Lolita Buenviaje, 49, of Elk Grove was killed in a solo-vehicle accident near Gustine, CA on Sunday, after the car she was in  overturned on northbound Interstate 5. She died after being ejected from the 2005 Chevrolet.

Initial reports from authorities indicate the vehicle, driven by Arnel Buenviaje, 46, sustained a tire blowout which caused the car to overturn. Mrs. Buenviaje was ejected from the vehicle. She is the only person in the vehicle who was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected. The driver of the vehicle suffered major injuries and was life-flighted to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. Three teenage passengers were transported to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto with minor personal injuries.

The Chevrolet was traveling approximately 70 mph just north of the Pete Miller Road near Gustine when it started to swerve following the blowout The vehicle veered left and the driver lost control of the car. The Chevrolet the overturned multiple times in the shoulder. The Gustine car crash remains under investigation. Alcohol and drugs were not a factor.

We are sending our deepest condolences to the family of Ms. Buenviaje. It is indeed a tragic loss. We hope that the driver and passengers are recovering well from personal injuries.

California Auto Accidents

As reported by the California Highway Patrol there were 10,857 seriously injured car accident victims who were not using safety equipment in 2008. Failure to wear a seat belt contributes to more losses than any other single traffic safety-related behavior. In the United States each year 40,000 people die in car accidents. Deaths may be prevented in about half of these accidents by seatbelt use.

Thorough investigation is required in such cases to determine all other possible contributing factors, including the possibility of defectively manufactured or installed tire, the involvement of another vehicle, road conditions,  and even manufacturing defects in the car itself.

Wrongful Death Cases & California Law

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 products. Anyone injured in a solo-car 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 hire experts to evaluate any potentially defective products as well as evaluate the roadway for dangerous conditions that may have causes or contributed to this fatal accident. If a public or governmental entity is liable,  the California Government Code requires that a claim be filed against the proper entity within 180 days of the accident or 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 California 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 50-year-old woman of Fremont was killed in a three-car crash on Friday afternoon. The tragic accident took place near Huron.

As reported by the California Highway Patrol, Mary Dagle, 22, of Discovery Bay was traveling north on Interstate 5 near South Lassen Avenue. Suddenly she made an unsafe lane change into the path of Victoria Alexander, 25. In effort to avoid Dagle’s vehicle, Ms. Alexander swerved to the right and onto the shoulder of the highway.  Unfortunately, the Dagle vehicle was struck causing it to veer across the center median into the path of the unidentified Fremont driver, who was driving south on Interstate 5 in a rented 2010 Nissan. The impact ejected  Fremont woman. The Dagle vehicle overturned and hit an embankment, a road sign and a barbed-wire fence.

Dagle and Alexander had minor injuries. Unfortunately the Fremont woman died at the scene.

California Car Accidents

The Fremont car accident remains under investigation, however as reported by the California Highway patrol drugs and alcohol were not a factor.

We are sending our deepest condolences to everybody who knew the tragically killed woman from Fremont for their terrible and heartbreaking loss. They will be in our thoughts and prayers. We wish Ms. Dagle and Ms. Alexander a quick and complete recovery from all personal injuries.

The most important question to be answered after a multi-vehicle accident is, “Who’s at fault?” The answer will determine whose insurance is responsible for what. In complex multi-car collisions where a fatality is involved, the California Highway Patrol may assign their Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT), a group of highly trained experts skilled in accident reconstruction and vehicle dynamics.  Typically, insurance companies will usually follow the conclusion of the MAIT team investigators in determining liability.  Important physical evidence, witness statements, etc., should always be secured as quickly as possible regardless of the skill level of the investigating officers.

Wrongful Death California

In such cases, families and friends of deceased accident victims are 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.

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.

Automobile accidents happen every day in California, and thousands of people are injured every year as a result of them. In addition, many fatalities occur, and in certain cases, an accident can lead to both fatalities and serious injuries. Tragically, such was the case with a crash that occurred over the weekend that left one woman dead and four others injured.

According to KCRA:

“A woman died and four others were injured in a two-car collision early Sunday in Sacramento.

Officers went to Power Inn Road and Elder Creek Road at about 1:40 a.m. and found a Nissan Altima and a Cadillac had crashed. A passenger in the Cadillac was declared dead at the scene. Her name was not immediately released.

Two other occupants of the Cadillac had moderate injuries. Two occupants of the Nissan had moderate to major injuries.

Investigators said they believe the cars collided when the Nissan was headed south on Power Inn Road and the Cadillac was turning from northbound Power Inn to westbound Elder Creek Road.”

Authorities have yet to determine which party was at fault for the accident, and no indication was given as to whether alcohol or other intoxicants were involved. Whatever the result, there will likely be exposure to civil liability to the driver at fault.

If you or someone you love has been harmed in a traffic collision, you need the help of Sacramento auto accidents lawyers who have years of experience in successfully holding those responsible for death and harm accountable. Contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Hit-and-run drivers are not easily profiled into certain types or demographics. However, there are times when follow-up reports tend to lend credence as to why someone would think that fleeing the scene of a serious accident is the right decision. We posted recently regarding a fatal hit-and-run accident that led to the arrest of a local man. Now comes word that the suspect had only recently regained his privilege to drive.

According to CBS 13:

“A driver who has been charged with felony hit-and-run after a deadly crash that left three men dead over the weekend just got his license reinstated by the DMV just two days before the accident.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles says 25-year-old Omar Carrasco has had his license suspended five times for driving under the influence and various legal violations over the past three years, most recently on February 28 for canceling his auto insurance.

The DMV reinstated his license on Thursday, March 4, less than 48 hours before Carrasco was involved in a crash near Cosumnes River Boulevard and Center Parkway early Saturday morning.”

Two people were killed in the accident and the driver was arrested shortly afterward. While he faces significant criminal problems, the driver could also face civil liability. Evidence of his driving record would likely be relevant to such a legal claim.

If you or someone you love has been harmed in a hit-and-run crash, you need to take action by contacting Sacramento personal injury lawyers who understand how to properly use all of the evidence at their disposal to protect your legal rights. Contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Many different entities will publish lists of the most common causes of accidents on the roadways. Most would assume that issues such as speeding, poor driving conditions, the presence of alcohol and aggressive driving would be near the top of these lists. Most of them are, but one issue that’s overlooked is that of distracted drivers. When a driver is not paying attention, it leads to terrible accidents at an alarming rate. Police have investigated a recent fatal crash in Yolo County and found that two people were killed because the driver lost his focus on the road.

According to the Sacramento Bee:

“The California Highway Patrol is investigating whether a driver’s attention to a compact disc player may have led to an accident Thursday afternoon in Yolo County in which two men – a car driver and passenger – were killed.

Yolo County Chief Deputy Coroner Robert LaBrash identified the car driver as Luis Sarabia Trujillo, 23, of Woodland. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sacramento County Coroner officials identified the passenger as Omar Gaytan Sarabia, 20, also of Woodland. Gaytan Sarabia was taken to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where he died.

A news release from the CHP said that a pickup driven by David Pearl, 53, of Davis was northbound on County Road 89 in Yolo County at about 60 mph just after noon. Approaching from the southbound direction was a car with three passengers driven by Sarabia Trujillo.

The released stated that Pearl was “inattentive by looking at his CD player.” That lack of attention to driving allowed his truck to drift onto the right shoulder, the CHP said.

Realizing his truck was off the roadway, he corrected to the left, crossing over into the southbound lane, the CHP said. The truck then struck the car with the three passengers, the CHP said.”

Drivers are also responsible for their passengers, and if you or someone you love has been harmed because of an inattentive driver, you need the help of Sacramento auto accidents attorneys who have years of experience in successfully fighting for the rights of their clients. Contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Much has been made in recent years of dog attacks on people, and while there are criminal laws in place that hold owners of these dogs responsible for attacks that lead to injuries and deaths, it has not stopped the dangers from continuing to threaten unsuspecting citizens. Tragically, two attacks by pit bulls recently in the area have once again brought the issue to light.

According to the Modesto Bee:

“Colton Smith, 17 months old, was mauled to death Friday by a pit bull named Max in the back yard of his baby sitter’s Delhi house.

The dog hadn’t been neutered. The other case involved a woman mauled Oct. 1 on a street in the town.

While attacks often prompt knee-jerk reactions against specific breeds, dog advocacy groups say most fatal maulings don’t stem from any one breed. More often than not, attacks are caused by owner neglect or abuse, rather than traits tied to a certain breed, advocates say.

Nationally, more than 4 million people are bitten each year by dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Unfortunately, he added, the pit bull is popular with reckless and irresponsible owners. He cited a statistic from the NCRC: 70 percent of all dog bite incidents involved un-neutered male dogs.”

While criminal charges could result from either of these cases, the owners of these dogs could also face extreme civil liability. If you or someone you love has been injured or worse in a dog attack, you need the help of a Sacramento personal injury lawyer who has been holding those responsible for injuries accountable for many years. Contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Chair lifts at ski resorts are used all year in many places, as they not only provide easy transportation for skiers to the top of the slopes, but they can also provide scenic rides to hiking and observation areas when the snow is not present. Unfortunately, chair lifts can be dangerous, and any problem that arises with these machines can create immediate and extreme danger for anyone involved.

Tragically, one couple paid a huge price when a malfunction caused the death of one man and serious injuries to his wife. According to the Sacramento Bee:

“Dickson, 51, and his wife, Rebecca Gonzaga, 47, were riding on the Tamarack chair about 2 p.m. Monday when the chair came in contact with a zip line, a high-speed ride that takes strapped-in riders downhill on a cable.

Gonzaga did not fall from the chair lift but suffered what were described as “non-life threatening injuries” and was treated at Barton Memorial Hospital.

Exact cause of the accident is unknown, but preliminary indications are that there was a malfunction with the zip line contacting the chair lift.”

Obviously, any problem and/or malfunction with equipment that was suspending people high in the air will lead to exposure for civil liability to those who are responsible for maintaining safety and minimizing risks to those who use this equipment. While the exact, specific reason that this malfunction occurred has yet to be identified, that information is unlikely to matter if the overall responsibility for the accident has been determined.

If you or someone you love has been injured or worse due to this sort of situation, you need the help of Sacramento wrongful death attorneys who have years of experience in helping families cope with their loss by holding those responsible for these egregious errors accountable. Contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Certain times of the day tend to bring immediate thoughts to those who hear about incidents that occur at that time. One of those times is 2 a.m., which is often when large cities will have their roads filled with people driving after a night out on the town. While it’s too early to know if alcohol was a factor in an early-morning crash on Saturday, it has not yet been ruled out. Tragically, two people paid the price for a mistake.

According to the Sacramento Bee:

“A Sacramento man and woman died early Saturday in a fiery one-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 in South Natomas.

A 24-year-old man was at the wheel of a northbound 1999 Cadillac DeVille when it spun off the road and smashed into a tree while exiting the freeway at West El Camino Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. Within moments of the impact, the car and the tree were fully engulfed in flames, the report said.

The driver and his passenger, a 41-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene at 2:08 a.m., approximately 10 minutes after the crash, the Coroner’s Office said.

“A witness stated the Cadillac was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour prior to the collision,” according to the CHP report.”

Whether this leads to any sort of civil action remains to be seen, but the family of the female passenger could have a claim for wrongful death in a situation like this one, particularly if the driver had been drinking. If you or someone you love has suffered because of a driver’s bad decisions, you need the help of Sacramento auto accident lawyers who understand the technicalities of the law and how to fight for those who are wronged. Contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.

While moving through traffic as a pedestrian is dangerous, road workers fully understand that they are generally in an even more vulnerable position given their stationary nature. Tragically, this reality was underscored once again on Thursday, as a Caltrans worker was struck and killed by a commercial vehicle while he was at work.

According to an article published by the Stockton Record:

“Twenty-seven-year California Department of Transportation veteran Donald Mark Lichliter was part of a two-man crew spreading fertilizer on eucalyptus trees on southbound Highway 99, just north of the Highway 12-Kettleman Lane exit in Lodi, when a commercial glass truck struck and killed him.

Caltrans spokeswoman Zelie Nogueira said Lichliter and his partner were following correct, routine procedure when the accident occurred. Lichliter was walking on the highway’s shoulder while his partner followed behind in a Caltrans truck to shield him from danger.

California Highway Patrol officials have yet to determine how the glass truck came to travel off the highway and strike Lichliter, Officer Brian Morse said. The driver of the truck stopped immediately and was questioned by authorities before being released, Morse said.”

While the actual cause of the accident has not yet been determined, it’s quite likely that negligence was a factor. If you or someone you love has been injured as a pedestrian who was hit by a vehicle, you need the help of Sacramento auto accident attorneys who understand what it takes to hold those responsible for injuries accountable. Contact Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.