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Author: Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys

Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys was founded by three former defense attorneys who were tired of helping insurance companies and big corporations save money by paying the least amount possible to resolve claims. We wanted to open a law firm where we could use our years of experience handling the toughest and largest claims to benefit the individual. Each of us were tired of being cogs in the wheel that focused on paying the least amount possible to injured persons regardless of injuries or the validity of their claims.

A Costa Mesa man and his passenger both died from injuries sustained in a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash on the 57 Freeway late last month. The ultimate cause of the early-morning crash on October 28 hasn’t been determined, but news reports suggest that several risk factors came together at the wrong place and wrong time, ending with a tragic outcome.

Secondary Crash, Alcohol Involved, Distraction Possible

The victims were heading south in a Toyota Corolla on the 57 in Diamond Bar just before 3 a.m. when they came across a flatbed tow truck on the right shoulder. The truck was there to help another vehicle. For reasons unknown, the Corolla swerved and struck the tow truck. It’s not known how seriously injured the Corolla’s occupants were at that point, but about a minute later, a Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by an allegedly drunk driver slammed into the Corolla, causing both occupants to be ejected onto the highway. The pickup then hit another vehicle (unoccupied) which had stopped to help after the Corolla crash. That caused the Tacoma to roll. The Corolla passenger died at the scene, and the driver passed away at the hospital. The Tacoma driver was injured and later arrested on a DUI charge.

DUI a Tremendous Risk

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a huge danger both to those who do it and to everyone else on the road. Yet an astounding number of California drivers do it: Every year from 2003 to 2013, law enforcement made at least 160,000 DUI arrests. Most years, drunk drivers claim more than 1,000 lives in our state.

Secondary Incidents

The Corolla crash was a “secondary incident,” meaning that it happened after some other crash or vehicle problem had already happened in the same place. That’s true for about 20 percent of all crashes, which is part of why police and other responders try to clear crash sites as quickly as possible. Every minute a crash stays on the road brings traffic delays and increased crash risks for other motorists.

Good Samaritan Also Victim

Less than forty-eight hours after the fatal crashes in Diamond Bar, early on Monday, October 30, another Orange County man (from Fullerton) died in Garden Grove, along with the driver he had stopped to help. A third vehicle crashed into the two men as they inspected the damage. Both died at the scene, and it’s still unknown whether alcohol or drugs were also involved in that crash.

Orange County Car Accident Lawyer

Car crashes happen for all kinds of reasons, but whether they happen because of reckless driving, distracted driving, high speed, or DUI, 94 percent or more of all crashes are preventable. When a driver causes a crash and injures others, the victims can often turn to the courts for help. When you need assistance pursuing your traffic injury compensation, give Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys a call at 949.535.1341 or fill out the contact form below. We have years of experience in the practice of automobile accident law and have helped countless clients recover compensation We also provide new clients with a free consultation to discuss their case, so you have nothing to lose.

A sixty-two-year-old Temecula man was killed in a crash caused by a suspected intoxicated driver late last month. The pileup happened during rush hour on Alessandro Boulevard at Meridian Parkway, approaching the 215 freeway from the west, between Riverside and Moreno Valley.

Seven vehicles were ultimately involved when the apparently drunk driver, who at least one witness said was speeding, crashed into an area where drivers were slowing because of road construction. The victim died at the scene, and one other person received minor injuries and needed medical attention.

All or part of the intersection was closed for more than four hours after the crash.

Repeat Offender, Facing Serious Charges

The thirty-eight-year-old driver accused in the crash is now facing second-degree murder charges for causing a fatal crash while driving under the influence. Other charges against him include gross vehicular manslaughter and driving on a suspended license. It’s been alleged that he also fled the scene, which would increase the penalties.

That driver was discovered to have several previous felony convictions, including spousal abuse and weapons possession. He also has three earlier DUI convictions, which will certainly not weigh in his favor. He was being held without bail after the crash.

Heavy Riverside DUI Involvement

It’s been a bad stretch for serious DUI crashes in Southern California recently. About a week after the Alessandro Boulevard incident, a Riverside couple and their teenage son were killed in a fiery crash on the 605 in West Whittier. That crash was reportedly caused by a drunk driver, reported to be an off-duty Los Angeles police officer.

On October 1, an elderly woman was killed when her daughter drove off the 60 freeway and into an embankment in Riverside. The daughter was charged with vehicular manslaughter while under the influence.

A few days after that, a Riverside man injured himself and two others and killed a woman when he caused a head-on collision near Lake Matthews; he also was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Riverside Car Accident Lawyer

Car crashes happen for many reasons, but far too many of them involve drivers who make the decision to get behind the wheel while under the influence. A 2015 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 31 percent of motor vehicle deaths in the previous year involved alcohol.

When you have been harmed or someone close to you has been harmed or killed by a drunk driver, turn to the experienced automobile accident attorneys at Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys to help you get justice.

We have helped many clients get the compensation they needed to pick up the pieces of lives profoundly affected by the recklessness of dangerous drivers. Give us a call today at 949.535.1341 or fill out the contact form below to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

The driver of a FedEx semi-truck was killed late last month when a car caused his truck to go off a highway bridge on State Route 905 in Otay Mesa, on the south side of San Diego. The crash happened around 2:30 in the afternoon on September 26 and forced the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to close the westbound lanes of the highway and the road below for several hours.

 

Driving Decisions Questioned

CHP officials have stated that the car driver, a thirty-year-old San Diego woman, attempted to pass the truck on the right near the Beyer Boulevard exit. Witnesses have suggested that the driver was speeding, but the CHP has not confirmed this. Something happened during the passing maneuver that caused the vehicles to collide, and both drivers appear to have lost control at that time.

The car hit the bridge railing on the right and came to a rest, but the truck veered across the highway to the left, where it crashed through and over the guardrail. The truck rolled as it went down the embankment, coming to a stop in a broken heap on Del Sur Boulevard partially beneath the eastbound lanes of SR 905.

The FedEx driver is believed to have died on impact, as the cab hit straight on and was then crushed by the trailer behind it. None of the people in the car (the driver, four children, and another adult) were injured.

 

Safety Above All

Many people believe that passing on the right, as the car driver was doing in this crash, is illegal, but in most cases, it’s a perfectly legitimate maneuver, especially on a multi-lane highway. However, regardless of the traffic laws, drivers still need to make good decisions when it comes to their safety and the safety of those around them.

Drugs and alcohol are not believed to have been involved in this crash, but police haven’t determined whether other charges will be filed.

 

Truck-Car Collisions

Truck drivers will tell you that, in their opinion, car drivers cause almost all of the crashes between trucks and cars. While this might not be true, one thing is certainly supported by the data: When cars and trucks meet in a collision, it’s usually the car and its occupants who come out the worst. In fact, in more than 85 percent of all cases, the victims in a fatal crash with a truck are not in the truck—they’re in other vehicles or they’re pedestrians. That makes this crash an unusual exception: Everyone but the truck driver walked away unharmed.

 

Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer

When you’re the victim of a car or truck crash, it’s important that you make a full recovery. The team of experienced automobile and truck accident attorneys at Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys has helped many clients get the justice they deserve. Call us today at 949.535.1341 or fill out the form below to schedule a free appointment to discuss your case and learn how we can help.

 

Two men were killed on a Riverside County highway last week when their motorcycles collided head-on in the mountains southwest of Lake Elsinore.

The Sunday morning crash on September 17 forced officials to close the Ortega Highway (SR-74) between Riverside and Orange counties for nearly three hours. Driving conditions were good at the time, and the information available so far points to speed being the major factor in the crash.

It Only Takes One

Head-on collisions are perhaps the most terrifying kind of motor vehicle crash. Even the safest driver, who obeys all traffic laws, always stays at or below the speed limit, and drives with the best defensive practices, can’t always avoid them. They come out of nowhere, veering into oncoming traffic, crossing the yellow line, or even hurtling in the wrong direction down divided highways.

That seems to be what the evidence points to in this case. One of the bikers, a Buena Park man, was traveling westbound and operating safely when the other biker, a La Habra man traveling east, reportedly approached a curve at an unsafe speed. He reportedly crossed the double yellow line and struck the other vehicle head-on without warning. Both men died at the scene.

Second Crash, Third Fatality

This two-fatality crash on the Ortega Highway was tragic, but it was followed up with more bad news. The following day, another motorcyclist died on the same road in similar circumstances. He also drifted over the center line while traveling at an unsafe speed, striking a passenger car moving in the opposite direction. That marked the sixth fatality on that road in a month.

Riverside Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Not all motorcycle wrecks are fatal: In one recent year, more than 12,000 riders were injured in motorcycle crashes in California and survived. But those who suffer injuries can face serious problems in the aftermath.

When you’ve been in a motorcycle crash caused by another driver, it’s vitally important that you enlist the aid of an experienced legal team to recover compensation that ensures that all of your immediate and long-term needs are met. Crashes can leave a victim with medical bills that go on for many years, as well as the added burden of lost wages and income.

The attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys have the experience you need and are ready to meet for a free consultation to discuss your case. Give us a call at 949.535.1341 or fill out the form below to see how we can help you.

A motorcyclist lost the lower part of a leg recently when a hit-and-run driver crashed into him after his motorcycle became disabled on I-15 in Lake Elsinore.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, was last reported in critical but stable condition. There were no witnesses to the crash, but California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers are still seeking information to identify the driver who fled the scene.

Engine Trouble Turns to Tragedy

The chain of events that led to the biker’s injury began around 11 p.m. on August 29, when his motorcycle had engine trouble. That much isn’t in doubt, but there have been conflicting reports of what happened next.

Initial reports suggested the biker may have still been on the bike when he was struck, but CHP stated that the man was trying to cross the highway on foot at the time of the crash. His reasons for doing this aren’t known, but there are numerous businesses in the area (near the Central Ave. interchange with I-15), at least one of which is open twenty-four hours, so he may have been seeking assistance.

Vehicle parts were collected at the scene, but it’s not clear whether this was debris from the car that struck him or if the motorcycle was also hit in the crash.

Best Efforts by Responders

Part of this story would sound like something out of a horror movie if it wasn’t so real and so tragic: Despite a search by police officers and paramedics, the victim’s leg could not be found along the dark road for more than six hours. There was no word on whether surgical reattachment was attempted or if the delay or crash damage ruled that out.

Days Later, Another Incident

Only a few days later, another motorcyclist was killed in a separate hit-and-run crash near the same Lake Elsinore interchange. Just before 7 p.m. on September 1, the driver of a passenger car struck and killed a biker and then attempted to flee on foot.

Justice for the slain biker might be more likely, at least so far—CHP caught up with that driver near the scene, and he’s reportedly being held on several very serious charges, with bail set at $1 million. Alcohol and drugs may have been factors in that crash.

Riverside County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycle operators are victims of crashes that cause injury and death at a rate much greater than what other motorists experience. But they shouldn’t suffer more or be compensated less than others, so when you’ve been hurt in a crash, you need to make sure you have a team on your side that will fight to win the resources you need for a full recovery.

The attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, Injury Attorneys have extensive experience with motorcycle accident law, and we offer a free consultation to every client. Give us a call today at 949.535.1341 or complete the online contact form at the bottom of the page.

On August 15, a 64-year-old man using a wheelchair was killed in Stanton when a driver lost control during a two-car collision and veered onto the sidewalk where he was traveling. It’s a devastating reminder that pedestrians, including those using wheelchairs and other mobility devices, face real danger even when they’re doing everything right. Here’s what California law says about your rights after a pedestrian accident, and what most people don’t realize applies specifically to wheelchair and mobility-device users.

Quick answer: California law treats wheelchair users the same as any other pedestrian under Vehicle Code § 467, meaning drivers owe them the same duty of care, and injured pedestrians can pursue compensation through the at-fault driver’s insurance, their own uninsured motorist coverage, or a government claim when a defective sidewalk or crosswalk contributed to the crash.

Workplace injuries can happen anywhere, and a feature story in a California newspaper earlier this summer shows that workers at nonprofit organizations are not immune from on-the-job risks.

The story in the Sacramento Bee highlighted the danger that workers at nonprofits face—specifically those at Goodwill Industries, which has been cited for numerous safety violations by the state and fined a record amount after the tragic workplace death of a young employee last year.

 

Lack of Safety Highlighted

After an investigation into the September 2016 death of the worker (who was crushed by a piece of heavy equipment) Cal-OSHA, the state agency tasked with protecting and improving worker health and safety, slapped Goodwill with six violations, including one deemed “willful-serious” with potential criminal liability.

The violations included more than $106,000 in fines. In the past ten years, the Sacramento Goodwill branch has been cited twenty-three additional times for other workplace safety violations.

The Cal-OSHA investigation found that Goodwill did not provide employees with adequate training for the equipment in use and that they had no safety procedures for employees. There were parallels to this worker’s death in a 2008 accident at an unrelated Goodwill facility in Tacoma, where a twenty-seven-year-old died in another heavy machinery accident.

 

Workers Need Protection

Employers sometimes play hardball when their own culpability in a workplace accident is at issue, and a nonprofit can react the same as any other employer. In the Goodwill case, the company actually went so far as to challenge the state’s approval of an employee’s unemployment compensation claim after he was fired by Goodwill.

That worker, who witnessed the accident that killed his co-worker, claims that he was fired for cooperating with investigators and providing them with information about the lack of safety procedures and training at Goodwill. He had repeatedly complained about—and documented—safety problems during his employment at Goodwill and said that not only was he fired for being a whistleblower, but that the organization has launched a smear campaign against him.

Reporting on the case, as well as Cal-OSHA’s intervention on his behalf in his unemployment claim, seems to support this. He’s currently pursuing a complaint with the California Labor Commissioner.

 

Beyond Workers Comp

Many employees mistakenly believe that workers compensation insurance covers all workplace injuries and that it covers them completely. They also believe that being in the workers comp system or accepting payments from it prevents them from seeking additional compensation.

None of this is true in all cases, and an injured employee should talk to a knowledgeable workplace injury lawyer before accepting any settlement. If an injury was caused by some kind of negligence, an employee may be able to pursue a personal injury case against the responsible party, whether that means a co-worker, an employer, or some other individual or legal entity.

With negligence alleged in the Sacramento case, that worker’s family might also be able to pursue a wrongful death claim.

 

California Workplace Injury Lawyer

If you’ve been hurt on the job and suspect negligence was involved, get in touch with an experienced workplace injury lawyer.

The team at Kohan & Bablove,Injury Attorneys can help you understand what’s involved in this kind of claim, and we offer a free consultation to discuss each case. Call us at 844-404-2400 or fill out the online contact form at the bottom of the page.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the beleaguered personal care products manufacturer, took a new approach recently in a case in California where the company faces the possibility of literally hundreds of multi-million dollar judgments over injuries caused by its products. The tactic: discredit the expert witnesses slated to provide testimony for the plaintiff.

Victims, Damages Adding Up

For more than a decade, J&J has been the subject of allegations that its talc-based products can, when used as directed, lead to serious health complications in some women. In the most serious cases, these products have been blamed for ovarian cancer, a disease which claims about 15,000 lives each year.

Since 2009, legal actions have proliferated against the company. To date, at least 2,400 women have filed lawsuits against J&J over this issue, with most of the cases consolidated in multidistrict litigation in Missouri, New Jersey, and California.

Prior to last year, J&J had experienced generally good success fending off these suits, either through confidential settlements or favorable verdicts. But several major cases have now gone against the company: Since February of 2016, four out of five verdicts have been for plaintiffs, and they’ve added up to over $300 million (although J&J has appealed and the final amounts could be reduced).

The Science—and the Responsibility

Does the science support plaintiff claims against J&J? The company’s lawyers argue strenuously that it does not.

In the preliminary hearing in June, they claimed that studies have been flawed: that they’ve relied on unreliable self-reporting, failed to account for other risk factors, or not undergone rigorous peer review. Discounting those studies, the only analysis J&J seems willing to accept is a 2014 report that found at best only a weak connection between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer.

And while plaintiffs argue that more than thirty other studies showing a connection are at least as valid, this sometimes misses the point: Some of the verdicts against J&J have hinged not on whether their product directly caused the cancer, but on whether J&J knew that there was some risk and chose to hide that information from consumers.

The deciding factor in these cases has really been the fact that J&J’s internal documents show that as far back as the 1980s there were concerns about possible cancer risks. In the late 90s, executives were warned of potential fallout if they chose to conceal these concerns—which is exactly the path they took.

Juries have decided that even when the risk is low or not decisively proven the company had a duty to inform consumers. Instead, as one plaintiff’s attorney has said, “they made a conscious decision not to warn the customers they were using a very dangerous product.”

California Talc Ovarian Cancer Lawyer

If you have used talc-based products and been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it’s vital that you contact a personal injury attorney with up-to-date knowledge of the cases underway. The team at Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys has been following the talc injury issue closely, and we can help you understand what steps to take moving forward.

Give us a call today at 949.535.1341 or contact us online through the form below to schedule a free consultation to learn more.

drugsA fiery crash on Gilman Springs Road west of Lakeview during the recent holiday weekend took the lives of two men and left a third with serious injuries. It was yet another in a long string of crashes in which the victims were doing nothing wrong but suddenly found themselves part of a major wreck caused by another driver.

Witness Called for Backup

The crash unfolded on Monday, July 3, around 11:30 p.m., when a man driving a Corvette westbound at an unsafe speed failed to negotiate a bend in the road. Unfortunately, another driver was in the opposite lane, and the Corvette hit it head-on. The Corvette immediately caught fire. An on-duty Hemet police officer witnessed the crash. The officer immediately called for fire department and California Highway Patrol assistance. Ultimately, at least four fire vehicles and others responded. The officer tried to reach the driver of the Corvette, but the fire was too intense. Fortunately, the officer and another passing driver were able to free the driver of the other vehicle. They were not able to free the passenger in that vehicle, however, in part because the fire spread to it and some of the surrounding vegetation. Firefighters were able to free the man with the Jaws of Life.

Heavy Toll

The driver of the Corvette, a sixty-year-old Moreno Valley resident, was declared dead at the scene. It’s not clear whether he survived the initial crash. The passenger of the other vehicle died about two hours after the crash at Riverside University Medical Center. The driver of the second vehicle was listed in serious condition after the crash.

A Dangerous Road?

Gilman Springs Road is getting something of a reputation. A week after this fatal incident, another crash on the same stretch of road left at least one person with serious injuries. There have been at least two other major collisions on that road this year, including a four-vehicle pileup in February that hospitalized nine.

Riverside Car Accident Lawyer

Very few car crashes are true “accidents.” In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that about 94 percent of all crashes can be directly blamed on a driver for one of many reasons: aggressive or distracted driving, inexperience, operating under the influence, and so on. Speed was reported as a factor in the July 3 crash, but law enforcement officials haven’t ruled out alcohol or drugs as contributing factors. When you’ve been harmed or a loved one has been killed in a motor vehicle crash in Riverside County, get in touch with Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys. Our team understands automobile accident law and has successfully helped many clients receive the compensation they need after becoming victims in a crash. Call us today at 949.535.1341 or fill out our online contact form below to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Some young cheerleaders were extremely lucky last week after their bus was involved in a collision with a big rig. The crash took place on June 28 around 4:15 in the afternoon, about 12 miles east of Indio.

Despite the crash and a fire after it, only three girls from the bus suffered minor injuries. They and their bus driver were taken to a medical center in Palm Springs for treatment.

Competition Trip Ends in Wreck

The bus was bringing about 30 cheerleaders and their coaches and chaperones home to Mesa, Arizona, after a cheerleading event in Los Angeles when congestion caused it to stop along with other vehicles on eastbound Interstate 10.

The driver of the truck came upon the line of delayed vehicles and failed to stop in time. It’s not clear whether he was speeding or simply not paying close enough attention to the traffic conditions.

The truck driver attempted to avoid the other vehicles but crashed into the rear of the bus before veering across the median and onto the westbound lanes of the highway. The truck driver was not injured, but the truck caught fire and one of its trailers burned completely.

Meanwhile, the bus was shoved into the median and a small fire broke out on board. The passengers and driver were safely evacuated. No other vehicles were involved, but the road was closed for several hours.

Recent Bus Safety Concerns

It’s always a better outcome when there are no serious injuries in a crash like this. But incidents in the recent past show that things could have been much worse. Multiple bus crashes in California in the past year have ended with fatalities, including a horrific crash in October that killed 13 and injured 31.

That was the worst bus crash in California since 1976 and one of the ten worst nationwide in the past forty years. That crash also took place on I-10, but it was farther west. It happened when the bus driver rear-ended a truck that had slowed in a construction area.

In February, one motorist was killed when a small bus drifted into the opposite lane and struck two cars. At least 26 others were injured in that incident, several critically, including many of the passengers on the bus, which rolled over after the initial collision.

Orange County Truck Accident Lawyer

Crashes involving buses and trucks come with a higher risk of injury and death, especially when those vehicles strike others. If you have been injured in a collision with a truck, you should seek experienced legal help before you file your claim for compensation.

Kohan & Bablove Injury Attorneys has decades of experience helping clients with all varieties of motor vehicle accident cases, including truck accident law. For a free consultation to discuss your case, give us a call today at 844-404-2400 or fill out the online contact form below.

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