2010 November Archive

Alex Gilliam Jr.‚ 53‚ was struck and killed in a fatal San Diego auto accident that occurred on November 24‚ 2010‚ around 5:15 p.m. According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office‚ Gilliam was riding his scooter across East Chase Avenue when a westbound car struck his vehicle.

Gilliam was immediately transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital for treatment where he was pronounced dead some time later.  From the present information‚ it is not clear as to what caused this fatal scooter accident. Was the car driver distracted? Was he speeding so that he was not able to apply breaks in time to prevent the collision? Something certainly went wrong on the car driver’s part that took the life of the scooter driver.

Gilliam’s family members can file a wrongful death claim against the inattentive driver to obtain compensation to cover for funeral and burial costs‚ loss of love and compassion‚ loss of future earnings‚ and other accident related damages.

Gilliam’s family should receive a free consultation from an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer who can advise them of their legal rights and options and seek timely and fair compensation. Our law office offers our sincere condolences to all those who knew and loved Gilliam for their loss.

Ross Jurewitz is a car accident attorney in San Diego  and the managing lawyer of the Jurewitz Law Group‚ a California personal injury law firm dedicated to representing families of people injured in an auto accident.  If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a traffic accident in San Diego‚ please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book‚ The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.

A 14-year-old girl along with a 1-year-old boy suffered serious injuries in a San Diego car accident that occurred on November 24‚ 2010‚ around 3:00 p.m. Both the victims were travelling in an SUV that made a turn and went off an embankment along Interstate 8 (I-8) and overturned.

According to the California Highway Patrol‚ the SUV was travelling eastbound when it spun out of control and rolled down an embankment near the Texas Street exit. The teenage girl was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car at the time of the auto accident‚ while the boy was sitting in the back seat.  The injured girl was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The injured toddler suffered cuts to his arms and legs and was rushed to a hospital for treatment. The driver of the car fortunately did not suffer any serious injuries in this car accident.

It is unclear what made the car driver lose control of the vehicle and made such a turn that lead to this serious car accident. The relationship between the children and the driver is also unclear.  If it is found that the car driver lost control due to any automobile failure‚ design defect‚ or an uneven road‚ then he and the other injured victims will be eligible to obtain compensation from the car manufacturer and the government entity that is responsible for the roads.  On the other hand‚ if it is solely determined that the driver of the car was negligent‚ then the injured girl and toddler can seek compensation for their medical care‚ hospital treatment‚ loss of earnings‚ and pain and suffering. The parents of the injured children should seek advice from an experienced San Diego car accident lawyer who would advise them of their legal rights and help them obtain the compensation they deserve.

We sincerely hope and pray that the injured victims did not suffer any life threatening injuries and that their injuries heal soon.

Ross Jurewitz is a personal injury lawyer in San Diego County and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group‚ a car accident California auto accident law firm dedicated to representing families of people injured in a car accident.  If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a car accident in San Diego‚ please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book‚ The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.

An unidentified 39-year-old United States Marine was killed in a fatal San Diego County motorcycle accident that occurred on November 16‚ 2010‚ around 4:25 p.m. in Julian. According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office‚ the Marine at the time of the accident was riding westbound on Wynola Road. While attempting to cross two other motorcyclists‚ the Marine collided with an eastbound motorcycle.

Both the motorcyclists involved in this fatal head-on motorcycle accident were thrown from their bikes and into the roadway due to the impact of the traffic collision. The Marine was immediately air lifted to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido where he was pronounced dead. Another injured motorcyclist was also airlifted to Palomar Medical Center for treatment.

The exact cause of this fatal motorcycle accident still remains under investigation. It appears that the Marine attempted to pass unsafely. However if the motorcycle accident was caused because he lost control due to uneven road‚ then his family might be able to receive compensation to pay for the cost of funeral and burial‚ loss of anticipated earnings of the deceased‚ and loss of love and companionship. The injured victim in this case is also eligible for compensation to cover cost of hospitalization‚ medical costs‚ lost earnings‚ and other accident related damages and may be able to make a claim not only against the government entity responsible for the road but also against the Marine.

We offer our sincere condolences to all those who loved and knew the deceased Marine motorcyclist for such a heart rendering loss. We also hope and pray that the injured victim did not suffer any catastrophic injuries and recovers soon.

Ross Jurewitz is a personal injury lawyer in San Diego and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group‚ a California motorcycle accident law firm dedicated to representing families of people injured in a motorcycle accident.  If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a motorcycle accident in San Diego‚ please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book‚ The Ultimate California Motorcycle Accident Book:  How to Protect Yourself from Day One. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.

Jorge Martinez‚ 35‚ was killed in a fatal San Diego County motorcycle accident that occurred on November 15‚ 2010‚ around 7:30p.m. in Ramona.  According to police Martinez was driving his 1994 Jeep SUV on Elm Street when he lost control of the motorcycle and struck a utility pole.

Police officers are trying to determine the exact cause of this fatal motorcycle accident. Medical examiners pronounced Martinez dead at the accident scene. Now the investigating officers need to determine what made Martinez lose control of his vehicle and hit the pole. The family members of Martinez would be well-advised to consult with an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer‚ who will stay abreast of the official investigation and make sure that the negligent parties are held liable. These types of claims are factually specific and require an immediate and detailed investigation be performed by trained experts managed by a skilled personal injury lawyer.  Any delay in the investigation may result in the loss of key pieces of evidence.

Martinez’s family members can seek counsel from an expert San Diego motorcycle accident lawyer who would ensure that they obtain timely compensation to cover cost of funeral and burial‚ loss of earnings and loss of love and companionship.

We offer our sincere condolences to all those who knew and loved Martinez’s for such a tragic and upsetting loss.

Ross Jurewitz is a personal injury lawyer in San Diego and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group‚ a California personal injury law firm dedicated to representing families of people injured in a motorcycle accident.  If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a motorcycle accident in San Diego‚ please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book‚ The Ultimate California Motorcycle Accident Book: How to Protect Yourself from Day One. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.

Rebecca Andaya‚ 16‚ of Santa Ana died in a fatal Orange County car accident that occurred on November 13‚ 2010‚ just before midnight. According to the coroner’s office‚ Andaya was an occupant in a SUV that lost control eastbound of the freeway near Harbor Boulevard‚ approximately 125 miles from San Diego.

Andaya was immediately transported to UCI Medical Center for treatment where she was pronounced dead around 1:00 a.m. on November 14‚ 2010. Five other people present in the car suffered minor to moderate injuries in this fatal car accident.

Unfortunately‚ it is unclear from the facts of the story why the accident occurred.  Now the investigating officers need to determine what made the car driver lose control of the vehicle.  There is a possibility that the accident may have been the result of a mechanical defect or design issue.  It could have also been the result of an uneven road surface.  Regardless of the facts‚ the victims’ families should consult with a personal injury attorney who can hire a trained private investigator to investigate how the accident occurred and to determine if there are any facts which would suggest that the accident was the cause of someone else’s negligence. Andaya’s family can seek advice from an experienced Orange County car accident lawyer who would help them obtain a timely compensation. Andaya’s family may be eligible to obtain a compensation to cover cost of funeral and burial‚ loss of anticipated earnings of the deceased and loss of love and companionship.

We offer our sincere condolences to all those who knew and loved Andaya for such a tragic and shocking loss.

Ross Jurewitz is a personal injury lawyer in Orange County and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group‚ a California auto accident law firm dedicated to representing families of people injured in a car accident.  If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a car accident in Orange County‚ please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book‚ The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.

As a nationally recognized personal injury attorney‚ I receive a number of lawyer newsletters from law offices around California and the United States.  I received one recently from Dallas personal injury lawyer Jeff Rasansky which had an article in it entitled‚ “Advocates or Ambulance Chasers.”  It really struck me with it’s honesty and truth about the good that injury lawyers do…and the negative public opinion they commonly face.

It’s no secret that personal injury attorneys have a bad reputation in our society.  We have all heard the various stereotypes and jokes about our profession.  These stereotypes are not only false‚ but they are damaging to our legal system and society.  The legal system is what people should turn to in their time of need.  It is their last avenue for appeal and redress when private parties and the government will not act responsible for their negligent acts.  And truth be told‚ the vast majority of personal injury lawyers are doing the right thing.  People that are involved in a car accident‚ motorcycle accidents‚ or injured by a defective product turn to lawyers every day because they know that an attorney will represent their rights‚ and not those of an insurance company.

So where do these negative stereotypes come from?  The first source that comes to mind is the media.  TV shows‚ the news‚ and movies very often show lawyers in the worst light possible: as greedy and vindictive.  Also‚ some of the attorney advertisements by real life personal injury lawyers make it seem that attorneys are money hungry and that they convince people that they need an attorney.  However‚ most injury attorneys do not look at potential clients as dollar signs.  These money hungry attorneys are the minority.

Not only do injury lawyers help their clients in their time of need‚ but their work ensures that people live in a safe environment.  Corporations and people are mindful of what can happen to them if they decide not to behave in a reasonable manner.  Also‚ you have attorneys to thank for the various safety laws and regulations that we have.  These laws were enacted in response to negligent behavior‚ and these laws provide a standard which intends to keep the public healthy and safe.

I can see why people think the way they do about personal injury attorneys since negative stereotypes are all around them.  While‚ it is true that “one bad apple spoils the entire bunch,”  you always hear about the immoral attorney who stole their client’s money on the news‚ but you NEVER hear about any of the positive things personal injury lawyers do for their clients.

It also does not help that corporations and insurance companies also attempt to paint injury law firms in a bad light too.  However‚ it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be an accident attorney.  In America‚ there are several ways to make a living and make money–people don’t have to be lawyers to make a lot of money.  In fact‚ many people chose to become personal injury lawyers because they want to help people.  Besides‚ corporations and insurance companies paint us in this bad light because we threaten them with lawsuits if they do not follow the law and when their insureds are careless and negligent.

There may be a time in your life when you are faced with a situation that will require you to hire an accident attorney.  You should not be just another number or case in your attorney’s file cabinet.You are an individual with your own worries and hopes about your injury claim.

This is especially true with us at the Jurewitz Law Group.  We treat all of our clients with the utmost care and we do everything we can to ensure that your rights are represented.  If you or your family are ever involved in an injury accident in San Diego‚ please call our California personal injury law firm at 888-233-5020 for a free consultation.