Every California car accident involves extreme danger, and this danger only rises precipitously when a collision creates a chain reaction where several other vehicles become entangled in the unfolding disaster. Unfortunately, such a California car accident took place in the small town of Keyes over the weekend, and it ultimately involved six vehicles and sent seven people to the hospital.

According to police, this multi-vehicle California car accident occurred just before 11 p.m. approximately one-half-mile north of where Taylor Road crosses Highway 99. Apparently, Fernando Martinez, 30, was driving the wrong way down Highway 99 in the northbound lanes. His Chevrolet Silverado collided with a Lexus and rolled several times, thereby smashing into several other vehicles as a result.

Unfortunately, Martinez is suspected of driving under the influence, and it’s believed that he entered Highway 99 and started going the wrong way by entering the road on an off-ramp. Overall, seven people were taken to the hospital, but thankfully all are expected to survive their injuries.

California Car Accident Statistics

First and foremost, we’d like to extend our hopes that those who were injured in this incident are able to make quick recoveries. In addition, this California DUI accident will now become an entry in the statistics regarding California car accidents overall. Every year, approximately 175,000 people are injured and another 3,000 are killed as a result of these incidents.

California DUI Accident Lawyers

It’s possible that those who were harmed in this incident will be able to bring California personal injury lawsuits against the wrong-way driver. If successful, such claims could result in damages awards that compensate those who were harmed for medical expenses, property damage, lost income and pain and suffering depending on the specific facts of the case.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a drunk driver, you need the help of California DUI accident lawyers who have been successfully fighting for the rights of those harmed for many years. Contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Four people died Thursday morning in an accident involving two big-rigs on state Highway 12 east of Kirkland Ranch Road, near American Canyon. A tractor trailer big-rig was traveling west bound on the two lane highway behind a Subaru Forester when traffic began to slow to a stop. The big rig rear ended the Subaru and pushed it into the opposing lane of traffic directly in the path of an east bound big-rig.The east bound big-rig struck the car head on and pushed it about 200 feet before coming to a stop. CHP reported that all four occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene. According to the CHP, the Subaru’s driver was 48-year-old Matthew Jay Smith of Ashland, Oregon, his daughter 19-year-old Laura Smith, and his parents, 80-year-old Richard Smith and 74-year-old Sally Smith.

We are sending our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased victims. It is indeed a tragic lost. We hope that the truck driver is recovering well from his personal injuries.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,374 people were killed during 1998 in collisions involving large trucks. In those fatal collisions, 86 percent of the victims were occupants of another vehicle or not in any vehicle. Because of their size, big-rigs represent an especially dangerous threat on the roadways. In many instances, the conduct of the big-rig driver and/or their employer can greatly increase the risk of the general motoring public. Statistics show that many of the big-rig collisions resulting in injury or fatality are caused in part by the following:

1. Truck driver fatigue caused by driving long hauls while failing to comply with minimum sleep and continuous driving regulations;
2. Use of drugs by drivers to assist in driving long hours and for recreation and failure to maintain an effective drug testing program;
3. Failure to maintain the tires, brakes and other mechanical conditions of the tractors and trailers through minimum required inspections;
4. Trucks with loads that over the weight limit or that are subject to shifting due to improper balance or lack of restraint;
5. Excessive speeding and other driving violations often ignored by the employer;
6. Lack of training and minimum experience requirements.

In the above scenario, the big-rig that struck the Subaru from the rear violated Vehicle Code §22350 and possibly other regulations, and is legally responsible to the families of the victims for wrongful death damages, including funeral expenses, an loss of income or support, as well as loss of love, affection and companionship. Unfortunately, the victims of a big-rig or truck collision often have a difficult time obtaining fair compensation, sometimes because the trucker is from out of state and the insurance company is an obscure commercial carrier with experience in avoiding payment of claims. Injured victims or the family of a deceased victim are urged to obtain the legal assistance of a Personal Injury Attorney, who will investigate the causes of the collision and protect their legal rights to be compensated appropriately.

The Demas & Rosenthal personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Demas & Rosenthal will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

A woman responsible for advocating traffic safety in her neighborhood sustained life-threatening injuries Friday in a Roseville pedestrian accident when she was struck by a car while walking on Old Auburn Road near Allegretto Way.

50-year old Mary Louise Herdegen was strycj by a Honda Accord driven by Ashol Kumar, 51, of Granite Bay. Ms. Herdegen was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center where she was reportedly in critical condition. Ironically, Ms. Herdegen had spearheaded an effort to get the County of Placer to reduce traffic on a main thoroughfare in her neighborhood after a speeding car crashed into a house. She was also behind an effort to require street parking permits in her neighborhood due to safety concerns.

Old Auburn Road was closed for 5 1/1 hours while investigators examined the accident scene. Roseville Police are still investigating the cause of the Roseville injury accident and are asking any witnesses to call the traffic unit at (916)774-5088.

California Highway Patrol records indicate that here were 14,047 injury accidents involving pedestrians in California in 2008. California Vehicle Code section 21950 provides that “[t]he driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection,” and drivers “shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.”

The driver of a vehicle must drive safely around pedestrians no matter where they are walking, and a driver can be held legally liable for injuries to a pedestrian even if they were not in a cross walk at the time they were hit. Determining who is at fault in a pedestrian versus auto collision usually requires a very fact specific investigation that includes consideration of the speed of the vehicle, the visibility of the pedestrian, road conditions, and whether avoidance measures were taken.

Pedestrians injured by a motor vehicle should seek the counsel of an experienced Roseville Injury Attorney or Granite Bay Injury Attorney who will analyze all of the factors involved in an incident and will hold the negligent parties accountable. If roadway conditions were a factor, a public or governmental entity may have liability. It is important to consult with a California Personal Injury lawyer quickly since any claim against a public or governmental agency must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injury. An experienced personal injury attorney will advise injury victims of their rights, including whether they are entitled to recover medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering as a result of the incident.

The Demas & Rosenthal personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Demas & Rosenthal will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Four young adults were injured in a serious t-bone auto collision that occurred on Athens Avenue west of Rocklin on Wednesday. The California Highway Patrol reports that 19 year old Amanda Dias of Roseville was driving her Honda Civic north on Foothill Boulevard when she attempted a left turn onto Athens Avenue. Unfortunately, Ms. Dias turned left directly in front of a Dodge Intrepid being driven by 25 year old Iva Adrian of Cottonwood. Ms. Adrian was not able to avoid hitting the Civic and both cars sustained major damage as a result of the crash.

Ms. Dias was transported to the Sutter Roseville Medical Center by Cal Star helicopter ambulance. Two passengers in the Civic were also taken by the ambulance to Sutter Roseville Medical Center. All three occupants of the Honda suffered major personal injuries according to the Highway Patrol. Mr. Adriano was taken to Mercy Sun Juan Medical Center with minor injuries.

California Highway Patrol records indicate that 73 people were injured in car accidents in Rocklin during 2008.

Based on the available information, it appears that an unsafe turning movement in violation of Vehicle Code §22107 caused this auto accident. If that is the case, the driver of the Honda Civic could be held legally responsible to both to the passengers of the Civic and to Ms. Adrian for all medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering damages incurred as a result of the accident. In most cases, the insurance covering the responsible drivers vehicle would pay for these losses.

Persons injured in these type of California injury accidents have a number of complex legal and insurance issues to deal with. Auto insurance companies often make it difficult for injury victims to get fair compensation. It is always a good idea for injury victims to consult with an experienced Rocklin Personal Injury lawyer before settling out of court.

The Demas & Rosenthal personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Demas & Rosenthal will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as

A California car accident on Wednesday injured four people, after the car flipped on Interstate 80 in Dixon.

Shelbee Szeto, an 18-year-old driver from Oakland, was driving his Mazda sedan on westbound Interstate 80. Around 10 a.m. for unknown reasons Mr. Szeto lost control of the vehicle. The incident took place near Highway 113 exit. As the vehicle went out of control, it started rolling over. The Mazda landed upside down on an embankment along the shoulder of the freeway.

As reported by the California Highway Patrol, Mr. Szeto suffered minor injuries but was  taken by the ambulance to University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento for evaluation.

One of the passengers, 19-year-old Fiona Wong of Davis, was hurt in the Dixon car crash and was transported to the UC Davis Medical Center. Two other passengers, Bonnie So, 18, and Sandra Ho, 20, both of Davis, also suffered  injuries..

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the Dixon car crash.

We will keep the injured victims in our prayers. Hopefully the injuries suffered in this car crash are not too serious. We wish them all quick and complete recovery.

California Auto Accidents

Although the police report doesn’t give much information it is extremely important to learn how the accident happened. The driver who is determined to have been at fault for this accident could face criminal charges and be held financially responsible for the injuries, damages, losses sustained by the other victims. The injured passengers may ask  damages  to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, surgeries, rehabilitation, etc.,

All injured victimizes of car accidents have a number of   issues to deal with following a serious car crash. It is important to seek medical attention immediately. If possible, obtain documentation of your treatment and prognosis as soon as you can. Seek follow-up attention to reduce the risk of subtle injuries that go unnoticed. Talk to your insurer as required, but don’t discuss potential accident causes. Consult with your lawyer first. Do not talk to any other insurance companies, and do not settle out of court without legal advice.

Hiring A Dixon Personal Injury Attorney

All injured victims in accidents like this are strongly urged to consult with an experienced Dixon Personal Injury Attorney to protect their rights. Do not talk to insurance adjusters or attorneys for other parties without first consulting your own lawyer. A knowledgeable car accident lawyer should also tell victims about how their car insurance policy or other insurance policies will apply to an accident.

The Demas & Rosenthal personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Demas & Rosenthal will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Last weekend police arrested a Visalia man for driving under the influence and causing the death of two people.

A tragic accident took a place early morning on Saturday, on Hwy 41, Newton Avenue in Hanford, California. As reported by the California Highway Patrol the driver was under the influence of alcohol. The drunk driver crashed head-on with another car, killing two people. After the accident the diver was hospitalized at the Community Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. Although the names of victims are not released, we send our prayers to their families.

In California, as in all states, drivers are considered intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08. Penalties for a driver convicted of DUI can include jail time, mandatory education, license suspension, vehicle confiscation, or ignition interlock installation. If a driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causes injury or death as part of the accident, the penalties are naturally much more severe; a driver may be charged with manslaughter.

1. About three people in 10 Americans will be involved in a DUI accident in their lives.
2. About one-third of all DUI drivers are repeat offenders.
3. DUI drivers have a greater risk of involvement in a fatal crash.
4. Alcohol is a factor in 38% of fatal crashes and 7% of all crashes.
5. Motor vehicle crashes account for over one-third of all deaths for people between the ages 15-20.
6. Over thirty-three percent of fatal motor vehicle accidents that involved people between the ages of 15-20 involved alcohol.
7. Drivers involved in fatal car crashes with the highest recorded intoxication rates by age include; 21-24 year-olds (28%), 25-34 year-olds (24%), and 35- 44 year-olds (21%).

Families of victims’ are well-advised to consult with an experienced California Personal Injury Attorney. If you or your loved one has been injured in an accident that involved a drunk driver, it’s imperative that you get experienced legal help as soon as you can.

Demas & Rosenthal remains one of Sacramento’s most highly respected and accomplished personal injury law firms. We’ve been successfully representing clients since our firm first opened its doors back in 1993. Everyone at Demas & Rosenthal takes pride in obtaining the full compensation and complete justice owed to every client.