Archive for June, 2009

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Fatal Bus Accident Caused By Driver Error

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

TheCalifornian.com released news that the California Highway Patrol has determined driver error as the cause of a bus accident that killed the driver and four French tourists on April 28, 2009.

According to the report, bus driver John Egnew failed to properly negotiate a curving section of Highway 101, causing the bus to strike one of the guardrails and flip on its side. The crash killed 5 and injured 32. California transportation officials cited in the news story said that the section of the road has not been a safety concern before. A California Highway Patrol investigator is quoted in the report suggesting that speed may have been an issue in the accident.

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Alleged Hit and Run Abettor Pleads Not Guilty

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

MercuryNews.com reports that a man accused of helping his wife flee the scene of a fatal hit and run car accident in Los Angeles has pleaded not guilty to charges of leaving the scene of an accident. The accident claimed the life of a USC student and severely injured another college student.

In California, drivers have a duty to remain at the scene of a serious car accident. Unfortunately, some drivers assume that fleeing the scene can help them avoid responsibility for their actions. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially in a car accident that injures or kills a pedestrian. The police take these issues very seriously. The official police search for the at-fault driver is often aided by an outraged public who rightly see a hit and run pedestrian accident as a threat to a civilized and just society.

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Butane Tanker Crashes on San Diego Freeway

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

According to the DailyBreeze.com, on April 29, 2009, a tanker truck carrying over 8,000 gallons of flammable butane overturned on the San Diego Freeway. The accident occurred in the southbound lanes of the freeway shortly before midnight.

Officials say that none of the butane carried by the tanker spilled, and clean-up crews have safely cleared away the wreckage. So far, the cause of the crash has not been determined. One of the major issues confronting first responders in this type of accident is the possibility that butane has escaped from the tanker confinement. Since the gas is shipped under pressure, any breach in the steel liner of the tanker could be catastrophic.

In 2008, a butane tanker truck overturned on a Wyoming highway and exploded, sending debris flying up to a half-mile away.

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Los Angeles Appeals Court Gives Legal Malpractice Case a Second Chance

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Law.com reports that a long-standing legal malpractice case against a Seattle-based law firm has been given a new lease on life by the California 2nd District Court of Appeals. The Los Angeles court came to the decision on April 22, 2009, reinstating a lawsuit against the law firm of Perkins Coie.

The legal malpractice lawsuit was originally filed in 2007 by In4Network, a Washington-based business services company. In4Network hired Perkins Coie as representation in a suit against the University of Southern California. According to the Law.com story, In4Network later sued the law firm for charging excessive fees and for legal malpractice in the USC case.

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