Car Accidents

A recent wrong-way car crash on Highway 126 just west of Ventura County raises a significant question about recovering damages from a negligent driver who was killed in the collision. The answer depends upon two California statutes and the existence of automobile...

Lawsuits based upon the alleged negligence of a government employee can be difficult to win, but a recent jury verdict in Long Beach shows that sometimes, such claims can be successful. The jury decided that Los Angeles County was liable for nearly $14 million in...

Automobile collisions usually happen in only a few seconds and without warning. Sorting out the facts of an accident in order to explain its cause and to determine who may be liable for damages may take days or weeks. A recent collision between a passenger car and a...

Helicopters are routinely used by police departments in the Los Angeles area to spot traffic violators and to aid in arrests. Helicopters can also be used for direct intervention in traffic incidents, although this can be very dangerous. A recent lawsuit filed against...

People under stress often make poor decisions. A recent car accident in the North Hills section of Los Angeles shows how decision-making under stress can compound a dangerous situation and lead to tragic consequences. A driver's decision to flee from the scene of a...

The complex freeway system in the Los Angeles area frequently leads to multi-vehicle collisions in which the determination of liability can be difficult. California uses the concept of comparative negligence to assign liability if more than one person is potentially...

Allowing a family member to drive the family car is a common occurrence in California. So is permitting a friend to borrow a car. What happens if the car is involved in an accident? And who is liable for damages if the driver of the borrowed car is responsible for the...

A recently-filed lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court may be the first of several against Toyota Motor Corporation alleging that sudden uncontrolled acceleration of a Toyota vehicle caused an accident that killed five people. A second such suit arising out of the...

Most media reports of traffic accidents end with the statement that police are still investigating the cause of the crash, and few specific details of the accident are reported. A recent collision in Van Nuys was caught on a security video camera, and police were able...

Last week, this blog described the tragic sequence of events that began with a freeway car race and ended with the deaths of three people. One of the racing drivers has been charged with three counts of murder, and, if convicted, he could be sentenced to life in...