FAA Says Runway Plane Accident Numbers Down
The Federal Aviation Administration has some encouraging news for California aviation accident lawyers. There has been a decline in the number of plane collisions on American runways, including at Los Angeles International airport. In fact, according to the FAA, the drop in runway collisions has dropped to its most significant level in a decade.
The number of near misses declined by more than 50 percent, and dropped from 25 cases in fiscal year 2008, to 12 cases in the fiscal year that ended on September 30th. The drop in accident numbers was especially significant in incidents involving at least one commercial airliner. The number of near misses involving commercial airliners fell from 9 in the fiscal year 2008 to 2 this year.
According to the FAA Administrator, the decline can be attributed to a sustained program to reduce the number of collisions and near misses on American runways. The FAA in 2007 began a program that included addition of new safety technologies, and revising of plane taxiing procedures. The FAA also pressured airline companies and airports to introduce safety improvements. This included repainting runway markers and adding sophisticated safety systems that cost millions of dollars. All these efforts have paid off, and the results can be seen in a significant drop in accidents on airport runways.
Los Angeles International Airport has also been able to reduce the number of runway incursions that frequently place planes at risk of an accident. These incursions occur when planes don’t stop at hold lines on the taxiways that lead to the runways. A plane that strays too far from the line is at a higher risk of an accident with other planes. Between 1999 and 2007, Los Angeles Airport had some of the worst safety records in the country, with the most number of runway safety violations. In one of the most serious of such incidents, two commercial airliners came within 37 feet of each other, avoiding a potentially serious accident. Since then, Los Angeles airport authorities have invested at least $350 million in improvements, including installing a taxiway between two southern runways, where a high number of incursions used to take place.
Installing the taxiways have brought down the number of incursions on runways, and have helped prevent accidents and near misses. In June this year, Los Angeles airport also began operation of a new warning system along one of its runways and 8 taxiways that were determined to be at the highest risk for a collision. The warning systems cost $7 million to set up, and involved radar connected to runway lights. When the radar detects a situation in which there could be possibly be a conflict between two planes, the lights on the runway automatically go red, warning pilots about a potential accident. Los Angeles airport also asked airlines to install sophisticated cockpit systems that allow pilots to see their exact location at the airport, and also have access to information about the runways that they are about to enter, cross or leave.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, runway collisions are on the list of its most necessary safety improvements. The worst plane accident in history involved not sabotage or terrorism, but two planes at a Canary Islands airport in 1997 crashing into each other on the runway, killing 583 people.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated to the representation of personal injury victims. Please visit our website at
trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
Man, Child Killed in Humboldt Drowsy Driving Accident
A Crescent City man and a 5-year-old boy were killed over the weekend in what is believed to be a drowsy driving accident.
According to the Times-Standard, 27-year-old Maira Montez was driving on US highway 101 when she apparently fell asleep. As she dozed off, her Chevrolet Suburban drifted to the eastern shoulder, and traveled on the shoulder for about 300 feet. When she woke up and steered her car back on the highway, the sudden movement caused the car to spin, resulting in the vehicle striking a tree on the side of the highway. A 54-year-old man and a 5-year-old child were seriously injured, and died at the scene of the accident. Montez and two other passengers in her car were moderately injured.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every year there are an estimated 100,000 accidents that can be traced to drowsy driving. These accidents injure an estimated 71,000 people, and more than 1,500 people die.
Unfortunately, even with these vast numbers of automobile accidents every year that can be traced to motorists driving in a drowsy state, there is very little education and awareness about the dangers of drowsy driving. Plenty of attention is focused on preventing drunk driving, and driving without seatbelts which in the past, contributed to a majority of traffic accident fatalities. Education campaigns over the years and stronger laws punishing impaired driving and failure to buckle up, have contributed to a growing intolerance towards these practices. As a result, there are fewer accidents that are traced to impaired driving or failure to wear seatbelts. However, the rates of drowsy accident deaths have remained the same.
According to statistics, most drowsy driving accidents occur in the early morning hours. The numbers of these accidents also seem to peak in the middle afternoon. Different age groups are at risk for such accidents at different times of the day. People aged between 18 and 45 have a higher risk of drowsy driving accidents in the late night and early morning hours. In contrast, elderly people are most likely to fall asleep during the afternoon siesta time, with serious consequences.
California personal injury lawyers have warned that drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. While an impaired driver suffers from slow reflexes and may be too slow to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision, a drowsy driver may fall asleep at the wheel with his foot on the gas pedal, unable to brake and unaware that he is going to collide with anther vehicle, until it’s too late. It’s easy to understand why these accidents are usually devastating.
Experts suggest the following tips to prevent drowsy driving accidents:
* Don’t drive if you begin to doze off. If you feel yourself beginning to nod off, pull over and take a nap.
* Naps mustn’t be too long or they will leave you groggy. A 20 minute nap in the driver’s seat followed by coffee, can leave you fresh and ready to drive again.
* Traveling with a passenger can keep you awake.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated to the representation of personal injury victims. Please visit our website at
trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
California Highway Patrol Continues Investigation into Fatal Accident
The California Highway Patrol is continuing investigations into the fatal accident last week, involving a truck that drove the wrong way, killing a Goleta resident.
According to news reports, a white Verizon Communications truck entered highway 101 from the northbound end of the ramp and drove in the southbound direction. The resulting accident involved at least 7 vehicles, all which were damaged. Ultimately, the truck crashed into a mini van. The driver of the van Jose Raul Reyes Vega of Goleta was killed in the accident. None of the occupants of the vehicles that were damaged, suffered any injuries.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the investigation may take a few weeks because of the severity of the accident. The CHP will consider the causes of the accident, and recommend charges to the district attorney’s office. The driver of the truck, Mark Selander, has not been charged or arrested. CHP officials say that he does not remember the accident. There is speculation that Selander, who sustained minor injuries in the crash, may have suffered a medical condition at the time of the crash.
It’s too early to say why Selander ended up driving the wrong way as he did. However, as Los Angeles personal injury lawyers see, wrong way driving is an important, if less frequent, factor in traffic accidents in California. Nationwide, 300 lives are lost every year in accidents caused by wrong way driving.
A motorist could end up going the wrong way for a number of reasons.
* A motorist who is driving intoxicated is more likely to make driving errors, and this includes driving in the opposite direction.
* Many times, wrong way driving may occur because of errors made during driving. A motorist, who is driving at night in a new part of town, is more likely to end up going in the wrong direction.
* Besides, drivers who suffer from a medical condition behind the wheel may feel disoriented, and end up driving in the opposite direction. For instance, a driver who suffers from a cardiac arrest or goes into diabetic coma or suffers a seizure behind the wheel, may make deadly driving errors that can have fatal consequences.
Whatever the cause, wrong way accidents often have devastating consequences. These accidents may not occur as frequently, but when they do occur, there are often fatalities, or serious injuries. That’s because of the massive impact of these accidents. Often, persons who are driving towards the wrong way driver may not notice the other car in time to avoid an accident. There may be very little time to avoid impact, and the consequences of a full-on collision can be very serious.
Some medical conditions may lead to disorientation, drowsiness, dizziness, and loss of concentration behind the wheel with serious risk of an accident. Motorists who suffer from a medical condition that could impact their driving are required to self police themselves, so that they don’t place their lives and others’ in danger. They must make sure that they are not driving alone, and that they take their medications regularly.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated to the representation of personal injury victims. Please visit our website at
trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
Two DJs Killed in Possible Drunk Driving Accident Outside Ventura
Last week, two local jockeys were killed in what is believed to be a drunk driving accident on highway 118 just outside Ventura. The two men, David Joseph Garcia of Port Hueneme and Alex Estrada of Ventura were in a car that was struck head-on by a vehicle driven by an impaired driver. Garcia was declared dead at the scene, while Estrada died a few hours later at a Ventura County Hospital. Garcia’s wife Sonia sustained serious injuries in the accident. The driver who struck the car has been identified as Jorge Hernandez. He has been arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence.
The two DJ’s were returning home from an event for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Fillmore. They had been playing music during the all night walkathon, keeping spirits up. According to the Ventura County Star, Garcia was personally involved with the cancer cause. His mother is a cancer survivor, and his father died of the disease. The two had been doing their bit to support the cause. Hernandez had been driving westbound in the eastbound lane at the time of the accident. Investigators are looking into how long he had been driving the wrong way until his pickup truck collided with Garcia’s car. According to the California Highway Patrol, this year there have been 8 people killed in Ventura County in confirmed or suspected drunk driving accidents. Meanwhile, the local DJ community in Ventura has been shattered by Garcia and Estrada’s deaths. The deaths of these two men in a drunk driving accident has already led to calls for stricter action against drunk drivers.
The Ventura County Star ran an editorial calling for the passage of a bill that requires installation of ignition interlock systems on all vehicles owned by people convicted of drunk driving. Under assembly bill 91, there will be a pilot program for 5 years in four counties under which these devices will be installed on vehicles owned by any motorist convicted of drunk driving. The device detects alcohol on the breath of the motorist, and if alcohol is detected, shuts down the ignition and prevents the car from starting. The cost of installation which is between $75 and $100, as well as the cost of monitoring the device which works out to $75 per month, will be borne by the offender.
As it now stands, the law allows a judge to decide if the ignition interlock device must be installed on a first time or repeat offender’s vehicle. However, the bill has its opponents in the American Beverage Institute which says that California, because of its current fiscal problems, will not be able to strictly enforce the law. The ABI also opposes the bill because it believes that any such measure must target only repeat DUI offenders, and not first timers. The bill is currently on the desk of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Unfortunately, it seems to have become caught up in political squabbles. Governor Schwarzenegger has threatened to veto any bill that the lands on his desk, unless lawmakers act to pass a water package.
Many California personal injury lawyers find it unfortunate that a bill which will go a long way in saving lives is mired in political one-upmanship.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated to the representation of personal injury victims. Please visit our website at
trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
Riverside Man Charged in Fatal Car Accident
Last year, 2-year-old Sophia Sales died when a pickup crashed into the back of the SUV she was in. The driver of the pickup has now been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.
In December, John Sales of Orange was driving with his two children, 2-year Sophia and three-month-old Connor in the backseat. Sales had stopped his SUV on the freeway, because the car in front of him had stopped after experiencing a tire blowout. He was unable to change lanes, and go around the stopped car because of heavy traffic.
At that point, Armstrong Owen Kitchen who was driving his Chevrolet pickup just behind Sales, struck the SUV. He was driving at 55 to 65 mph at the time. The SUV was pushed into the disabled car. The two children, their father and Kitchen were taken to hospital for treatment of their injuries, but Sophia died later that day. She had suffered serious head and chest injuries. Kitchen has now been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. He also faces charges relating to possession of marijuana while driving. At the time of the accident however, he was not found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Driving at high speeds doesn’t simply have to mean that a person is driving at above the posted speed limits. A motorist may also be said to be driving at high speeds when he is driving too fast for the road conditions. Motorists must be alert at all times and take traffic conditions into consideration while driving. Speeds must be lowered when there are traffic backups, when other cars are stopped or broken down, when there is an accident on the highway, or in poor weather. Motorists, who are distracted because of their cell phones, or other distractions, may also not be able to stop in time to avoid a crash.
Wrongful Death Damages in California
California’s laws allow families of victims of auto accidents to claim wrongful death compensation from the negligent party. A wrongful death, simply speaking, occurs when a person dies because of the carelessness or recklessness of another. A wrongful death doesn’t have to occur in an automobile accident. A wrongful death can occur because of fires and explosions, from defective products, as a result of unsafe premises and many other instances of negligence.
Under California’s laws, wrongful death damages can be claimed only by people who have relationship with the victim. Possible claimants include the spouse, or the victim’s children. They may also include any stepchildren or minors who have been living in the victim’s house for at least 6 months, if these were dependant on the victim. Parents of the victim may also be eligible to file a claim.
Wrongful death damages can include compensation for the financial support that the victim could have provided if he had lived. This can include any gifts or benefits that the deceased could have provided, had he lived. Wrongful death damages can also cover other kinds of expenses, like funeral and burial expenses, and loss of household services. A California wrongful death lawyer will be able to determine the extent of uyro rights under the laws.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated to the representation of personal injury victims. Please visit our website at
trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.