ordered PG&E to turn over documents specifying what maximum acceptable operating pressure was specifically established for its pipelines.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. With over 28 years of experience litigating personal injury and wrongful death claims, Jason Kerckhoff can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

The Newport Beach ten-car pile-up occurred on Pacific Coast Highway and Riverside Avenue in Newport Beach on Saturday at approximately 2:30 p.m., shutting down a portion of the road for more than ten hours. According to ABC7.com, investigators reported that a speeding Ford Taurus driven by Julia Allen (27) of Newport Beach collided with a pick-up truck, before crashing into eight other vehicles and a motorcycle.
Fatally wounded in the pile-up were the pick-up truck occupants, Christopher De La Cruz (49) of Laguna Niguel and his mother, Linda Burnett (69) of Santa Ana.

Three others were injured, one critically, but expected to survive. The critically injured person was transported to Western Medical Center - Santa Ana, and posted the following blog on the Orange County Register web site:

"It all happens so quickly ~ you don't even have time to put together a thought. I was traveling uphill on Trabuco and noticed a vehicle barreling downhill fishtailing all over their two lanes. As I was thinking I should pull over because someone would need help when they were able to stop, the other car hit the raised center divider, went airborne and I actually watched it land on top of my top-down convertible. Happened in the blink of an eye. The other driver had had a stroke and was unconscious. I was very badly injured. People asked why didn't I speed up to get out of the way....just no time to formulate thoughts, let alone act on them."

The other two injured people were taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian with possible broken bones and minor injuries.

The Newport Beach Police Department is investigating the crash. Anyone with information may contact Investigator, Bill Beverly, at 949-644-3747.

Sources: ABC7.com, Orange County Register

Continue reading "Newport Beach 10-Car Pileup Kills Three ~" »

Last month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unanimously outlawed the manufacture, sale, and re-sale of drop-side cribs, due to the deaths of over thirty infants and toddlers in the past decade, and millions of crib recalls.

The drop-side cribs have a side rail which moves up and down, which allows parents to more easily lift their baby or toddler from the crib. However, babies can get caught and then suffocate or be strangled due to the dangerous "V"-like gap between the mattress and side rail.

The new standard requiring cribs to have fixed sides will take effect in June 2011. Hotels and childcare centers have one year to purchase new replacement cribs in order to be in compliance with the new regulation.

Around for decades, these drop-side cribs have come under scrutiny in recent years because of malfunctioning hardware, sometimes cheaper plastics, or assembly problems that can lead to the drop-side rail partially detaching from the crib, causing the "V"-like gap.

The new standard also mandates tougher safety testing of cribs, tests that more closely simulate a child in a crib. As children get older, they can apply more force to the crib by shaking on it, running around in it, and jumping up and down. The new tests will ensure that the cribs can withstand that kind of pressure.

Also required - better labeling on crib pieces. This measure aims to cut down on the misassembly problems that some parents have encountered - problems that can lead to the death of a child.

For those parents who lost their children in drop-side cribs, last month's ban couldn't have come soon enough.

For more information, visit www.

Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission

Continue reading "Safety Recall Of Drop-Side Baby Cribs ~" »

10News.com reports that a man in his 40s was hospitalized Thursday with serious head trauma after being struck by a Honda Accord as he attempted to cross a San Diego street. The incident occurred at 7:50 p.m. in Cherokee Point on University Avenue, near its intersection with Cherokee Avenue.

San Diego police Officer David Stafford reported that although serious, the head injury was not life-threatening. The driver of the Honda, also a man in his 40s, reportedly remained at the scene for authorities.

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Legal Rights

There are issues to be faced & dealt with, and even more to be answered in the aftermath of this event. The victim is in a difficult situation and needs guidance. Guidance is available in the form of an San Diego persona injury attorney who is very familiar with the issues at hand, and has many years of experience handling cases for others involved in similar scenarios.

Every week, more than fifty children are backed over by motor vehicles in the U.S. 48 children end up in emergency rooms, and two die as a result of these tragedies, which are referred to as back-overs. Over 70% of those children are struck by a driver who is related to them ~ often a parent. This equates to 41% of non-traffic vehicular deaths for children aged fourteen and younger.

These situations are preventable. With the quantity of large vehicles being driven by our citizens, it is essential that we understand the hazards, and enact measures to prevent this growing phenomenon.

There are two major contributing factors: young children - who have virtually no concept of danger - and vehicle blind zones. Fortunately, there are numerous precautions that can be taken to prevent these unfortunate accidents. Bus stops, designated drop-off locations at schools, and school parking lots are the most dangerous areas ~ children and parents need to be extremely vigilant with regard to front-overs and back-overs. Loading and unloading areas are a danger zone for children, whether they are being transported by a bus, passenger vehicle, biking, or even walking.

The U.S. government is currently in the process of developing and implementing a rear visibility standard for all motor vehicles. In order to keep our little ones safe, it is important that we adhere to the safety tips below from KidsAndCars.org to prevent back-overs and front-overs:

• Walk all the way around a vehicle prior to moving it.

• Always know where your kids are. Make children move away from your vehicle so they are in full view before moving the car, and ensure that another adult is properly supervising children before moving your vehicle.

Continue reading "Vehicle Blind Zones Post Big Problem For Our Little Ones ~" »