A 44-year–old Elk Grove man died after his motorcycle collided with the rear of a pickup truck on Interstate 80 in Davis. Donlad J. Halverstadt and his wife were riding on their Harley Davidson on Interstate 80. As reported by the California Highway Patrol, around 11:15p.m. the couple on the motorcycle was traveling behind and slightly to the right of a Toyota Tundra pickup. Suddenly and  for unknown reasons the motorcycle veered left and collided with the rear of the Tundra. The driver was instantly ejected from the motorcycle. Mr. Halverstadt was taken to the U.C. Davis Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Dana Halverstadt, suffered major injuries to her hands, knees and hips. The driver and the passenger of the pickup were not injured.  The Davis crash remains under investigation. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor. The motorcycle and the pickup appear to have been  traveling at a safe speed.

We are sending our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Halverstadt. We hope his wife will have a fast and complete recovery.

Motorcycle Accidents in California

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System there were 11,764 people injured  in motorcycle accidents. In Yolo County as a whole, motorcycle accidents claimed three lives and injured 51 people in 2008

Thorough investigation is required in such cases to determine all other possible contributing factors, including the involvement of another vehicle, road conditions, including any ongoing construction in the area, and even manufacturing defects in the motorcycle itself. When the negligence of someone other than the injured or deceased party contributes to an accident, that negligent party is responsible for paying his or her share of medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering.

Hiring a California Personal Injury Attorney

In such cases, families and friends of deceased accident victims are highly advised to contact an experienced California Personal Injury Attorney who will stay abreast of the investigation, hire expert accident reconstruction experts and investigators to thoroughly evaluate the cause of the collision and make sure every angle is examined, including possible claims for defective roadway conditions. A reputed Sacramento Car Accident Attorney will also be able to advise the victims’ families about how their car insurance policy applies to an incident where the at-fault motorist is uninsured or underinsured.

Sacramento Injury Lawyers

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 California personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation.

Several people sustained serious injuries and a motorcyclist was killed on Tuesday in a four vehicle collision on southbound Interstate 505 north of the Patah Creek Bridge.  According to the California Highway Patrol, the first collision occurred at approximately 10:12 p.m. on Tuesday when Thomas Roberts of Newark allowed his Ford Taurus to drift into the center median then overcorrected, cut across several lanes of traffic, and hit collided with a guardrail before bouncing back into the roadway.  The Taurus, which had 5 passengers, was then struck by a Toyota Corolla at a high rate of speed, knocking it into the opposing lanes of traffic where it was struck again by a Lexus driven by 74 year old Robert Ardave.

Immediately after the first collisions, Oscar Alfaro, 48, of Antioch, encountered the strewn vehicle wreckage on his southbound motorcycle and tried to use the shoulder to go around the obstructions.  However, he ended up laying the motorcycle down and was ejected over the bridge embankment and into the creek.  Unfortunately, Mr. Alfaro was pronounced dead on the scene.

Two occupants of the Taurus, including an infant, sustained major injuries and were transported to U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for emergency medical care.  Other victims involved in this California car crash suffered minor personal injuries.

Mr. Roberts was arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is a crime resulting in felony charges when crash victims sustaining personal injuries. The California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System indicates that in 2008, there were 1,355 fatal collisions involving drunk drivers.

California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a) states, “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.” If the drunk driver causes a death of another, the drunk driver can face vehicular manslaughter charges based on California Penal Code section 191.5 (a): ”Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, in the driving of a vehicle, where the driving was in violation of Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, and with gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, in an unlawful manner, and with gross negligence.”

Victims of DUI car accidents should to consult a reputable Sacramento personal injury attorney, who will conduct a thorough investigation of the collision and hold the offending driver accountable for their actions. A qualified California personal injury attorney can advise you regarding a claim for civil damages, including recovery of medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. Victims should know their rights under the law and any applicable insurance policies. Family members of a deceased victim may have a wrongful death claim, which includes funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages.

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.

Car accidents can occur at any time and in any place, and when they do they often lead to serious injuries or even worse consequences. Tragically, an off-duty Sacramento County sheriff’s deputy paid the ultimate price for a driving mistake that occurred last August when she was killed in an accident. Last week, the driver in that Sacramento car accident was given a sentence that involves community service.

The accident in question occurred in August of 2009 in the westbound lanes on Interstate 80 near Sacramento. Stacy Lynn Taylor, 23, was moving in that direction near Longview Drive when she suddenly changed lanes to maneuver around a large truck that was moving onto the freeway. As a result of this sudden lane change, Kelly Lynne Allen Lara, 43, was forced to take immediate evasive action, as Taylor had moved into her path.

Tragically, this sudden need to avoid contact caused Lara to lose control of her vehicle as she was on her way to work at the airport. Her vehicle spun into the back of the large truck, and Lara was killed as a result of the force of this impact. Taylor was arrested and faced multiple charges, but she pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter. Her sentence includes 150 hours of community service.

California Car Accident Statistics

While we’re relieved that the family of Deputy Lara has seen this chapter of this situation end, it’s possible that they do not feel as though justice has been served. Lara left behind four small children and a husband, and this incident only adds to the statistics regarding California car accidents. Every year, 175,000 people are injured and another 3,000 people are killed in California car accidents, and every loss of life is tragic.

Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyers

Even though the criminal prosecution regarding this situation is now over, that doesn’t mean that Deputy Lara’s family cannot look into the possibility of filing a California wrongful death claim against Taylor. If the case was successful, the family could recover damages for costs incurred, lost income and loss of companionship.

However, these decisions should only be made with the help of Sacramento personal injury lawyers who have been holding negligent drivers accountable for these terrible losses for many years. If this has happened to someone you love, contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.

If you’ve been in a collision it’s always better to hire a lawyer earlier rather than later. One of the reasons this is true is that we work on a contingency fee, which means we only get paid if your case settles. So if your case involves significant injuries or a wrongful death type case, we prefer for a number of reasons, including preserving evidence, collecting evidence, talking to witnesses, to get involved in that case early on. It costs our clients usually the same if they hire us a week after the collision versus a year and a half after the collision. However, most of the time, we’re able to achieve better results the earlier we get involved with the case because of the fact that we can preserve evidence and track witnesses down and do what we need to do to start building our case as soon as we get involved. That’s not to say that we don’t take cases if they’re not within the first couple of weeks.

Five people were injured Wednesday night in a single-car accident on Highway 70 north of Erle Road in Yuba-Sutter. According to the CHP, they are investigating a witness report that a Honda Accord being driven by Thomas Ramirez, 17, of Marysville, may have been racing another vehicle when it went out of control, veered right, skipped off one tree then struck a second head-on.  A male passenger suffered head and chest injuries and was taken to the U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. A female passenger was transported to Sutter Roseville Medical Center with a broken leg. Three others were taken to Rideout Memorial Hospital.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.  Mr. Ramirez is more than likely responsible from a legal standpoint to compensate the passengers of his vehicle for the ambulance bill, hospital bill, lost income and pain and suffering.  In most cases, Mr. Ramirez’s insurance would pay for these losses.  If he has no insurance, the passengers may be able to recover under the uninsured motorist provision of an auto insurance policy held by someone in their household.  Also, if there was another identifiable vehicle that contributed to this crash by racing, the driver of that vehicle may also be legally responsible for these damages.

Car Accidents in California

Anyone seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision has a number of serious issues to deal with after a collision like this.  First, the legal responsibility for the collision must be determined.  Sometimes that requires investigation beyond what is contained in the police report.

Second, the medical bills must be paid.  Even if there is health insurance to pay for the bills initially, the health insurance company will likely seek reimbursement from any liability insurance recovery.  That means that the health insurance company will be competing for money that otherwise would go to the injured victim.

Third, when there are multiple people injured in a crash, they will often be competing for a proportional share of a limited amount of insurance money.

Lastly, insurance companies will do whatever they can to avoid paying fair compensation for not only medical bills, but lost income and pain and suffering as well.

Hiring a Qualified California Personal Injury Attorney

Because of these and many other issues, everyone injured in a collision like this are strongly urged to consult with an experienced California Personal Injury Attorney who will make sure that your rights are protected and that you are dealt with fairly.

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.

Chuck Jaffee, 60, of Nevada City was injured in head-on collision involving a U.S. Postal Service truck on Tuesday afternoon. At about 12:15 p.m., Mr. Jaffee was riding his bicycle west-bound down a hill on Pasquale Road when the mail truck, driven by Kaci Large, 24, of Colfax, was heading the opposite direction. According to police, Mr. Jaffee, was making a sweeping turn and did not see the oncoming truck. Ms. Large swerved the right in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the collision.

Mr. Jaffee may not have been wearing a helmet and sustained an open scalp wound.  He was transported to Sutter Roseville Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

California Bicycle Accidents

According to the California Highway Patrol, 11,390 bicyclists were in injured in accidents in California in 2008.  Obviously, bicyclists are much more exposed than occupants of a vehicle and much more likely to sustain serious injury or death in an accident.

Bicycle Accidents & Liability

The cause of this collision remains under investigation.  Witness accounts are important, but there may be other information that can ultimately influence who will be deemed responsible, in whole or in part, for a collision.  If the driver of a vehicle injures a bike rider while violating a Vehicle Code section or while failing to use due care while driving, he or she can be held civilly liable for monetary damages in the amount of all medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering.  If the driver of the vehicle is also working at the time, the employer can also be held liable for the damages.  In most cases, it is vital to conduct investigation immediately so evidence is not lost due to the passage of time.

Hiring a Reputable Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney

Anyone injured in a bike versus auto collision is urged to consult with an experienced Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney. It is always important to act quickly so that all legal rights are protected. A knowledgeable Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer will investigate the circumstances of the collision and evaluate all factors that may have contributed to an injury 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.

A tragic Sacramento car accident on Highway 50 injured three people on Tuesday, including two police officers. As reported by the Sacramento Police Department. two police officers pulled over to the right shoulder to render assistance in a car accident that occurred twenty minutes earlier.  The original accident was reported by the California Highway Patrol as a non-injury collision.

Shortly after the police parked their patrol car to assist in the collision, an oncoming SUV lost control and struck the cruiser’s rear quarter panel on the driver’s side. The two officers were still in the car. The  female SUV driver  and police officers were taken to the hospital with serious personal injuries. California Highway Patrol officials are investigating this incident.

Our heart goes out to those who were injured in this horrific crash. We wish all the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

California Highway Accidents

It is still unclear  what caused the driver of SUV to run into the patrol vehicle. We do not know if weather conditions played a role, whether she was distracted or impaired and under the influence of   alcohol or drugs.

Liability in California Car Crashes

If the driver of the SUV is determined to have been at fault she could be held liable for the accident and the injuries caused to the police officers. However if this accident was caused by a dangerous condition on the roadway  the governmental entity (in this case the State of California) that is responsible for maintaining the roadway may also be held liable. It is important to remember that if a personal injury claim is being filed against a governmental public entity, there is only 180 days  within which the claim must be filed. All victims are strongly encouraged to get a free consultation with an experienced California Personal Injury attorney who will protect their legal rights.

Sacramento Personal Injury

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 catastrophic series of automobile crashes on Highway 99 killed a man on Thursday morning. The man was identified as Robert Alverson, 50, of Sacramento. As reported by the California Highway Patrol, around 5:10 a.m, Mr. Alverson stopped to help out motorists, who were involved in a crash on northbound Highway 99.  Apparently, Mr. Alveroson was walking toward the collision to render assistance when he was struck by a motorist who was driving under the influence. Mr. Alversonwas propelled into the southbound lanes where he was struck  again by another vehicle. Mr. Alveroson died at the scene of the accident. The Sacramento car crash remains under investigation however it appears as if another innocent live was taken by a drunk driver. What is particularly tragic is that Ms. Alverson was a good Samaritan offering to help injured victims when he was killed.

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Robert Alverson, who was so suddenly and tragically taken away from all those who knew and loved him. We especially offer our condolences to his family for their heartbreaking loss.

Alcohol Related Car Accidents

Driving under the influence of alcohol is criminal.  Unfortunately, no matter how strong the laws against drunk driving, and no matter how strong public opinion seems to be against this type of conduct, some people simply cannot help themselves.  The results are tragic.  The California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System indicates that in 2008, there were 1,355 fatal collisions involving drunk drivers.  This kind of heartbreak is unacceptable, and California should do more to prevent more DUI related deaths, including stiffer penalties for all offenders, alcohol treatment programs, and education for alternatives like designated drivers.

DUI Accidents in California

California Vehicle Code Section 23152 (a) states “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, or under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle.” If the drunk driver causes a death of another, the drunk driver can face vehicular manslaughter charges based on California Penal Code section 191.5 (a) ”Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, in the driving of a vehicle, where the driving was in violation of Section 23140, 23152, or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and the killing was either the proximate result of the commission of an unlawful act, not amounting to a felony, and with gross negligence, or the proximate result of the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, in an unlawful manner, and with gross negligence.”

Hiring a Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney

All victims of DUI are well-advised to consult a reputed Sacramento personal injury attorney, who will conduct a thorough investigation of the collision and hold the offending driver accountable for their actions. Civil remedies for the families of the deceased pursuing a wrongful death claim include compensation to cover funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of love and companionship, and other related damages.

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.

Insurance companies are in a business to do one thing, and that is to make money. And the way they make money is by collecting as much as possible in the premiums and paying out as little as possible when they have a claim. It’s simple economics, the more they collect and the less they pay out, the more money they make. Their only incentive then, when someone makes a claim, is to pay out as little as possible. And the only way to equalize the field and to level the playing field, is to have someone on your side that knows how to obtain fair and equitable compensation for you. Many times insurance companies will often play, especially close in time to the collision, the good guy. Pretend that they’re on your side to get you to give them a recorded statement or to get our clients to turn over some valuable documents or evidence to them. And the reason they do this is because they know when the person is not represented they are more likely to get this information than when they are. And the only reason that they do this is to get evidence to hurt the claimant’s case.

Demas & Rosenthal has been representing injury victims for nearly twenty years. We are committed to offering the highest quality representation and level of service. 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 if you were injured. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

A 22-year-old woman was killed Sunday night in a tragic car crash that took place on westbound Interstate 80 near Antelope Road in Citrus Heights.

According to information provided by the Highway Patrol, a white Mercedes 190E being driven by a woman in the number two lane at an unknown speed came into contact with an orange Honda Element going approximately 75 miles per hour in the next lane over.  The Mercedes apparently clipped the Honda, causing both vehicles to spin out of control and collide with each other and the center median.  The driver of the Honda and two of his passengers were taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center with various personal injuries ranging from pain and abrasions to a broken arm. A third passenger was transported to San Juan Medical Center for cuts to his face.

The identity of the woman who tragically died in the Mercedes has not been released pending notification of relatives.  We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of the woman.

We also wish the best to persons injured in this accident and wish them a fast and complete recovery.

California Auto Accidents

Although the information available is limited and the investigation into the crash is ongoing, it appears that this collision was caused by driving at an unsafe speed, a violation of California Vehicle Code §22350, and an unsafe lane change, a violation of Vehicle Code §22107.  It appears that both vehicles were traveling in excess of the speed limit.  However, it is unclear which vehicle turned into which vehicle’s lane.  Sometimes the CHP traffic collision report will help determine who was at fault based on witness statements and the physical evidence at the scene of the collision.  However, further investigation, including accident reconstruction, is sometimes necessary to get to the bottom of which driver was entirely or mostly at fault.

This tragic collision illustrates the need to drive at a safe speed and to always pay attention to where your vehicle is in relation to other vehicles on the highway.  High speed collisions create a greater possibility of serious injury or death.  The California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System indicates that, in 2008, there were 3,113 fatal collisions.  Driving at or near the speed limit, or at least with the flow of traffic, drastically decreases your chances of being involved in a high speed collision on the freeway.

Hiring a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer

Persons injured and the family of persons killed in any type of car accident are urged to consult with a knowledgeable Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney. It is important to get legal advice quickly so that all rights are protected. An experienced Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer will investigate all circumstances of a catastrophic accident and provide legal guidance.  In California, a party whose negligence contributes to a collision has civil liability for damages, including medical expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering.

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.