Did you know there are more pedestrian deaths in November than any other month? This weekend, Californians will change their clocks back an hour, in a switch from Daylight Savings Time to standard time. A CNN report released last year revealed a heightened number of pedestrian deaths on roadways and intersections during the evening rush hours of November, when compared to October. The report suggested a 168% per-mile risk of pedestrian death after the switch to standard time. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has also suggested that keeping Daylight Savings Time hours year around would save about 200 lives per year.  There are more automobile accident and pedestrian deaths in the fall than in the spring. These facts serve as an important reminder for both motor vehicle drivers and pedestrians to be extra cautious while adjusting to the change.

Estey & Bomberger, LLP is a San Diego personal injury law firm with offices throughout the state of California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of auto accidents and San Diego pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at www.personal-injury-attorney-in-san-diego.com. If you desire a case evaluation with an attorney on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 672-1036 or in San Diego at (619)543-1391.

A 20 page report released this week by the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the United States Department of Justice revealed plaintiffs won more than half of all civil trials in state courts in the year 2005.  The report was the first of its kind to represent national statistics for civil trials.

Out of the approximately 26,950 civil trials held in 2005, a jury decided nearly 70% of them.  For both jury and bench trials, plaintiffs won about 60% of trials, or 14,000 cases.   

60% of civil trials involved tort claims, including motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, animal attacks, and professional negligence. The most common tort claim involved motor vehicle accidents, which accounted for 35% of civil trials in 2005, or 9,431 trials.

While the median compensatory awards for all trials in 2005 was $28,000, certain tort cases saw much higher awards.  Asbestos related claims, for example, had a median award of $682,000. The largest award was $172 million, a class action lawsuit brought by 116,000 Wal-Mart employees.

Estey & Bomberger, LLP is a law firm with offices throughout the state of California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car accidents and wrongful death accidents. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 672-1036 or visit our web site.

A motorcyclist was seriously injured in an accident in North Park on October 23^rd. The 47-year-old man was traveling through an alley when he lost control of his motorcycle. The vehicle then veered into traffic on Madison Avenue, where he was struck by another vehicle near 30^th Street. The car then ran him over, resulting in severe head and chest injuries and several broken bones. The victim was not wearing a helmet.

OCTOBER 28, 2008 — The California Highway Patrol has reported an off-duty Border Patrol agent suffered life-threatening injuries in San Diego Monday night. The agent, whose identity has not been released, was riding a motorcycle on his way to work when he was struck by a 1998 Geo Metro going the wrong way (west) on eastbound SR-905.  The Geo Metro was driven by Gregory Cabral, 46, of Winchester. The accident was reported shortly after 11:30 p.m. The condition of the agent involved in the motorcycle accident has not been released.  Cabral was caught by officers on I-5 and was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence, assault with a deadly weapon, and attempted murder.

OCTOBER 27, 2008 - The Encinitas sheriff’s department has reported a woman was struck and killed Monday afternoon by a northbound Amtrak train near the D Street station in Encinitas. The train engineer applied the emergency brakes and sounded off the train’s horn, but was unable to stop the train before hitting the woman, whose identity has not been released..  Amtrak train service does not stop at the Encinitas train station, so the train was speeding through at 77 m.p.h., within the allowed speeds.  The sheriff’s department said the 58-year-old woman jumped from the station platform and spread out her arms in front of the oncoming train.  Rail service was halted for several hours while the medical examiner’s office and sheriff’s deputies investigated the Encinitas train accident.

OCTOBER 27, 2008 - San Diego police are searching for a driver who badly injured a pedestrian in Point Loma Sunday night.  The accident occurred on Rosecrans Street near Fenelon street, at about 10 p.m. A car described by witnesses as a dark colored compact struck the victim, who was trying to cross the street. The victim, 45 years old, suffered multiple leg fractures and lacerations.  The victim of the Point Loma hit and run accident has not been identified.

OCTOBER 26, 2008 – A motorcycle accident in Oceanside last night on the westbound side of state route 76 left two motorcyclists badly injured, authorities reported. The accident happened at about 7:35 p.m. Saturday evening. A group of motorcyclists riding together were stopped at a red light at Guajome Lake Road.  When the light turned to green, two motorcyclists sped away from the group.  One motorcyclist did a “wheelie” and hit another motorcyclist, causing him to be thrown from his bike.  One rider severed his leg below the knee, and was transferred by helicopter to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.  Another rider was taken by ambulance to Tri-City hospital. The California Highway Patrol shut down SR-76 temporarily while they investigated the Oceanside motorcycle accident.

OCTOBER 25, 2008 — Three people were injured Saturday night in an auto accident in City Heights, the San Diego police have reported.  The accident happened at the intersection of Cleveland Avenue and Washington Street at about 7:30 p.m.  A woman driving a 2001 Honda Civic south on Cleveland Avenue collided with a 2006 Honda Accord when she apparently ran a red light.  A passenger in the Honda Civic fractured her pelvis and suffered internal injuries.  The driver of the Civic and the driver of the Accord both suffered minor injuries.  All three were taken to the hospital for treatment.

OCTOBER 24, 2008 — The California Highway Patrol has reported a head-on fatality auto accident on SR-67 near Archie Moore Road. The San Diego fatality accident happened at about 8:45 a.m.  A woman was driving south on SR-67 and did not see that traffic in front of her had stopped. She swerved into oncoming traffic and collided with another vehicle, killing a man and woman. Responding medical personnel took the driver to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido to be treated for her injuries. Highway 67 was closed for several hours while the CHP investigated the accident.

OCTOBER 24, 2008 — San Diego county sheriff’s officials have reported a seventh months pregnant woman was killed last night when she was hit by a speeding 1968 Chevrolet Camaro.  The woman, who’s name has not yet been released, was 19 years old.  The Vista pedestrian accident happened at about 10:20 p.m. outside of her home on North Santa Fe Avenue near Bobier Drive, in Vista.

The driver of the car was Mark Allen Davidson, 21. Police reported he was driving at speeds exceeding 80 mp when he lost control of the car, hitting the woman and slamming into a fence.  The victim  of the Vista fatality accident was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.   Davidson and his four other passengers, a man, a woman, and two girls, all suffered injuries and were taken to the hospital.  After treatment, Davidson was booked into the Vista jail on several charges.

Estey & Bomberger, LLP is a San Diego personal injury law firm with offices throughout the state of California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents and wrongful death. If would like a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 672-1036.