3 Hurt In Chemical Blast At Santa Rosa
Three people were injured, one critically, in a chemical explosion today at a Santa Rosa company, authorities said.
The blast happened at Agilent Technologies on Fountaingrove Parkway at about 10:30 a.m. and forced the evacuation of about 100 employees.
An male Agilent employee who was working on a machine suffered critical injuries in the blast, company spokesman Jeff Weber said. Another employee suffered unspecified injuries and was taken to a hospital.
A woman who is employed by another company and works at the Agilent campus suffered minor injuries from falling objects, Weber said.
A chemical buildup on the bottom floor of one of the company’s four buildings caused the explosion, Weber said. What caused the buildup is under investigation. Agilent make testing and measurement equipment.
Compensation for injured victims: The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation. While this explosion remains under investigation, family members of anyone who has suffered serious injury or wrongful death would be well-advised to contact a California personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.Chemical explosions have very complex legal issues. Although they are rare events, the results can be absolutely catastrophic, as we have seen in this most recent event. Many people suffered catastrophic burn injuries as a result of the fire caused by the chemical explosion. If you or a family member was involved in this chemical explosion, contact an experienced chemical explosion personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Gary A. Kessler is providing free telephone consultations to families of victims injured in this type of chemical explosion. To learn more about your legal rights to compensation for injuries, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and damages, call us at (877) 465-8711 or fill out our consultation request form.
Victims ID’d in crash that killed 4 in La Habra
LA HABRA – Four people died and two others were injured when a pickup truck slammed into a tree early Sunday.
The truck was found wrapped around the tree with the roof smashed down to the doors and beer cans strewn about, said Capt. Paul Schifando of La Habra Fire Station 193.
Just after 1 a.m., six people in their 20s were speeding northbound on Walnut Avenue in a black Chevrolet Colorado, Schifando said. The driver lost control and the truck went skiing on two wheels diagonally across Walnut before jumping the opposing curb and smacking into a three-story-tall tree.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene – the driver, David Huizar Jr., 22, of La Habra; Jimmy Gonzales, 22, of Buena Park; Paul Romero, 25, of Fullerton; and Delora Bravo, 22, of La Habra; said Cindy Knapp, La Habra police spokeswoman.
Two women, Destiney Mendoza, 25, of La Habra, and Rochelle Romero, 21, of La Habra, were injured in the accident, Knapp said. The women were taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange for treatment, one by helicopter and the other by ambulance. Both women are in critical condition and remain in the hospital.
Neighbors, awakened by the crash, tried to get the victims out. Thomas Snider, 20, lives across the street from where the truck hit. He was getting ready for bed when he heard a “shallow boom.”
“I didn’t even think about it, man, I just ran out. I tried to get the people out,” Snider said.
Snider tried to get the passenger doors open. The driver’s side is the side that collided with the tree.
“The door handles just popped off,” Snider said.
A passenger, a female, was conscious and crying, according to another neighbor, Maria Castillo.
Three paramedics, two fire engines, one air ambulance, two ambulances, an information officer, a battalion chief and a multi-vehicle accident rescue truck responded to the scene, Schifando said.
Firefighters found the truck wrapped around the tree with the roof smashed down to the door level. Bud Light cans were found in the car, Schifando said.
The truck was so badly mangled that crews used two Jaws of Life to cut away the roof, piece by piece. Schifando said it took 20 minutes to rescue the first victim and another 10 minutes for the second victim.
Early reports indicate that only the driver was wearing a seatbelt, with three people sitting in the front bench seat and three people in the back, Schifando said. No one was ejected from the vehicle.
A tow truck was used to dislodge the truck from the tree. Now all that remains is a bark-stripped tree and a diagonal line of a black skidmark tracing the truck’s deadly path on Walnut, past the stop sign intersection at Las Lomas Drive and Walnut where the road dips.
Early information shows the truck was speeding before the accident, but the rate of speed has not yet been calculated, said La Habra Police Sgt. Jeff Baylos. Toxicology reports will determine if alcohol was a factor.
3 BullMastiffs attack residents in Hyde Park
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — At least two people were attacked by three dogs in the Hyde Park area early Friday. Authorities shot and killed one of the dogs and captured the other two.
Police received a call of a woman attacked by three bullmastiffs while walking in the area of Alviso and Slauson avenues at about 1 a.m.
When they arrived on scene, police said it was a chaotic scene, with the dogs running on Slauson Avenue, chasing after people. Cars were driving around the large animals, trying to get them away from the woman.
“They were extremely aggressive, they were attacking the black and whites,” said LAPD Sgt. Raymond Madrid.
Police were able to eventually get control of the dogs. The dogs were apparently extremely aggressive, and one of the dogs went after authorities, forcing police to shoot and kill it. The two other dogs are in the custody of animal control.
A woman was taken to a local hospital with what authorities described as serious bite injuries. A man was also taken to the hospital after being injured trying to help the woman, and police said others were also injured.
Residents said they were literally running for their lives.
“It was very scary,” said Virginia Blackwell of Hyde Park. “They were looking like they were hungry.”
Experts say pack attacks of this nature are very different than an attack by a single dog.
“It quickly turns into a competitive game between the dogs. They want something,” said animal behaviorist Harrison Forbes.
Forbes says in this case that “something” was the woman. He says if you are faced with an angry pack of dogs do not run or scream. Instead, he says try to get them to go after something other than you.
“If you have a purse or a jacket, just throw it,” said Forbes. “If you throw it and become very still all of a sudden they are fighting each other over the bag and tearing it to pieces.”
Police are trying to figure out why they were running loose. The owner of the dogs is being questioned by authorities.
The dogs each weigh well over 100 pounds. An animal control official said the dogs were two males and a female Neapolitan Mastiff.
Child Drowns in Pool
A 2-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool at a barbecue party in Laguna on April 10. Elk Grove police say that the child went missing for several minutes before he was discovered floating facedown in the backyard pool.
The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on the 9100 block of Sage Glen Way.
Sacramento County coroners identified the victim as Christopher Ramirez of Sacramento.
“They do happen a few times a year,” Elk Grove police spokesperson Christopher Trim said about young child falling into Elk Grove pools. “Unfortunately, when they do happen, they typically they have a tragic result.”
He explained there were about 10 people in the house who were walking between the house and the backyard when the drowning occurred. It’s currently unknown how Ramirez ended up in the pool, police say.
A short, makeshift fence that was between one and two feet high was placed around the pool, Trim said.
CPR was attempted on Ramirez followed by more medical aid from Cosumnes paramedics who arrived to the scene. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Trim said that no criminal charges were filed in the case.
He advises pool owners to install a fence around their pools that have an alarm in place, if they have young children or provide general pool access to children.
When a swimming pool drowning or injury occurs, the following causes of action may be possible. A cause of action is theory of liability, or a reason the owner, operator or manufacturer is responsible.
Premises Liability: Owners are responsible for hazards on their land. The extent to which they are responsible depends on the “classification” of the injured person; for example, different duties are owed to invitees, licensees and trespassers (many states have different classifications). A pool can qualify as a hazard when it has dangers that the owner knew or should have known about. Therefore, owners must take reasonable steps to make sure their pools are safe.
Product Liability: Sometimes pools or pool equipment may be defective Some type of defects including design defects (the pool was incorrectly designed), manufacturing defects ( the pool’s design was correct but it was improperly constructed); and failure to warn (for example, lack of signs about the pool’s depth, causing someone to jump into a shallow area).
Negligence: Owners and operators of pools have a duty to act reasonably in their ownership and maintenance of the pool and it’s surroundings. If they are negligent by failing to have lifeguards on duty, failing to properly train lifeguards, or failing to keep the pool safe, they may be responsible for pool-related injuries or drownings.
What to do if you or a loved one suffered from a swimming pool injury?
Swimming pool injuries may involve injuries from falls, near drownings causing serious brain injury, and death. If you live in California and believe you may have a claim for a swimming pool injury, call The Law Offices of Gary a Kessler at (877) 465-8711 for a free consultation or fill out our online confidential consultation form at garyakesslerlaw.com on your potential pool injury cla
2010 U. S. dog bite fatalities
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2010 U.S. dog bite fatalities ::Information gathered by DogsBite.org is verifiable1 through Internet archive services. Our Fatality Citations section documents sources used in our research. 2010 statistics
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| In 2010, three fatalities involved dogs from two or more different breeds, thus producing a “death credit” total of 37 rather than 33. Six dog breeds each contributed to one death: American bulldog, bullmastiff-mix, boxer, husky, lab-mix and a wolf hybrid.3
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Pedestrian killed on Anaheim street overnight
ANAHEIM – A woman was struck and killed by an SUV while crossing La Palma Avenue late Thursday night, Anaheim police reported.
Paramedics took the woman to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where she died about a half-hour after the 11:16 p.m. accident, Sgt. Bob Dunn said. Orange County Coroners Office officials on Friday afternoon identified the woman as Noemi Tejeda, 32, of Anaheim.
Police said the Tejeda was crossing La Palma just west of East Street, outside of the marked crosswalk. Just before she got to the other side, Tejeda was struck by a Nissan SUV, suffering massive trauma.
The SUV’s driver stopped and cooperated with authorities, Dunn said. The accident is under investigation, but police say drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor, and no arrests were made
Cause of the Anaheim Pedestrian Accident: Based on the limited information provided in news accounts, it is unclear what exactly happened. This accident raises a number of questions and it is not evident why the driver was not able to avoid the collision. Was the driver not paying attention? Police will surely look at speed and other factors in determining the cause of the accident. Hopefully, the investigation will reveal exactly what happened and who was responsible. If the investigation reveals that the driver of the car caused this collision, the driver maybe liable for the victim’s injuries, in which case, the victim’s heirs may be entitled to damages for medical expenses, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other accident-related expenses.The family members of the victim would be well advised to contact California Wrongful Death Attorney Gary A. Kessler about their legal rights in a wrongful death claims.
Vehicle Crashes into I-5 Fwy Wall
ANAHEIM – The driver of an Oldsmobile Alero escaped injuries after crashing into a freeway wall Wednesday afternoon on the southbound I-5.
The crash was reported to the California Highway Patrol at 11:55 a.m. and briefly blocked the State College Boulevard off-ramp.
The driver, not injured, was reportedly driving recklessly before the crash, witnesses told the CHP.
BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Six dead, dozens injured in Fresno bus accident
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A Greyhound bus crashes into an SUV that had overturned on Highway 99 in Central Fresno killing six people including the driver of the bus
The Greyhound bus departed from Los Angeles Wednesday night — headed to its final destination in Sacramento.
Just minutes before the crash, the bus had stopped at the Greyhound terminal in Downtown Fresno.
CHP officials say it’s possible the bus driver who plowed into that SUV didn’t see it in time because of its dark color.
But, they are still trying to figure out why the SUV flipped over in the first place which is what led up to this horrific crash.
The CHP shut down the northbound lanes of Highway 99 near McKinley for several hours Thursday … as investigators tore through mangled wreckage and emergency crews frantically tended to dozens of victims.
“I was asleep and we just hit something and I went flying through the air and went over a few seats.”
Six people died and 21 others had to be rushed to the hospital. Denise Esquivel and her son managed to walk away from the accident.
“I felt us go off the road and I just kept thinking like oh my god. This is not happening. We’re gonna die.”
“Some people didn’t make it through, but a lot of people did, and they’re up there in a better place, up there.”
The California Highway Patrol says the series of events happened within an instant.
At 2:14 a.m. they were dispatched to the area for a rollover crash involving three young women.
Another accident involving a commercial bus took the lives of six people and injured many more. The wreck occured shortly after 2am this morning on Highway 99 in Fresno, California. Of the 47 passengers on board, about 30 were injured and 6 died, including the bus driver.
This tragedy brings to light several previous accidents involving Greyhound buses where individuals died or were severely injured as a result of its failure to equip its buses with seatbelts. Although the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been recommending the installation of seatbelts on buses since the 1960s, companies like Greyhound have simply refused to act.
Skid marks indicate their SUV made a sharp left turn into the divider before rolling over and blocking the fast and middle lanes.
Three minutes later, at 2:17 a.m. the Greyhound bus, which had just left the Downtown Fresno depot … struck the SUV sending it over the embankment and straight into a eucalyptus tree.
The bus driver and two bus passengers were killed as well as all three girls … who were ejected from their SUV. Investigators say they were not wearing seat belts.
“We don’t know whether they had belts on during the original rollover and then may have removed the belts to get out of that vehicle before the next one struck, or maybe they never had them on.”
At this point, CHP officials do not think alcohol played a role in the initial crash. Still, they will not say where the girls were coming from at that hour.
Action News was there as a plain clothes investigator left the Starline Nightclub in the Tower District Thursday, where an 18 and over event with a crowd of 200 people was held Wednesday night.
The manager confirmed the visit was related to the crash investigation. And he also says none of his employees recognize the victims.
Action News has learned more about the victims, including the bus driver who worked for Greyhound for 32 years.
57-year-old James Jewett lived in Sacramento. His daughters described him a man who loved his family, his job and the San Francisco Giants.
Jewett’s daughters say he earned several safety awards and was often recognized for his dedication to Greyhound.
They also say he never drank alcohol.
Three of the surviving passengers remain hospitalized Thursday night in serious condition at Community Regional Medical Center. Two others are in good condition at Saint Agnes. Those not seriously hurt boarded other buses and headed on to their destinations.
Action News caught up with some of those passengers at the Downtown Fresno bus station. They all said they were grateful to have survived. One passenger said the aftermath, seeing the bodies of the victims including the driver was disturbing.
Bus crash survivor, Robert Long said, “One of the paramedics came up and asked do we know who was the bus driver could we describe him because they had no clue who was the driver. And we described him and pointed him out, and he was one who was under the bags.”
Robert Long was treated at Kaiser. He said that he didn’t feel great, but was well enough to travel.
The Greyhound bus was headed to Sacramento for its final stop. It left Los Angeles last night and made it’s stop in Fresno at about 2:00 a.m. It was due in Sacramento this morning.
Many families have been affected by this terrible tragedy. Some of the family members talk to Action News about their untimely deaths.
A family gathering takes place at the Solis family home Thursday night in Madera. Food was brought in to celebrate the life of 60 year old Epifania Solis, who was on her way home to Madera after visiting her children in Mexico. Solis was one of three people who died while riding a Greyhound bus that smashed into an SUV carrying 36 people including the driver on Highway 99 in Fresno. Epifania’s niece Julie Gonzalez says their family will cook in honor of her aunt because that’s what she loved to do most.
“We can’t replace that woman; the only thing is that God took her before we were actually ready for this moment.”
Jeremy Aguilar also lost someone in the crash. His fiancée Stephanie Cordoba was celebrating a birthday with two of her friends Wednesday night before the tragic accident. Aguilar at the time was working a graveyard shift. When he later got word of the accident, he went to the coroner’s office where his worst fears were confirmed.
“As soon as they said 5 foot. 111 pounds, thin build, dark hair. I knew right away that was her.” Aguilar said.
Aguilar and Cordoba had a baby girl three months ago. Now he says the love of his life won’t be able to share future cherished memories of their daughter.
“I just wish she was there to see our baby grow up.”
Chris Ambriz and Vanessa Bustillos’ grandfather Tomas Ponce also did not survive. But Ponce’s wife and brother made it to community regional medical center for treatment. Both underwent extensive surgery. Bustillos says it leaves their family feeling devastated.
“You’re just lost. One of the biggest family members of the family. What are you supposed to do?”
The Ponce family made a trip to Mexico once a year and preferred riding over flying. They were supposed to come home for a family reunion.
Most of the passengers made it to their final destination. That was welcome news to loved ones in Sacramento who heard about the accident as they waited for the bus to arrive at the greyhound station.
The brother, Nelson valdez was on the Greyhound bus. He was not injured. A Greyhound spokesperson said Madera was the next scheduled stop followed by its final stop in Sacramento.
Some important facts about seat belts on buses:
- Over the past 30 years the NTSB has issued multiple recommendations that buses be equipped with passenger seat belts.
- Since the early 90s, seatbelts have been required on all buses operating in Europe and Australia and have saved countless lives.
- Of the 60 serious bus accidents investigated by the NTSB over the past 30 years, 11 involved Greyhound buses. In those accidents, 47 people died and more than 250 were injured. Despite this, Greyhound did nothing to research or examine the issue of whether seatbelts should be installed on its buses.
- Although the technology available to equip buses with seatbelts has been available since the early 90s., Greyhound waited until 2008 to request that its buses be equipped with seatbelts. Six months later, it began receiving buses with seatbelts. However, only new buses will have seatbelts and none of its older buses are being retrofitted.
- The extra cost to Greyhound of purchasing buses with seatbelts is only $20,000 per bus. It only cost $30,000 to retrofit existing buses with seatbelts.
- Despite these minor costs, Greyhound has refused to retrofit its buses.
Demand accountability from those responsible for the bus accidents. A bus driver is a “common carrier” who owes you the “highest duty of care!” Many times the insurance companies for the bus companies (i.e., many times they are “self insured”) will play “hardball” if you try to settle the case yourself or you have employed a lawyer who does not have the litigation experience to handle such a complex bus case. We at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler have twenty years of litigation experience and know how to handle the insurance companies to your advantage. Remember, cases against the governmental bus companies MTA (bus), Caltrans, BART (bus) or Muni Bus System have a very short time to file the proper government claim which must be filed first, way before the actual lawsuit is filed! We are prepared to front all costs required for the neccessary investigation and expert witnesses needed to prepare your case for trial as well as file all government claims. Unfortunately, the reality is that most bus accident victims usually sustain serious/catastrophic injuries which many times results in death. Over the past twenty years attorney Gary A Kessler has a proven successful track record demanding accountability from the responsible parties and obtaining outstanding results for his clients.
The laws regarding bus accident cases are complex and include many facets of the law. It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced bus accident lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.
The California bus accident attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with serious injuries associated with a bus accident. Such bus accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries or even death. The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its wrongful death and bus accident cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention neccessary to obtain a successful result for your bus accident case.
The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler is prepared to front all costs required for a thorough investigation and top expert witnesses to prepare for the trial of your case. As in all bus accident and serious personal injury cases, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our attorney fees on their behalf. Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery. If there is no recovery, no attorneys fees or costs are owed to our firm. Contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today so we can preserve the evidence and demand compensation and accountability from the responsible party.
If you have been seriously injured or a family member sustained fatal injuries involving a bus, you need to contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler or another experienced law firm immediately to protect your legal rights and preserve the evidence. Claims for damages against a public entity or governmental entity are complex and they have “strict time limitations”. So do not delay and contact the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler today!
