A National City man was killed in a hit-and-run on May 19^th. Melvin Meadors, 39, was walking on Sweetwater Road at Olive Street around 11:00 pm. Mr. Meadors was believed to be intoxicated when he fell into the street. He was struck by a vehicle while lying in the road. He died approximately 20 minutes later of major head injuries.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger in San Diego.

An Ohio woman won $22.6 million on May 19^th in a medical malpractice lawsuit. While in labor with her first child in September of 1997, Heather Grow’s baby got stuck in her birth canal for 13 ½ hours. Ms. Grow’s doctors had been aware that she had a narrow pelvic arch, and that issue became quite serious when the doctors realized that the baby was going to be rather large - about nine pounds. Not only did the child become stuck in the birth canal, but medical workers repeatedly gave Ms. Grow medication to contract her uterus in hopes to expel the baby. This caused the uterus to contract on the child’s head every one to two minutes for hours. The baby was eventually delivered by Caesarian section. The child, Cassie Grow, now 11 years old, suffered brain damage from her head being squeezed for a long period of time. She is mildly retarded, and is a spastic quadriplegic, meaning she has limited use of her limbs. She is able to walk short distances, but only with a walker, and has difficulty using her hands. The area of Cassie’s brain that processes vision was damaged, so she is unable to properly interpret what she sees. Her injuries are permanent.

The jury felt that the physicians should have known their actions would have caused brain injuries, and after five weeks of testimony, found Dr. Lisa Yang and her doctors group, Group Health Associates, negligent. The jury ruled that $22,646,023 be paid to the Grow family by Dr. Yang and her group. $7,959,747 of that is for Cassie’s future medical bills, and $7.5 million is for her loss of ability to perform usual activities in the future. She also was awarded $3 million for pain and suffering. Group Health Associates and Good Samaritan Hospital denied that they were negligent.

If you reside in the San Diego area and have been injured, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.

A 59-year-old man died after rear-ending a school bus on May 16^th. The driver of a Honda station wagon ran a red light at Omeara Street and Skyline Drive. He veered right, and collided with the back of a school bus that was parked in front of O’Farrell Community Junior High School. The driver was inside the bus, but no children had boarded yet. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The bus driver suffered a slight neck injury.

 If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact personal injury attorneys Estey & Bomberger.

A 37-year-old woman was killed in an auto accident on May 19^th on Sweetwater Road. The woman was traveling westbound near Plaza Bonita Center Way at approximately 70 mph when she approached vehicles stopped at a red light. She steered her 2005 Nissan Altima to the right, causing her to strike the rear bumper of a Volkswagen Passat. She then collided with the concrete base of a traffic signal and was killed instantly. The 46-year-old driver of the Volkswagen was hospitalized with minor injuries after striking a guardrail. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact personal injury attorneys Estey & Bomberger.

A driver is dead and two others are injured after an accident on May 17^th in San Diego. The 22-year-old driver of an Oldsmobile was traveling west on Interstate 8 west of College Avenue at approximately 2:45 a.m. He was speeding when he lost control of the vehicle and struck the center median. The Oldsmobile was then struck by a Nissan Maxima, which was also speeding. The driver of the Oldsmobile died at the scene. The driver of the Nissan and a passenger were transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.

Fourteen people were injured in an explosion on May 19th at the construction site for the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. The 30-story building is located on Harbor Drive near the San Diego Convention Center. The blast happened around 2:00 p.m. on the fifth floor, knocking out the northern side of the fourth to seventh floors of the hotel. It was discovered that the explosion was the result of a natural gas leak inside the hotel. Of the fourteen individuals hurt, three were injured critically. The three recieved burns that covered up to 35% of thier bodies, and were placed in medically-induced comas. Nine construction workers were taken to the UCSD Medical Center burn unit, and four others were transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital. One firefighter recieved a minor hand injury.

The fifth floor of the hotel is where the utility equipment is housed, and investigators believe that leaking gas exploded from boiler flames or an electrical spark. The full investigation could take as long as six months, but the damage is already worth an estimated $5 million. The Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel is being developed by two national firms: Portman Holdings and Phelps Program Management. Phelps Program Management is part of Hensel Phelps, which has violated federal OSHA standards ten times since 1974.

 If you or someone you know has been injured, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger in San Diego.

A 7-year-old boy was injured by a hit-and-run driver on May 14^th. The child, his mother, and two other children were crossing East Alvarado Street at North Main Street at approximately 7:30 a.m. A white Chevy Astro minivan was making a left onto North Main Street from East Alvarado, and struck the 7-year-old. The 27-year-old driver dragged the child about 40 feet. She eventually stopped the vehicle and appeared to help the boy, but proceeded to leave the scene. Several witnesses recorded the van’s license plate number and delivered it to authorities. Police went to the home of the minivan’s owner, but he informed authorities that he had loaned the vehicle to a friend. He provided police with that address, where the driver was then arrested. The woman told authorities that she had fled the scene because she did not have a driver’s license, and she was frightened. She was booked in Vista County Jail. The child was flown to Rady Children’s Hospital, where he was treated for several abrasions and a bruise on the back of his head. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, call San Diego personal injury attorneys Estey & Bomberger.

Attorney R. Michael Bomberger Named to Million Dollar Advocates Forum

One of the most prestigious organizations of trial lawyers in the United States has made R. Michael Bomberger a certified member. Mr. Bomberger is a personal injury attorney with the firm of Estey & Bomberger in San Diego.

An 8-year-old El Cajon boy was killed by a suspected drunk driver on May 10^th. Jordan Swineheart and a friend were walking on the south side of Old Highway 80 near Flinn Springs around 2:00 p.m. A man driving eastbound approached the boys when he slowed to turn right into a driveway. Both boys ran in different directions to dodge the Toyota Tundra. The 58-year-old driver, Martin Bagby, tried to avoid the boys, but struck Jordan. Jordan suffered fatal injuries. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and carrying a loaded firearm and a concealed weapon.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger in San Diego.

An accident in Otay Mesa on May 10^th left a 13-year-old boy with serious injuries. The boy ran across the street after getting off a bus around 10:00 p.m. at Palm Avenue near Hawaii Avenue. A Chevy pickup truck driven by a 37-year-old man struck the boy, leaving him with a fractured leg and internal injuries. The driver was not cited; however, the accident is still being investigated.  If you are living in the San Diego area and have been injured in an truck accident, contact the personal injury attorneys Estey & Bomberger.