Recent Blog Posts in June 2010

According to the Placer County District Attorney's Office, a man from the Antelope Valley who pled guilty to hitting and killing a pedestrian with his vehicle will be sentenced in August.

The District Attorney's office says that the man, Jeremy Sarguis, is expected to receive sentencing on August 10.  In May, Sarguis pled guilty to one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death as well as two counts of conspiracy.

During the morning hours of February 4^th, Sarguis hit a 47 year old woman by the name of Vickie Janell Scott on Interstate 80.  Instead of stopping, he fled the scene of the car accident and conspired with his two passengers to repair and clean his car.

Now, Sarguis faces five years in state prison for his offense.

If you were injured due to the negligent actions of a driver in Antelope Valley, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus to discuss your case and injuries with an Antelope Valley personal injury attorney.

On Thursday morning, it is reported that a man from Granada Hills had to be rushed to a local hospital due to a serious arm injury.  According to reports, the man had been driving a box truck on Highway 118 in Simi Valley when his vehicle overturned, resulting in an injury.

Police say that the man, 55 year old Hector Garay, was entering the eastbound ramp on Sycamore Avenue when he veered to the right and hit a curb.  His truck then overturned, causing him to suffer injuries.

Garay told police that at the time of his truck accident, he was wearing his seatbelt.  However, he said that during the crash, his seatbelt became undone, causing him to fall to the right side of the vehicle.  His arm was then pinned under the truck and he had to be transported to the hospital for medical treatment.

The CHP says that the accident will remain under investigation.

If you have been harmed during a truck accident in Simi Valley, now is the right time to discuss your case with a Simi Valley personal injury lawyer.  Contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus today!

In Los Angeles, it is reported that a motorcycle officer with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) died this week.  The officer, Phillip Ortiz, died on Tuesday at 5:50 PM at Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, California.

Two weeks ago, Officer Ortiz was critically injured during a motorcycle accident.  The incident occurred on June 9^th when Ortiz pulled over a SUV on the right shoulder of a highway near Interstate 10.  While performing the stop, Ortiz was hit from behind by a car that was trying to pass slower moving traffic. 

When the car struck Ortiz, it pushed him and his motorcycle directly into the SUV, which had stopped.  The officer was pinned between vehicles when rescuers arrived at the scene and extricated him.

Officer Ortiz remained in a coma until his recent death.

Were you involved in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident that left you with pain and suffering?  If so, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus and set up a time to speak with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney.

Recently, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of 50,000 cribs.  The Commission recalled stationary-side cribs that were manufactured by Child Craft because the cribs presented a potential hazard for entrapment and child injury.

In the past three years, the Commission has recalled over 7 million cribs in the United States.  It is working tirelessly to improve product safety and has new rules for cribs in the works.

The recent recall was announced after the Commission received four injury reports from people who said their children became entrapped between the dowel and the crib's stationary front side.  In two of the reports children's heads became trapped, which could have easily led to strangulation.

The crib is currently sold under the name of Crib N Double Bed and has been made available to the public by Babies 'R' Us from 1998 to 2009.  The crib retails between $600 and $650.  When assembled upside down, a five inch gap is created and leaves room for potential child entrapment. 

If your child sustained injuries due to third party negligence in Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus and have your case reviewed by a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.

In California, a recent tour bus accident led to 10 people suffering injuries.  Police say that the accident involved a bus and a car and led to 3 people suffering injuries that are considered critical.

On Thursday at 10:00 AM, the accident occurred on a boulevard in suburban Rosemead, which is located east of Los Angeles.  According to County fire Inspector Matt Levesque, there was a rear-end collision that led to one of the vehicles being pushed into oncoming traffic.  The vehicle then collided head-on with the tour bus, which was transporting passengers to a nearby casino.

At first, investigators thought that 22 people had sustained injuries, but that number was later reduced to 10.  The bus driver and a person inside the car that crashed into the bus were reported as being in critical condition.  Another person suffered critical injuries as well and 7 people had to be taken to the hospital to receive treatment for minor injuries.

If you have been involved in a serious bus accident in Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus and set up a consultation with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney today.

In Pasadena, a man that was involved in a motorcycle accident last April alleged that an unsafe traffic signal was to blame.  The man then, Jacob Soutsos, filed a claim against the city.

On Tuesday night, the City Council denied Soutsos' claim.  The city said that all traffic lights were operating properly and that it is the responsibility of drivers to make sure intersections are clear before entering.  He was seeking $25,000 from the city for his motorcycle crash. 

According to Soutsos, he drove into an intersection on a green light and then collided with a motor vehicle that had been turning left on a red signal.  The accident took place at Tustin Road and El Camino Road on April 15^th.

In his personal injury claim against the city, Soutsos stated that he suffered injuries to his head, back, shoulder, hand and knee.  He also said that his motorcycle, a 2009 Yamaha, had been destroyed during the accident.

If you were injured during a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus and ask to speak with a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer from our dedicated legal team.

Summer time is here and for many parents, it is time to take the kids to local beaches, public pools or backyard pools to swim. While swimming is always a lot of fun, it is important that parents remain cautious as countless swimming pool accidents and drowning accidents occur annually.  Below, we have provided several pool safety tips that will help parents keep their children safe in the water:

Stay with kids at all times and be sure to watch them.  Swimming pool accident can occur within minutes, so it is important to keep an eye on children.

Use life jackets in place of inflatable inner tubes or arm bands.  Remember, inflatable safety devices can deflate and are not as safe as life jackets.

Keep small children within an arm's length.  Toddlers and young children have weak arms and may not be able to stay afloat in a pool. 

Learn CPR.  It is always a great idea to know emergency response techniques that could safe children's lives, especially if you own a pool.

Are you or your child a swimming pool accident victim?  If so, a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer from the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus can help you.  Contact our legal team today!

This past Saturday, it was reported that a man died during a car accident.  The man had been driving a SUV on Interstate Highway 80 when he was hit by a Dodge Caravan and flipped over.

Authorities say that the accident occurred around 2:00 AM on Buchanan Avenue, which is near the Golden Gate Fields horse track.  According to Officer Sam Morgan with the California Highway Patrol, the SUV flipped and then came to rest on its hills.  He said the man driving the Caravan had been traveling in the same direction as the SUV at 65 MPH.

Sadly, due to the impact of the accident, the driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene.  The driver of the other vehicle did not sustain any injuries.  At this time, police are not sure if alcohol played a role in the collision and they plan to continue investigations.

If you were harmed during a car accident in the city of Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus to set up a consultation with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney!

In Texas, a man from the city of Galveston announced that he is suing his employers for a slip and fall accident that occurred onboard a vessel.  The man, Joseph Cheeke, alleges that he fell while on his employer's boat. 

In his lawsuit, Cheek lists AET Lightering Services LLC, AET Inc. Ltd. And AET Offshore Services Inc. as defendants.  He claims that in November 25, 2009, his slip and fall accident caused him to suffer injuries to his back, shoulders, neck and other parts of his body. 

Cheeke filed his personal injury claim with Galveston Court No. 3 on June 7, 2010.  In his claim, he blames the defendants for failing to maintain the boat and violating maritime laws.  He is hoping to obtain monetary compensation for his pain, impairment and trauma.

Have you suffered painful injuries as a result of a slip and fall accident in Los Angeles?  If so, know that a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer from the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus can help you.  Contact us today!

In El Camino, it is reported that nine students were injured during a school bus accident.  Police say that the bus collided with a car on a North County street, which led to the large vehicle flipping over.

According to authorities, the bus was heading northbound on North El Camino Real in Oceanside when a sedan suddenly pulled out of a driveway.  The car was exiting a mobile home park near Douglas Drive when it collided with the school bus at approximately 11:30 AM this Thursday.

Reports indicate that emergency crews had to be dispatched to airlift one student to a nearby trauma center.  The rescue workers also took six other students and the bus driver to a local hospital.  While numerous injuries were sustained, none have been reported as life-threatening at this time.  The injuries ranged from bruises to broken collar bones.

The rest of the students were taken to school after the accident occurred.

If you were involved in a serious bus accident and you suffered injuries, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus to speak with a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.

On Thursday morning, reports came in that a motorcyclist who was traveling on the 5 Freeway was involved in an accident.  During the motorcycle accident, the biker was hit by three separate motor vehicles.  Traffic had to be stopped for three hours by law enforcement.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Al Perez, the motorcyclist was traveling north when he crashed and was thrown off of his bike.  The accident took place around 4:25 AM near Pioneer Boulevard. 

After he was thrown from his bike, he was struck by three vehicles.  He had been traveling with a group of bikers, but he sped away from them and then crashed.  CHP says that the victim died at the scene of the accident.  The victim's name has not been released at this time.

Were you involved in a serious motorcycle accident?  Do you think negligence was involved?  Contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus to learn more about your legal rights.  A Los Angeles personal injury attorney from our office will take the time to meet with you in person and will provide you with legal insight.

This week, it is reported that actor David Carradine's wife file a wrongful death claim against a French company that oversaw Carradine's last film.  In her lawsuit, Carradine's widow claims that the company failed to provide proper services to protect the actor, who was found dead in a hotel room last year.

The defendant of the lawsuit is MK2 S.A., a French company that was producing a movie called "Stretch".  Carradine's widow says that the company had promised to provide the actor with the best amenities as well as an assistant to help him with his stay in Bangkok. 

However, they left him to eat at a restaurant by himself the night before he was discovered dead.  Carradine allegedly called his assistant an hour after eating, but was told that the group was across town and that he would have to navigate the city on his own that night.  

Her lawsuit states, "Defendants were negligent in failing to follow industry standard and provide David Carradine, the performer, with sufficient assistant during the course of filming Stretch in Bangkok, Thailand".

At this time, MK2 has refused to comment on the litigation.

Have you lost a close loved one due to another person's negligence?  If so, contact the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus.  We will arrange for you to speak with a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer from our team.

In Los Angeles, a woman by the name of Lauren Rosenberg has recently filed a lawsuit against internet Giant, Google. In her lawsuit, she accuses Google of being "careless, reckless and negligent" because the search provider gave her unsafe walking directions.

Rosenberg said that she followed Google's walking directions on her Blackberry.  The directions had her cross a dual carriageway that she asserts was not safe for pedestrians.  While walking, Rosenberg was hit by a speeding car before she got half way across the road.  She said that the pedestrian accident led to her suffering many broken bones. 

Her personal injury lawyer said, "We think there's enough fault to go around - but Google had some responsibility to direct people correctly or warn them."  He also asserted that Google created a trap by providing faulty walking directions.

At this time, Rosenberg is requesting that Google pay for her medical expenses, lost wages and emotional distress.  Google has not issued a comment about the claim.

If you were injured during a pedestrian in the city of Los Angeles, you should meet with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of Gerald L. Marcus.  Contact our firm now!