Auto Accidents

Succeeding in Your Injury Case Caused by a Multi-Vehicle Crash in Northern California

March 26, 2021 | by Stephen M. Fuerch

Very few injury cases are the legal equivalent of a “slam dunk.” There inevitably will be many obstacles of varying types that will be positioned along the way, and any of them can trip you up, which is why it is so important to have legal representation from an experienced Oakland injury attorney when it comes time to pursue your case. Some cases, though, can be particularly complicated and may reflect a particularly high need for a skilled legal advocate.

Accidents that involve multiple vehicles can often be that kind of complex case. When you are hurt because one other driver rear-ended you, getting everything you deserve will be challenging, but parts of the case, such as who is liable, may be relatively straightforward. In multi-vehicle crashes, just determining who was to blame may be problematic.

Take, for example, a fatal accident from the pre-dawn hours of March 17. After a driver lost control along northbound Highway 101 in northern Sonoma County, his sedan hit the concrete center median, flipped, and came to rest wheels-down in the middle of the northbound travel lanes but facing south, according to a Press Democrat report.

How to Go About Seeking Compensation in California After a Vehicle Accident Has Killed Your Loved One

February 14, 2021 | by Stephen M. Fuerch

When a vehicle accident takes the life of your loved one, it is devastating. You know that no amount of money can “fix” what has been done. Nevertheless, your loved one and your family have still suffered a great loss, including potentially massive economic damage. To be sure that your family has the opportunity to get everything that the law says you’re entitled to, you have to make sure you are going about it the right way procedurally, which is why it pays to rely on the skill and knowledge of an experienced Oakland wrongful death attorney.

A fatal incident that took place in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood on New Year’s Eve is a reminder of how devastating these accidents can be. Two vehicles, a Honda and a Ford, met at an intersection. The Ford had the green light, but the driver of the Honda didn’t stop. The impact sent the Honda into two female pedestrians who were crossing in the crosswalk. One woman died at the scene, while the second died later at a hospital, according to a KPIX report.

The driver of the Honda fled on foot, but the police captured him a short time later. The state charged the driver of the Honda with an array of charges, including: “two counts of voluntary manslaughter, two counts of hit and run, driving a stolen vehicle, driving under the influence of drugs, two counts of DUI causing injury, speeding, running a red light, burglary” and other weapons and drug crimes, according to KPIX.

A Tractor-Trailer’s Collision With a Disabled Car Leaves a Northern California Teen Dead

December 13, 2020 | by Stephen M. Fuerch

Whether you are an inexperienced teen or an adult with decades behind the wheel, having your vehicle break down in the middle of the road is always a stressful experience. Whether your vehicle threw a rod, broke a timing chain or suffered some other catastrophic mechanical failure, your situation is not just frustrating; it is potentially dangerous. If you’ve been hurt because someone else slammed into you and your disabled vehicle, that person may have been negligent and may owe you significant compensation. To find out more, take action promptly to contact a skilled Oakland car accident attorney about your case.

To highlight just how dangerous these situations can be, there’s this extremely sad news report from West Oakland. Sometime after midnight on Nov. 27, a 16-year-old San Pablo boy’s Toyota stalled on I-880, according to the Mercury News. The teen remained with his stranded vehicle, which was in the middle of the freeway.

Before police officers could arrive at the scene, a tractor-trailer slammed into the Toyota, killing the teen, according to the report. The police indicated that officers did not know if the boy, who was thrown from the impact, was sitting inside or standing nearby his car when the crash occurred.

A Tragic Chain Reaction Crash in Contra Costa County Kills 2 California Drivers

November 12, 2020 | by Stephen M. Fuerch

As a recent accident in Contra Costa County tragically demonstrated, chain reaction crashes are situations where minor problems can turn deadly in the blink of an eye. If you’ve been hurt – or have lost a loved one – due to one of these crashes, getting the compensation you need is of paramount importance, but proving your case can be particularly tricky. That’s why it is so important to be sure, when it comes time to litigate your chain reaction crash injury case, that you have the legal representation you need from a skilled Oakland car accident attorney.

California is home of three of the biggest chain reaction crashes ever. Two were in Southern California; one was near Fresno. In all three, weather conditions (foggy conditions and one dust storm) were key factors. However, in a lot of chain reaction crashes, including this recent one from Contra Costa County, the cause(s) for the accident relate to human judgments and errors rather than weather conditions.

The recent accident, which occurred near Hercules, was precipitated by a flat tire, CBS San Francisco reported. The driver of a Honda Accord stopped the vehicle in the furthest left travel lane of the freeway. The next driver in the left lane brought their Volkswagen to a stop behind the Accord. A second Honda Accord didn’t stop in time, though, and rear-ended the Volkswagen. The driver of a Honda Civic then rear-ended that second Honda Accord, the report indicated.