San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

A woman who is a former lawyer filed suit in a Southern California small claims court against automaker giant Honda for fraud in advertising its fuel efficiency of the Civic and won. The woman claimed that the actual miles per gallon for the Civic were much lower than advertised.

The woman opted out of a similar class action suit against Honda because the payout is approximately $100 to $200. Instead, by winning in small claims court, she was awarded $9,867. The judge presiding over the case said that there was evidence of fraud but not an intentional tort, which would have allowed the Civic owner to seek punitive damages.

The 22-year-old driver of a Nissan Altima took a left turn into the path of a Mercury Mountaineer SUV, causing her and her two passengers significant injury. The Nissan and collided with a third vehicle after impact with the SUV. The three-car collision took place in Vista at the intersection of West Vista Way and Cedar Road.

The local Sheriff's Department spokesman said that they did not believe alcohol played a factor in the accident. Law enforcement officers are continuing their investigation into this serious San Diego car crash.

Motorcyclists, just like car drivers, can cause significant damage to pedestrians when they lose control. A motorcyclist on a 2012 Ducati bike lost control and struck two bicyclists in Alpine Sunday morning. The bicyclists were injured in the collision along Japatul Valley Road and Hidden Glen Road around 10:30 a.m.

The California Highway Patrol reported to the scene of the serious motorcycle collision and confirmed that the motorcyclist did lose control of his motor vehicle. It's unclear at this time whether excessive speed or reckless driving contributed to the motorcycle and bicycle accident, however, no evidence of drug or alcohol use was suspected at the time of the crash.

A woman who killed four in a head-on car accident near Pala Casino in 2007 plead guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and drunken driving causing injury. She is expected to serve 18 years in prison.

The woman entered her plea before the trials was supposed to begin its second day. The first trial resulted in a hung jury.

The European Union's drug regulator announced Friday that it will follow the U.S.'s footsteps in evaluating the safety of the multiple-sclerosis pill Gilenya after one woman died after taking the pill once in November. The American woman was 59-year-old when she took Gilenya and died less than 24 hours later. Her death is still unexplained.

Following the patient's death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that they will conduct a comprehensive safety review of the Novartis medication before issuing any conclusions about the pill. Their review conclusions are expected to be announced in March, although they are not required to follow any specific timeline for their review.

California residents have yet another worry to add to the list - potholes. According to a recent New York Times report, the potholes in Los Angeles and beyond are growing as a huge problem. A 2009 study found that the Los Angeles area had the poorest road quality in the country.

The smallest pothole may also cause another driver to lose control of his or her vehicle, leading to a car accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting important hearings to learn more about aviation accidents at air shows and air races. The NTSB is focused on learning about the popular industry after being tasked with investigating several fatal plane crashes at shows in 2011.

The NTSB hearing, where numerous experts in air shows and aviation will answer questions, is an effort to draw "attention to the safety issues involved in aviation event operations and provide NTSB members and investigative staff with a deeper understanding of regulations, protocols and practices used in the planning and operations of air shows and air races," NTSB spokesperson said.

An uncommon accident involving a motorcyclist and a pedestrian took the life of a pedestrian trying to cross El Camino Real in Carlsbad, a dispatcher said. The accident occurred around 6:40 p.m. Saturday night. The motorcyclist was not injured in the collision with the pedestrian.

According to the Carlsbad dispatcher, emergency responders declared the pedestrian dead at the scene of the crash. Local law enforcement officers closed lanes of traffic while they continued their investigation into the fatal motorcycle accident.