Expert Advocacy

Tips for Southern California Pool Safety

Southern California is a great spot for lounging by the pool or throwing backyard parties, especially in the warm summer months. However, swimming pools can also cause serious injuries and even death. Young children are especially at risk from swimming pool drowning injuries.

If you’re preparing a pool for summer fun, here are a few things to consider in order to prevent injuries.

• Use a fence that goes all the way around the perimeter of your pool, hot tub, or both. The fence should have self-latching gates that small children cannot open on their own. Alarms on doors or gates leading to the pool offer an extra layer of protection.
• Anti-entrapment drain covers prevent swimmers or their clothing from getting caught in drains, which can result in drowning.
• Make sure pool and spa covers meet federal and state safety requirements, to decrease the chance that someone will get stuck underneath them.
• Make sure everyone in the family knows how to swim. If you have family members who can’t swim, keep them out of the pool unless they are wearing personal floatation devices (PFDs) appropriate for their height, weight, and body size.
• Have at least one family member take classes in emergency first aid and CPR. These skills help protect everyone in the family and can literally save a life.

Swimming pool-related injuries can be severe. If you or someone you care for has been injured in a swimming pool, the knowledgeable San Diego swimming pool injury lawyers can help. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation.…

Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Newport Yacht Race Participant

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for the last of four boaters who were lost when the yacht they were racing collided with another object on the ocean, possibly a large ship. The other three boaters all lost their lives in the accident.

The suspected crash involved a yacht known as the Aegean. The yacht and her four crew members were competing in the Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race. The accident was discovered by two race employees riding in a safety boat, who first realized something was wrong when they came across shards of the yacht floating in the water, none more than six inches long. Once they came across a lifeboat with an identification number and the yacht’s nameplate, they were able to identify the lost vessel.

Two of the lost yachters were recovered by the team in the safety boat that discovered the accident and another was found by the U.S. Coast Guard. The fourth member of the yacht’s crew is still missing.

Investigators speculate that the yacht was hit by a larger vessel, such as a freighter. Other race participants had reported hearing a larger ship in the area near the time when the accident likely occurred.

Boating is a popular summer activity on southern California’s sunny ocean waters, but when something goes wrong, a fun trip or a challenging race can turn quickly into a tragedy. If you or someone you love has been injured in a boating accident, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced San Diego boat accident attorneys. Your initial telephone consultation is free and confidential.…

Fatal Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Happens in Parking Lot

The Los Angeles Police reported that a man lost his life when he was hit by a woman driver who accidentally accelerated in a 7-Eleven parking lot. The pedestrian accident at Reseda and Burbank Boulevards around 9 p.m. on Monday, May 3, 2010, when the man was walking into the store to do some shopping.

Valley Traffic Division investigators remained at the car crash scene on Tuesday morning, more than five hours after the fatality to determine the cause of the traffic accident. The woman was found not to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If that is the case, then the accident is most likely due to the pedestrian suddenly entering the path of the car, the driver being inattentive, or both.

We wish the family of the accident victim our prayers and condolences. There is nothing worse than losing a loved one. Drivers should always be careful when driving to look out for pedestrians, skateboarders, or other possible sudden impediments to their car’s path. Drivers should never assume that sudden danger will not prevent themselves.…

Bad Owners Lead to Ban, Euthanization of Pit Bulls

Carlsbad Pedestrian Seriously Injured After Being Hit by Car

A Carlsbad pedestrian accident occurred Sunday, May 3, at the intersection of El Camino Real and Kelly Drive in Carlsbad when a pedestrian was struck by car just before 8:30 p.m. Carlsbad police Sgt. Paul Mendes reported that the Carlsbad pedestrian was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital with numerous critical injuries.…

Pedestrian Struck And Killed After Being Hit by Car in Sacramento

An unidentified 29-year-old man fatal threatening injuries in a solo vehicle-pedestrian accident that occurred on May 4, 2011, at 9 p.m. on Watt Avenue in Sacramento. The California Highway Patrol Officers report the pedestrian stepped out into the traffic lane and was struck by a black Volkswagen Jetta driven by a 51-year-old Sacramento woman.

California Highway Patrol Spokeswoman Lizz Dutton said that the female driver stopped at the accident scene until the rescue crew arrived. Paramedics responding to the pedestrian accident immediately pronounced the victim dead.

From the limited amount of information, it is unclear what lead to this fatal car accident that took the pedestrian’s life. Based upon a reading of California Vehicle Code Section 21950, it is quite possible that both the driver and pedestrian may be responsible for this deadly pedestrian accident. Further, because the pedestrian may not be 100% at fault and the driver may not be 100% fault-free under their responsibilities set forth by California law, the family of the pedestrian may still be able to recover damages for the loss of their loved one in this accident.

The pedestrian’s family members should immediately consult with an experienced Sacramento pedestrian accident lawyer to obtain compensation to pay funeral and burial costs, loss of anticipated earnings, loss of love and companionship, and other accident-related damages.

Our personal injury law office offers our sincere condolences to all those who knew and loved the victim for such a tragic loss.…

Former Chargers Linebacker Junior Seau Dead in Apparent Suicide

San Diego NFL legend Junior Seau died early Wednesday, May 2, 2012, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

According to law enforcement, Seau’s girlfriend discovered his bleeding, unconscious body at their Oceanside home. A 911 call was placed around 10am in the morning. Life-saving efforts were attempted but unsuccessful. The former San Diego Charger was pronounced dead at the scene.

Despite widespread rumors, a law enforcement official told reporters that there was no suicide note left at the scene.

However, it is believed that Seau’s suicide was caused by depression and mental impairment brought on by head trauma he endured during his football career. Head trauma is an unfortunately continuous tragedy among football players, who constantly endure multiple and repeated hits to the head.

Born and raised in San Diego, Junior Seau came to be a local celebrity. The 12-time Pro Bowl player started his football career at Oceanside High School and went on to play for the University of Southern California (USC) before being drafted into the NFL as a San Diego Charger.

The 43-year-old athlete is survived by 4 children and an ex-wife.

We are saddened by this loss and sends our condolences to Seau’s family, friends, and loyal fans. This is a huge loss to the San Diego community. He is and will forever be San Diego’s most renowned Charger.…

Driver in Fatal Central California Tour Bus Crash had History of Prior Accidents

You have likely heard about the recent deadly tour bus carrying tourists, mostly from France, from the San Francisco area down to Los Angeles, where they were due to depart back to France. The Orion Pacific tour bus had overturned on a highway overpass in Central California where four passengers were ejected from the bus as it lay in a wreck around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. There were five confirmed deaths from the bus accident.

A new detail reveals that the American driver, John Egnew, 69, of Corona in Riverside County, had been involved in another accident about three years ago. The Associated Press found evidence that in 2005, Egnew struck a 71-year-old woman in Las Vegas as she was crossing the street with her husband, leaving the woman with serious injuries. Egnew claimed that he didn’t see the pedestrian on the road.…

Teen Suffers Head Injury After Del Mar Bicycle Crash

Sgt. Jack Reynolds of the Encinitas Sheriff’s Station reported that a 14-year-old child was flown to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego as a precaution after crashing his bicycle into a car in Del Mar. The accident happened this last Saturday morning when the bicyclist T-boned his head and hit his head on the ground. He was not wearing a helmet and as a consequence suffered a laceration to the back of the head. You can read more about this Del Mar bicycle accident in this North County Times story.

The bicyclist was unconscious after the crash but was speaking and moving his hands and feet as he was being prepared for the flight to the hospital by paramedics. No information was reported from the hospital but according to the Encinitas Sheriff’s station, the incident was listed as a minor injury accident. The driver of the car was not found to be at fault.…

Pit Bulls Maul Baby, San Diego Mother Prosecuted for Neglect

Carrie McKinney, a 22-year old San Diego mother lost custody of her 7-month old baby boy and possibly will face criminal charges for neglect. Carrie left her baby boy strapped in a carrier on the floor at her friend’s place in Riverside County with two dogs. The dogs, a 5-year old pit bull and an 8-month old pit bull mix both females, bit the boy in the groin area and ripped apart the baby’s testicles. The baby has been admitted at Loma Linda University Medical Center for medical and surgical care and is with Child Protective Services. The owner of the pit bulls has agreed to euthanize the dogs.

Our office wishes the baby a quick recovery and a healthy life ahead. It is never advisable to leave babies unattended and the risk increases dramatically when there are dogs, especially dangerous dogs like pit bulls, or other animals around. Parents must be very careful when leaving their babies unattended, which can lead to serious and fatal injuries to their loved ones.…