Dunnion Law Firm

     A Hollister family refused to believe the motorist who blamed their father for causing his own death when in fact, it was the motorist who cut their father off causing a horrific accident which led to his death. The Rodriguez family sued the motorist for the untimely death of their father, German Rodriguez, who was also a local area minister, and has obtained over $2 million--the largest private settlement in the history of San Benito County for a case of this nature. The familys lawsuit against Jeffrey Steven Huff, a Watsonville resident, and his employer, Santa Cruz-based The Ledyard Company, sought damages for the grisly decapitation death of respected Hollister minister, German Rodriquez. Mr. Rodriguez was killed on April 25, 2005, when Jeffrey Huff suddenly cut into his lane of travel on San Felipe Road, forcing Mr. Rodriguezs car into the path of an oncoming big-rig. Mr. Rodriguez was killed instantly by the impact. His daughter, who was a passenger, survived the crash, but was trapped in the vehicle and forced to witness the brutally grotesque death of her father. A Good Samaritan motorist came to her immediate aid and gave comfort during the ordeal. The Hollister Police Department investigated the accident and found no fault on the part of Mr. Rodriguez. However, Jeffrey Huff placed all blame for the collision entirely on Mr. Rodriguez in his own defense against the lawsuit. With this settlement, which was agreed to without admission of liability, the Rodriguez family feels satisfied that their father is fully vindicated and cleared of any fault in this tragic accident. According to Joel Rodriguez, German Rodriguezs eldest son: We miss our Father everyday, he was our role model and our guiding light. We are satisfied that our attorneys have settled this case against the person who caused this accident. We can finally put this ordeal behind us." The Rodriguez family was represented in this action by The Dunnion Law Firm, a Monterey-based law firm, which represents clients throughout the San Francisco/San Jose bay area, the Central Coast and the entire San Joaquin Valley.

The family of a 19-year-old fraternity pledge killed in an apparent hazing incident has filed a lawsuit against Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina, the Theta Chi fraternity, fraternity members and university administrators. According to the lawsuit, Harrison Kowiak was forced to run back and forth through a dark field as other fraternity members repeatedly tackled him. Kowiak died of a severe brain hemorrhage as a result of the activity, the lawsuit claims.  AP, Miami Herald  07/31/2009
 

If you or someone you know has been injured in an incident like this or another type of accident, don’t guess about your rights or what you deserve as compensation. Call the Dunnion law Firm at 1-800-386-6466 for an immediate free consultation or submit the contact information to our firm. We can help you!

A Montana fishing lodge was negligent in the death of a 58-year-old woman who died in a fire in 2006, a lawsuit filed by the woman's estate claims. According to the lawsuit, the owners of the business failed to install smoke detectors and other fire safety measures. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages on behalf of the woman's estate and a jury trial.  AP, Chicago Tribune  08/03/2009

If you or someone you know has been injured in an incident like this or another type of accident, don’t guess about your rights or what you deserve as compensation. Call the Dunnion law Firm at 1-800-386-6466 for an immediate free consultation or submit the contact information to our firm. We can help you!

Officer Quesada stated the crash took place at approximately 2:30 a.m. and the driver whose identity has not been pending notification of his next of kin is described as a 27 year old man from Aliso Viejo.

 

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Two West Virginia bars that served a patron later involved in deadly auto crash knew or should have known that he was impaired, a lawsuit filed by the families of those killed or injured in the crash claims. According to reports, the driver blamed for the crash had been arrested at least six times for DUI prior to the accident. The lawsuit names the driver Brian Stone, Automatic Slim's Hot Spot and Novichenk's Tailgater's Pub 2 as defendants. AP, Philadelphia Inquirer 07/07/2009

If you or someone you know has been injured in an incident like this or another type of accident, don’t guess about your rights or what you deserve as compensation. Call the Dunnion law Firm at 1-800-386-6466 for an immediate free consultation or submit the contact information to our firm. We can help you!

The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort and others have agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a 13-year-old boy killed in a 2005 avalanche on Mount Charleston. According to the lawsuit, the resort ignored avalanche warnings on the day of incident in order to save money. Investigators concluded that the resort failed to comply with multiple safety measures on the day the boy was killed. David Kihara, Las Vegas Review Journal 07/07/2009

If you or someone you know has been injured in an incident like this or another type of accident, don’t guess about your rights or what you deserve as compensation. Call the Dunnion law Firm at 1-800-386-6466 for an immediate free consultation or submit the contact information to our firm. We can help you!

June 26, 2009 - Tracy, CA.  An early-morning car crash Friday on MacArthur Drive killed one woman and badly injured her 3-year-old son.

As of Friday afternoon, the boy is in fair condition, Tracy police spokesman Sgt. Tony Sheneman said, and is resting in the pediatric intensive care unit at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center. He was initially listed in critical condition.

Sheneman said police received a call at 3:04 a.m. Friday about an accident on the 1800 block of MacArthur Drive near a curve south of Grant Line Road. Officers arrived two minutes later and found a gray Mitsubishi Eclipse had smashed into a tree.

The 22-year-old woman driving the car was pronounced dead at the scene. Her 3-year-old son, who was thrown from the car, was found about 35 feet north of the crash site in a dry streambed. He was taken to the UC Davis Medical Center by helicopter.

Sheneman said the cause of the accident is still unknown. He said there have been no statements made as to what happened, but police have scanned the damage to the car and will do a computer simulation next week to try to get a better idea of the cause.

He said the mom and her son lived on the outskirts of Tracy.

Police closed the road from the time they arrived until about 9 a.m., Sheneman said.
 

JUNE 28, 2009 - Seaside, CA 

A  48-year-old Seaside woman died after a car she was driving struck a center divider on Highway 1 early this morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said a Seaside couple was traveling south on Highway 1, just north of Fremont Street in Seaside at around 1:40 a.m. when the driver lost control of her 1992 Saturn.

For unknown reasons, the car hit the center divide and subsequently rolled over, officials said.

The driver, without her seatbelt on, was ejected and succumbed to her injuries at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, the CHP said.

The 52-year-old male passenger sustained minor to moderate injuries, CHP said.

If you or someone you know has been injured, call us anytime for free personal injury information.  A Dunnion Law Firm representative will come to you.  No visit to our office is required.

JUNE 26, 2009 - MIAMI, OK -  

MIAMI, OK -- The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is dealing with a major incident on the Will Rogers Turnpike. 

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority tells The News On 6 that eight people were killed in a crash involving five cars and a semi. 

Video from SkyNews6 showed a semi sitting on top of a minivan and another smaller car.  Rescue crews were using three wreckers to try to pull the truck off of the smaller vehicles.

OHP Lt. George Brown said traffic was stopped because of an earlier crash when the big rig slammed into at least three cars, which then crashed into more vehicles.

So far, the OHP has not released any details on the fatalities, including whether they were in the two vehicles that were crushed under the semi or if they were in some of the other cars.

In addition to the first pile-up, the OHP is working three other wrecks in the area.

Meantime, the Emergency Operation Center was on the scene delivering water to motorists stranded on the turnpike due to the wreck.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident like this or any kind of accident, call us anytime for free personal injury information.  We are her to help!

06/26/09 - AP  

CROWN POINT, Ind.—Authorities say an Indiana couple and their three children died when their pickup truck was crushed between two semitrailers and caught fire.

State police say traffic along Interstate 65 in northwestern Indiana had slowed Friday morning and the semitrailer could not stop in time. That semitrailer slammed the pickup truck into another semitrailer.

Those killed were 33-year-old Brian W. Workman and 31-year-old Joanna L. Workman, along with 13-year-old Ashley, 8-year-old Tyler and 1-year-old Ryan Workman. They were from Hobart. The semitrailers' drivers were not injured.

Police closed the highway for more than six hours to clean up the scorched debris.
 

JUNE 24, 2009 - FRESNO  -  Three passengers in a Honda Civic were killed Wednesday night when their car was struck head-on by an alleged drunken driver southeast of Fresno, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The Fresno County Coroner's Office identified the passengers as Francisco Magana, 20, Virginia Garcia, 21, and Vivian Garcia, 14, all of Fresno.

The driver of the Civic, identified as Sergio Barrera Jr., 21, of Fresno, suffered major injuries and was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, the CHP said.

The accident occurred near the intersection of Jensen and Armstrong avenues about 9:30 p.m. Willie Rivera Jr., 32, who was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. His truck sideswiped a Ford pickup before hitting the Civic, the CHP said, and a Daewoo sedan was caught up in the crash.

The driver of the Ford, Shinder Randhawa, 51, and his passenger, Gagandip Randhawa, 25, both of Sanger, and the driver of the Daewoo, Maria Tostado, 26, of Fresno, received minor injuries, the CHP said.

 

06/24/09 - The Associated Press.

VICTORVILLE, Calif.—A Victorville jury has found the California Department of Transportation partially at fault for a car crash that killed two teenage girls and must pay about $6.3 million in damages.

Department attorney Christopher Hiddleson says jurors ruled Friday that Caltrans was partially at fault for the 2004 accident, in which a 17-year-old girl intentionally sped on a rolling road in the San Bernardino Mountains to go airborne but lost control and killed two passengers.

The driver, Gina Norris, pleaded guilty in juvenile court to vehicular manslaughter but got no jail time.

A survivor and mothers of the dead girls sued Caltrans for wrongful death, arguing it knew the road was hazardous. Caltrans argued the road was safe when driven legally.

Hiddleson says Caltrans won't appeal.

Two Carpinteria residents are killed in a rollover accident on Highway 1 in Ventura County.

The accident happened just before 3:00 p.m. Wednesday on northbound Highway 1 near Hueneme Road.

The California Highway Patrol says a brother and sister, 27-year-old Luis Guzman and 22-year-old Cecilia Guzman, died when the Hummer H2 they were riding in rolled over several times, ejecting them. The CHP says they suspect that neither were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.

Luis Guzman was pronounced dead at the scene. Cecilia Guzman died at a hospital in Oxnard several hours later.

The driver suffered minor injuries, and two other passengers who were wearing their seatbelts suffered little to no injuries.

The crash is still under investigation, but drugs or alcohol are not suspected.

The accident caused the closure of northbound Highway 1 for several hours.

Below is a press release from the CHP.

PRESS RELEASE from the California Highway Patrol

On June 17, 2009 at approximately 2:55 p.m. a solo vehicle roll-over collision involving a 2005 Hummer H2 occurred on SR-1 (Pacific Coast Highway) just north of the Hueneme Road under crossing. The collision resulted in the death of a brother and sister identified as Luis Guzman, 27 years of age, and Cecilia Guzman, 22 years of age, both from Carpinteria, CA.
 

Anthony Borrello, 24 years of age from Carpinteria, along with his four passengers, was traveling northbound on PCH in Borrelo's 2005 Hummer H2, at an undetermined speed. For unknown reasons, the vehicle drifted off of the roadway and onto the right shoulder of PCH, just north of Hueneme Road. The vehicle then traveled out of control back into the traffic lanes and into the center median where it rolled over several times. The vehicle eventually came to rest on its wheels within the median. Luis and Cecilia Guzman, both of whom were sitting to the rear, were ejected from the vehicle as it was rolling over. It is suspected that neither one of them was wearing their seatbelt at the time.
 

Emergency personnel from the California Highway Patrol and the Ventura County Fire Department responded to the scene immediately after the collision occurred. Luis Guzman was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later. Cecilia Guzman was transported by ambulance to St. John's Hospital in Oxnard but did not survive her injuries. She was pronounced deceased several hours later. The remaining passengers, identified as Peter Aguilar (26 years of age from Carpinteria) and Pedro Ramirez (24 years of age from Oxnard) were wearing their seatbelts and suffered little to no injuries. The driver, Anthony Borrello, reportedly suffered only minor injuries.
 

The collision forced the closure of the northbound traffic lanes within the immediate area for over three hours. Special investigators from the California Highway Patrol responded to the scene in order to document evidence and to gather clues to help determine the cause of the collision. It was determined at the scene that Borrello was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol prior to the incident. The collision is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
 

Source:  KSBY-TC 06/18/09

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One person has died in an accident on southbound Highway 101 just nort of Refugio Road in Santa Barbara County, east of Gaviota.

According to the Santa Barbara California Highway Patrol the accident happened around 8:50 a.m.

A mother and daughter were heading northbound on Highway 101 in the left lane, travelling from Santa Ana, when the vehicle veered off the roadway. The mother overcorrected as she struggled to straighten the car back out, and the vehicle overturned acoss the median into the southbound lanes.

The mother was partially ejected from the vehicle, having tucked the shoulder strap of her seatbelt under her left arm. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her 12-year-old daughter was wearing her seatbelt correctly and suffered a minor injury to her hand. She was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

The CHP, Santa Barbara Sheriff's deputies, Caltrans and Santa Barbara County Fire crews assisted at the scene.

Traffic on southbound Highway 101 was stopped for about half an hour while crews investigated the scene and cleared the roadway.

The name of the victim will not be released until next of kin has been notified.

 Source:  KSBY.com 06/23/09

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June 22, 2009 - A 48-year-old man was killed when his vehicle rear-ended a big rig in Placer County, authorities said. Jeffrey Koorenny of Winnemucca, Nevada died at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 11 p.m. in an eastbound lane of Interstate 80 near the Highway 193 exit, according to the California Highway Patrol. Koorenny was driving a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck when he reportedly collided with the back of a tractor-trailer that was carrying 79,000 pounds of asphalt, authorities said. Koorenny then swerved into the center divider and back across all three lanes before coming to rest on the shoulder. Rescue personnel attempted CPR before pronouncing him dead at the scene, the CHP said. The driver of the big rig, 60-year-old Miguel Prado of Stockton, was not injured. The CHP is investigating the cause of the accident.

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JUNE 21, 2009 - Three people riding in a Volkswagon Jetta died when their vehicle was sandwiched between big rigs, authorities said. Sabas Rosario, 32, Guadalupe Rosario, 34, and Mayra San Juan, 18, all of Fresno, were killed in the accident on Highway 99 near Fowler, according to the Fresno County Coroner’s Office. The three were traveling north near Manning Avenue around 10 p.m. when their vehicle was hit from behind by a tractor trailer driven by Julian Lenor Garcia, 47, of Fresno, according to the California Highway Patrol. The impact pushed the 1994 Jetta into another big rig driven by Balhar Dosanjh, 52, of Madera, officials said. The impact pushed Dosanjh’s tractor-trailer into a 2007 Dodge Caravan driven by Hardiel Singh, 41, of Fresno. The Caravan then crashed into a GMC Sonoma pickup truck. The CHP is investigating the cause of the accident.

If you or someone you know has been injured, call us anytime for free personal injury information.  A Dunnion Law Firm representative will come to you.  No visit to our office is required. 

If you or someone you know has been injured, call us anytime for free personal injury information.  A Dunnion Law Firm representative will come to you.  No visit to our office is required.

MAY 19, 2009  -  Four people were killed Tuesday morning in a collision on Southbound Highway 101 involving a white Honda and a Chevy truck, the CHP reported. The fatal Greenfield crash occurred at about 5:35 a.m. near Major Farms Road, about halfway between Soledad and Greenfield, six miles south of the location of the April 28 Orion Pacific tourist bus accident.

The Honda Accord, with four passengers, was travelling northbound on Highway 101. The Chevrolet truck was headed southbound. The vehicles collided when the Honda stopped to make a left turn at Major Farms Road. Two passengers in the Honda were ejected. The four casualties were occupants of the Honda Accord, believed to be Greenfield residents between the ages of 18 and 39. The driver of the Chevy truck was the sole survivor of the accident. The cause of the Monterey County crash remains under investigation.

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MAY 15, 2009 A 72-year-old woman was killed when an ATV rolled over on top of her Friday morning in Livermore, in Alameda County. The victim, identified as Joann Lesico, had been feeding cattle with her 96-year-old husband, when he drove the ATV up an embankment and it tipped over, crushing her. The fatal accident happened about 1.5 miles east of 21530 Mines Road, in rural Livermore, at about 7:45 a.m. A caretaker found the couple and called 911. The woman’s husband, whose name was not released, was flown by helicopter to a trauma center, but was not injured. Lesico was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The California Highway Patrol will investigate the cause of the ATV accident.

The make and model of the ATV involved in this fatal ATV rollover accident was not reported. Since there was more than one occupant in the vehicle, it may have been a side-by-side Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) such as a Yamaha Rhino, Polaris Ranger, Arctic Cat Prowler, Kawasaki Mule, or Honda Big Red. UTVs may cause injury or death due to design defects that cause accidents. In 2008 The Consumer Product Safety Commision (CPSC) begain investigating the safety of one of the most popular UTVs, the Yamaha Rhino. After 46 deaths, the Yamaha Rhino ATV was recalled on March 31, 2009.

If you or someone you know has been injured, call us anytime for free personal injury information.  A Dunnion Law Firm representative will come to you.  No visit to our office is required