San Diego Personal Injury Blog

An 83-year-old, former pilot for United Airlines died on Tuesday when his small plane crashed in a ravine in Oceanside, California. Throughout most of his life, Cecil Edward Judge was a pilot, serving in World War II and using the GI Bill to put himself through training as a pilot. He flew for United Airlines until he was into his 60's and, his son remembers, they almost had to force him out.

The plane crash occurred shortly after Judge's takeoff from the Oceanside Municipal Airport. Individuals near the airport when the plane took off reported hearing something not quite right with the engine just before the crash. The plane appeared to just barely make it over the tops of some trees before circling lazily and heading towards the ravine.

A California man is in jail after his two-year-old step-grandson was attacked and killed by three of his five Pit Bulls. Steven Hayashi has claimed to have to no idea how the toddler got into the garage where the dogs were kept, as it is usually locked. However it happened, Hayashi is making no excuses for himself or the dogs and has expressed sincere regret since the Thursday attack.

The biggest tragedy, as with most dog attacks, is the ease with which the mauling may have been prevented.

The dog believed to have instigated the attack, bearing the deceptively gentle name "Kiwi," had already killed another pet - the family's Chihuahua - just before Hayashi's grandchildren moved in with him. Still, the dog was not reported or put down, though Hayashi acknowledged that he did not trust the animal around the young children.

A bus crash earlier this past week killed six people and injured nine other in California's Central Valley. The Greyhound bus was traveling from Los Angeles to Sacramento, carrying 31 passengers on a red eye trek in Thursday's early hours.

The fatal accident occurred around 2:00 a.m. when the bus driver struck an SUV that had overturned in the road ahead, blocking traffic. The bus slid into the concrete center divider and hit another vehicle before launching off the right side of the road, falling 15 feet before smashing into a tree located near an off-ramp, the front end smashed to smithereens.

Do drunk drivers deserve a break? Benjamin Serratos, a multiple-DUI offender, is currently in jail and awaiting trial for causing the car accident that killed one 18-year-old and severely injured two others.

The fatal accident on June 12 was also Serratos' third DUI behind the wheel, having previously been charged twice for drunk driving and once for drunk boating. Serratos was also convicted of pulling a BB gun on a strip club employee in 2006, and for almost cutting a man's ear off in a bar fight in 1999.

Even with his violent background, his multiple DUIs and now the death of 18-year-old Destanee Little - even with all of these things at Benjamin Serratos' feet, his attorney and family members are arguing for bail to be lowered to an amount that would see him released.

The death of Anthony DeWeese in a fatal boat accident last December during San Diego's annual Parade of Lights was followed by months of investigation into the cloudy details surrounding the tragedy. Anthony DeWeese, whose parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, died of blunt force trauma after the recreational boat he was a passenger on was broadsided by a larger Coast Guard boat.

DeWeese was one of 13 people aboard the boat when it was struck. Minor to severe injuries were suffered by five others. Though crew members aboard the Coast Guard vessel denied negligence and traveling at unsafe speeds, eyewitness accounts and general boater opinion contradicted their claims.

On July 1, four members of the Coast Guard crew involved in the fatal accident were charged with a number of offenses, including negligent homicide and involuntary manslaughter. Preliminary hearings are set to take place in a matter of weeks.

Last December, 26-year-old Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry perished when he was thrown from a truck driven by his girlfriend. Later examination of the young NFL star found extensive brain damage, usually only seen in older players with many years (and concussions) under their belts.

The traumatic brain injury inside the young athlete's head was shocking to doctors.

In fact, Henry is the youngest player ever to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a particular sort of degenerative disease caused exhibited by individuals who have suffered repeated concussions and other head injuries.

Kristen Ann Bedard was walking to work on the morning of November 23 when a car roared onto the sidewalk, striking and killing her. On his way to a doctor's appointment that morning, her brother drove past the emergency responders. Only later did he learn that it was his sister who had been hit.

On Monday, Becky Marie Anderson was sentenced to 16 years in prison for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence and causing an injury, and illegally being under the influence of a controlled substance.

A lesser penalty than the prosecution had originally sought; the 16-year prison sentence was a term of Anderson's plea agreement. For the family of the victim, it was not nearly enough. Bedard was only 36-years-old when she died, leaving behind a teenage son and daughter.

With the Fourth of July holiday weekend fast approaching, many San Diego residents are stocking coolers, calling friends and getting the boat ready for action. However, as you prepare to hit the water this fourth, make sure you are taking the right steps to ensure the holiday is a safe one for you, your family and friends.

Life Jackets

The most encouraged and likely most ignored safety precaution, a life jacket is essential if you are planning to be out on the water over the fourth. In the case of a boating accident, this easy-to-implement precaution could save your life.

If you will be bringing young children along, especially ones who may not be good swimmers, you need to make sure that there are life jackets available for them.

Overcrowded Boats

Pushing your watercraft to the brink of capacity is probably not a good idea, but going over capacity is definitely a bad one. Overcrowded boats can make it hard for the driver to see. In the event of a boat accident, there may not be enough space for each passenger to place themselves in a safe area of the boat.

A truck accident early this morning in College Area, San Diego was pretty bad, but it could have been worse. An individual suspected of drunk driving was taken into custody by city police after leaving a trail of destruction behind his Budget Rental truck. A passenger was also brought in by officers, but later released.

Just past midnight, College Area residents were jarred awake by a series of loud crashes. Outside, the rental truck driver had lost control of his vehicle and careened into a Mitsubishi Montero, shattering glass and knocking off a taillight. Swerving onto the sidewalk, the driver next rammed into a palm tree and concrete pylon before striking a local Greek restaurant.

Of all the damaged property, the restaurant likely suffered the most, losing a window, part of the front of the building and some of the roof. Still moving, the rental truck smashed through several more trees and into the Progress Management building, again taking out windows and chunks of the building.

A squad car was nearly totalled and two police officers were hospitalized last Thursday when a speeding driver blew through a stop sign and broadsided the officers as they made their way through an intersection. The early-morning car accident took place in City Heights, next to Orange and Altadena avenues.

Witnesses described the car crash as a sudden explosion. Sleepers were jarred awake and those who were already up rushed outside to see what had happened. What they saw, was a smashed police car, severely damaged GMC pickup truck and number of other vehicles with minor to major damage caused by the out-of-control truck and flying debris.

The truck's driver, Robert Jose O'Connell, was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle, suffering a traumatic head injury. Doctors are currently keeping O'Connell in a medically-induced coma to prevent further brain damage.

Both police officers were bruised and sore, but escaped the accident without major injury.