A wrong way accident in the greater Los Angeles area left two people, a mother and her daughter, dead. Additionally, another man is in the hospital recovering from injuries that authorities describes as major.
The person who caused this fatal auto accident also was admitted in to the hospital and will be formally charged for crimes related to drunk driving upon release from the hospital. Police arrested this driver at the scene of the accident.
Especially in a state like California that loves technology, cars that have systems built in which can help drivers do a lot of basic safety tasks, like brake or maintain a steady cruising speed, are all the rage. These vehicles are in theory supposed to help drivers avoid accidents and, as an added bonus, conserve energy by preventing fluctuations in speed and jerky starts and stops.
However, a recent report prepared by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which was covered and summarized by a major media outlet, has suggested that these driver assist systems might not be all they promise.
Few other roadways in the country receive as much attention and traffic as California's Pacific Coast Highway. Referred to as the PCH by locals, this highway offers some of the most beautiful views in the country.
Sadly, it also offers some of the most dangerous driving in the country. In 2017, the PCH saw over 600 accidents. By the end of February, one person had already died and at least 31 accidents were reported on the PCH just in Los Angeles County.
While distracted driving happens throughout the year, a recent study suggests that it is more common for people to drive distracted during the summer months. Specifically, the study found that, relative to other months, the frequency of distracted driving increases by 10 percent during June, July and August.
In practical terms, on average, about 40 percent of drivers on California's roads in the summer are going to be distracted for at least 15 minutes for every hour they drive. For reference, 15 minutes is about half the length of a short television show or the evening news.
If you have lived in California for any length of time, you have probably driven or ridden the Pacific Coast Highway. Parts of the highway offer you beautiful views and windy roads. You may even find a place to stop and admire the scenery.
Many people tend to exercise more caution where the edge of the PCH drops off a cliff, but reports indicate that most of the serious injuries and fatalities that occur on the iconic highway happen on the more urban parts of the roadway.
Let's face it -- riding a motorcycle is cool. Riding gives many people a freedom they don't get anywhere else, and whether they would admit it or not, others may be jealous of that. They may see you riding and wish it were they, especially when stuck in traffic.
Seeing a motorcycle rider brings up images of road trips to nowhere and a carefree existence for many people. Sure, you may feel that way on occasion, and you may even sit a little taller when you see someone in a passenger car look at you with envy, but there are other reasons you ride that you may wish you could share.
Many California residents enjoy vaping. This alternative to smoking has grown in popularity in recent years as a healthier way to kick the habit. Whether you vape in order to stop smoking tobacco products or do it for fun, you have probably heard about the possibility of the battery exploding.
Some people have suffered serious, debilitating and permanent injuries from these explosions. You can take steps to protect yourself from this happening, however. Experts recommend that you not keep your vape battery in your pocket next to other metal things and that you only use good quality batteries. These steps may help, but that's not the end of the story.
A previous post on this blog discussed how mediation can be a good way for victims of truck accidents to resolve their claims against a negligent truck driver, that driver's employer and the respective insurance companies involved.
Sometimes, mediation is court-ordered. In other cases, our attorneys can help our clients decide whether mediation is right for them.
Following a serious California truck accident, and as our blog has discussed on previous occasions, the goal is for the victim to get the compensation he or she needs to pay past and future bills related to the accident and to move on with their life. Moreover, a victim will often deserve at least some compensation for their pain and suffering and other non-economic injuries.
In some cases, a judge may order the victim to mediate with the other side, and the other side's insurance company, in an effort to get the matter resolved. In this case, the victim will have to at least give mediation a good faith effort.
Although the freeways around greater Los Angeles can be confusing, it would still take a lot of effort, for lack of a better word, for a person to actually start traveling the wrong direction on a limited access, multi-lane highway like the area's Interstates.
After all, there are a lot of warning devices and directional signs, as well as the tell-tale fact that one is driving straight in to oncoming traffic. Still, wrong way driving accidents happen both in Orange County and throughout the rest of the state.
The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.
Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" for 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.
Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.
Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern Califonia, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.
Easton & Easton received the “People Love Us On Yelp” award in 2016 due to the exceptional client satisfaction reviews given by our clients over the years.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.
Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.
Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.
Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Wrongful Death Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.
Doug, Brian, and Matt easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.
Easton & Easton was featured in 2015 on the cover of Orange County Attorney Journal with an in-depth 5 page article about the Easton family’s success fighting for justice for their clients. Click here to read the article.
Avvo Client’s Choice Award
Avvo Client’s Choice Award (2015) — Based on client reviews and satisfaction, Matt Easton has received the Avvo Client’s Choice Award for 2015.
W. Douglas Easton
Doug, the Managing Partner of Easton & Easton, has practiced law for more than 40 years and is chosen each year as one of the Best Lawyers in America and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer.
Matthew D. Easton
Matt, a Partner at Easton & Easton, has been selected as one of the "10 Best” Personal Injury Attorneys in California and the National Trial Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40.
Brian W. Easton
Brian, a Partner at Easton & Easton, is a member of ABOTA and one of the National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California.
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Easton & Easton, LLP 650 Town Center Drive Suite 1850 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Toll Free: 800-461-8259 Phone: 714-426-9565 Fax: 714-850-1978 Costa Mesa Law Office Map
