Expert Advocacy

San Diego Trolley Accident Lawyers

People often wonder what they should do if they are ever involved in an accident with a trolley or while riding on the trolley as a passenger. The San Diego trolley system, despite being a beneficial service to this city, is involved in numerous accidents each year. People can be injured while riding on the trolley, or they can collide with the trolley while driving or walking or riding a bicycle.

The lawyers at the San Diego personal injury law firm, represent people who are involved in trolley accidents. We are experienced trolley accident attorneys and we can help guide you through the process. It is important that you know your rights if you are ever in this situation.

The San Diego Trolley Can Injure or Kill It’s Passengers, Pedestrians and Bicyclists Walking Nearby, and Car Drivers Who Cross on the Trolley Tracks. Our San Diego Trolley Accident Attorneys are Here to Help.

San Diego has a great public transportation system. The most popular of which is the “red-line” trolley system operated by the Metro Transit System (MTS) that runs throughout San Diego County. San Diego’s trolley system can take you pretty much anywhere you need to go throughout the City. Nearly 120,000 people ride it every day and it is the 6th oldest trolley system in America.

Unfortunately, the San Diego trolley system has been the site of serious and fatal injuries throughout recent years. These injuries can occur both inside and outside the trolley car. People have been injured while riding the trolley when the operator makes a sudden stop or if the train gets detailed.

Outside the trolley car, many people have been struck and killed by a moving trolley car. At times, these collisions are not the fault of the pedestrian or bicyclist. Sometimes an operator will fail to honk their horn and warn the pedestrian of the train’s presence. Other times, the trolley car’s lights won’t work, and the pedestrian does not see the trolley car until it is too late.

Primary Causes of Trolley Accidents:

• Sudden stops made by the trolley operator.
• Pedestrians and bicyclists that step onto the trolley tracks.
• Worn and improperly maintained trolley tracks.
• Negligent operation of the trolley.
• Defective trolley car.

How Can We Help?

The San Diego personal injury lawyers are experienced trolley car accident attorneys. We have represented people that have been injured while riding on the trolley, and also people who were struck by a trolley. We have been able to attain favorable settlements for our client’s claims because we have been handling trolley accidents for years. If you or someone you know has ever been in an accident involving the San Diego trolley, please contact our law office for a free consultation.…

San Diego Train Accident Attorneys

Trains are a great way to transport goods and people in a quick and efficient way. Regardless of the type, trains have the capacity to cause catastrophic accidents. In the past, many people have been seriously injured or even died from train accidents.

We are skilled train accident attorneys. We have taken on train accident cases in the past and they have yielded successful results.

Commuter and Freight Train Accidents in San Diego are Usually Very Serious and Even Deadly. Our San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help.

Because of a train’s large size, it can be disastrous if you are involved in a train collision. Selecting an attorney is hard enough, but you must make sure you hire a competent train accident attorney if you or someone you know is injured or killed in a serious train accident in San Diego or California.

Freight Train Accidents:

Freight trains are what you generally think of then you think of a “train.” They carry all types of good and supplies to different cities. These trains are very long and have numerous boxcars. They can be very dangerous if they collide with a person or car, and the collision can often be fatal to anybody the train comes into contact with or for the operators and workers on the train.

Commuter Train Accidents:

Trains are also used to transport people from one place to another via commuter train. San Diego has a train system, most notably the North County Transportation District’s (NCTD) Coaster that runs from Oceanside to San Diego, that people can ride to different destinations. It is another form of public transportation that San Diego provides. Many people use this train to travel to and from Downtown San Diego or use the Amtrak train system to travel to Los Angeles and Orange County. Although it is a great service, many passengers, cars, and pedestrians have been involved in a collision with the train in the past.

What Can a Train Accident Attorney Do to Help?

• File a claim on your behalf.
• Help you find a good doctor and set up medical leins.
• Negotiate with the train company for an acceptable settlement.
• Take the case to trial if necessary.

We are experienced train accident attorneys. Our San Diego personal injury law firm knows the ins and outs when it comes to handling your train accident claim. Our former clients can attest to the fact that we know how to handle train accidents. If you or someone you know is involved in an accident involving a train, please contact our office for a free consultation.…

Vista Drunk Driving Suspect Arrested After Car Accident and Abandoning Injured Passenger

On Thursday, March 12, at about 5 p.m., a 19-year-old teenage drunk driver was heading southbound on North Indiana Avenue in the North San Diego County city of Vista. The teen failed to stop before the turn, which caused the car to hit the curb and blow a tire out. The car then accelerated and crashed into the Vista Clock Tower. According to the story, right after the car crash, the driver took off leaving his 16-year-old injured passenger behind.

San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Laura Hurtado said that the passenger, riding in the front seat, suffered a cut lip and burns from the deployed airbag.

The drunk driver was arrested a short distance away and was taken to the hospital where he was treated for injuries on his forehead. The teen driver has been booked on charges of driving under the influence, felony hit-and-run, and child endangerment.…

San Diego Union Tribune Takes on Progressive’s Property Damage Division

In an article printed in today’s newspaper, the San Diego Union Tribune takes on Progressive Insurance’s property damage program.

According to the article, critics argue that Progressive’s program violates California’s anti-steering laws by allowing its adjusters to write their own property damage estimates and direct their insureds to pre-approved body shops for the work. In addition–and wait until you hear about this–critics claim that Progressive’s program seeks to reduce repair costs by cutting corners! Shocker!

Sarcasm aside, this seems to be the usual modus operandi for insurance companies. Why replace when cosmetic patching will do? Why use new parts when refurbished products can be found? And don’t get me started on the repeated failure of insurance adjusters to ignore alignment and other structural issues in favor of concentrating on cosmetic damages. Too many of our office’s auto accident clients have complained that their car just doesn’t drive the same afterwards for it to be a coincidence.

The public shouldn’t be so gullible to believe the commercials–the insurance companies are not out there to act in your best interests. They make money by collecting premiums and paying out less than the premiums they collect. If they have to actually use quality labor and parts, it just makes it that much harder.…

Improving Car Safety Technology to Reduce Auto, Pedestrian, & Cyclist Accidents

On March 5, 2013, Volvo Car Group officially announced the world-first cyclist detection technology. A radar sensor is placed in the car’s front grille and a camera is installed in the central control panel and interior rear-view mirror facing the street ahead. The technology can distinguish between pedestrians and now cyclists, which is called Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection with full auto brake.

If a cyclist or pedestrian were to get too close in front of the vehicle, a red flashing warning light would go off inside the vehicle and would automatically activate full braking power. This saves the driver from potentially hitting and injuring a pedestrian or cyclist in the event of a delayed or lack of reaction to instant danger.
Although Volvo’s new technology can reduce injury and damage, the technology is limited since the sensors protect the front of the car and not the back.

For Mercedes-Benz, it all started when engineer Karl-Heinz Baumann took a look at his daughter’s biology book and saw a picture of a cat twisting and stretching to get in the best position possible before landing on the ground. That picture sparked the idea in Baumann’s mind of creating that same concept for car safety. The concept to create technology that allows a vehicle and its occupants to be in the best position possible in anticipation of an accident. This idea turned into Mercedes-Benz PRE-SAFE® technology.

PRE-SAFE® technology was first introduced in 2002. The technology uses many sensors built in the vehicle that can recognize conditions prior to an accident and adjusts seats, head restraints, seat belts, and more. Throughout the years, the anticipatory occupant protection system has evolved and will introduce the following features later this year:

• PRE-SAFE PLUS focuses on rear-end collision preparation.
• PRE-SAFE IMPULSE will trigger the seatbelts to pull front occupants away from the collision area of the vehicle earlier.
• PRE-SAFE BRAKE will stop a vehicle completely if a pedestrian or object is detected on the road ahead.

It is exciting to see these auto manufacturers safety technology evolve to protect not only the drivers that purchase the vehicle but other unprotected road users as well. We applaud the hard work that has been done and will continue to do to help reduce injury accidents.

If you were a victim of a bicycle or pedestrian accident, get legal help from the experienced San Diego personal injury attorneys.…

Carlsbad Pedestrian Accident Kills Teenager

An 18-year old pedestrian lost his life in a Carlsbad pedestrian accident on March 5, 2010. The incident took place along Palomar Airport Road between El Camino Real and Camino Vida Roble, near where Carlsbad, Vista, and San Marcos intersect in North San Diego County, around 9:45 p.m.

A witness to the accident called in the paramedics immediately following the auto vs. pedestrian accident. According to reports, the man was struck by two cars as he was crossing Palomar Airport Road. The first vehicle did not stop and the driver of a second vehicle was stopped by the Carlsbad Police after it struck the man in the road. The second driver did not realize he had struck the man in the road. The Carlsbad Police is continuing investigation after inspecting the crime scene.

Our office forwards our condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. We also wish that the police will track down and arrest the driver of the first vehicle—the one that struck and killed this pedestrian. There is nothing more infuriating than a careless and negligent driver who causes significant injury or death who does not stop to assist the person they just hurt. We understand that it is scary when you realize that you have injured someone with your car, but there is no excuse to ever leave the scene of an accident. Your presence is necessary to contact emergency service personnel and to perhaps provide basic life-saving techniques until the ambulance can arrive. When you leave the scene of an accident, you take away that hope.…

New Study Links Parkinson’s Disease Drug to Faster Brain Injury Recovery

Traumatic brain injuries claim the lives of thousands every year and leave thousands more with long-term debilitating injuries. As such, the hunt for better treatment for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) is an ongoing process for doctors, scientists, and researchers around the world looking to increase the rate of recovery and chances for survival. The latest breakthrough comes courtesy of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that the drug amantadine, commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease, helped TBI victims in a vegetative state recover more quickly and regain the ability to understand others and communicate than those who did not take the drug.

During the course of the six-year study, 184 patients were submitted to tests and observation, with 97 receiving a placebo and 87 receiving regular doses of amantadine. According to the study, fewer people who received the medication remained in a vegetative state after four weeks than those who did not. After four weeks, these patients were more likely to be able to follow simple commands, sustain attention, and recognize and use common objects.

Currently, the full effects of amantadine on the patients are not completely understood, but the drug helps to increase dopamine in a patient’s brain, increasing his or her attention, drive, and wakefulness.

The use of the drug is seen as promising by researchers as it helps to aid in the recovery stage of patients with TBIs who enter a vegetative state. Often, these types of patients switch from trauma centers to nursing facilities with no time specifically dedicated to rehabilitation, according to the lead author of the study.

Victims who suffer a TBI are often subjected to lengthy recovery times and injuries that may never fully heal. As such, it is important to find compensation from those responsible for these injuries to aid in the treatment and care necessary for a TBI. If you or a loved one has suffered such an injury, call the San Diego traumatic brain injury attorneys to find out how we can aid you in your case.…

Jens Roger Noet Identified as Man Killed in Ramona Pedestrian Accident

Yesterday we posted a story about an unidentified pedestrian killed in Ramona car crash. That pedestrian turned out to be Jens Roger Noet, a 34-year-old man, or, according to 10 news, a “transient.” Noet was headed down Main Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets in Ramona on Wednesday when he was fatally struck by a semi-truck.

This information was brought to our attention through 10 news and our hats off to them for providing the story, which helps remind San Diego residents about being cautious when walking next to a street and also when driving. However, it is very unnerving to see that they have the audacity to tag him, not once. but twice as a “transient.” Jens Roger Noet was just killed by a truck driver and instead of writing a tactful article about the events they instead belittle him.

As stated yesterday, if our Law Group was asked to represent the pedestrian’s family, our lawyers would work diligently to discover the facts about the accident and give Noet, a member of our community, the respect he deserves.…

Workers’ Compensation Coverage is Still Effective for San Diego Workplace Accidents Even When Worker is at Fault

Most of the time, when San Diego workers are injured on the job, worker’s compensation should cover the costs of the injury. It usually does not matter whether the worker is at fault for the injury or if the injury is caused by an unsafe condition on the site. Even if a San Diego worker at work is clumsy or stops paying attention while operating on a machine, worker’s compensation will most likely cover the costs of the injury. Carelessness and even recklessness are not enough to prevent compensation for a San Diego injured employee.

Worker’s compensation may be denied to San Diego workers when they self-inflict injuries while committing a crime, or if they hurt themselves while violating a company policy such as drinking on the job. However, if none of these situations are true and a San Diegan is hurt on the job, they are entitled to rights and financial pay-offs for the costs.

In addition, if a San Diego laborer is injured while on the job due to the negligence or carelessness of an employee or agent of another company (one other than his employer), then he may have a civil workplace accident claim against the other company for its’ employee’s negligence.…

Fatal Motorcycle Accidents by Marines Reduced by Nearly Half in 2009

The Marine Corps announced that it significantly reduced the number of fatal motorcycle accidents involving Marines in 2009. In 2008, the Marines reported a record high of 25 deadly motorcycle crashes. They year before, the Marine Corps 19 Marines were killed in motorcycle wrecks. However, in 2009, the total number of Marines who lost their life was reduced to only 14–a reduction of more than 40%.

San Diego has three Marine bases–Camp Pandleton, Miramar Air Station, and the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. Camp Pendleton and MCAS Miramar accounted for 4 deaths each during 2009. In 2008, 9 Camp Pendleton Marines and 2 MCAS Miramar Marines were killed due to motorcycle accidents. No data was released for MCRD San Diego.

In the wake of the rising Marine casualties from motorcycle crashes, the USMC hired contractor Cape Fox Professional Services to provide suitable training programs to Marines in motorcycle riding and safety. In the past five years, the number of Marine motorcycle fatalities has constantly increased from 13 in 2005, to 16 in 2006, 19 in 2007, 25 in 2008, before significantly reducing to 14 in 2009. Citing the significant drop as a success of Cape Fox Professional Services, Washington has renewed their contract for the 2010 fiscal year. The Marine Corps will soon also launch an interactive website, SemperRide.com, where professionals featured in $500,000 safety movie, Semper Ride, can be contacted by Marine motorcyclists.

Our office celebrates and appreciates the effort of our local San Diego Marine community to be safe motorcyclists and hope that the new safety program will continue to reduce the number of motorcycle accident fatalities. However, two issues are still concerning. First, 14 Marines were killed due to motorcycle accidents–which is still far too many to have lost their lives. Second, 8 out of the 14 fatal motorcycle wrecks involved San Diego based Marines–that is nearly 60% of all Marine motorcycle deaths occurring in San Diego! Our office supports the Marines and their mission and recognizes the risk and sacrifice they make when they put themselves in harms’ way defending our country. It is therefore tragic when Marines unnecessarily lose their lives in motorcycle accidents that can be avoided.…