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Highway Fatalities Down In California

Date: 09/09/2010


Highway fatalities in California have decreased according to a recent study by the Reason Foundation. The nonprofit group has been tracking highway conditions throughout the country since 1984, utilizing the most recent statistics to compile a report each year, explains a California car accident attorney. For this year’s 19th Annual Highway Report, the group used statistics from 2008, rating California three places lower than the previous year: the state’s ranking dropped from 16th to 13th in the nation for the highway fatality rate per 100 million miles driven.

California’s ranking, however, did not change in other categories: urban interstate congestion (50th), highway performance and cost effectiveness (48th), and urban interstate conditions (49th). Not only do Californians endure the worst traffic in the country, they must also drive over the most potholes on urban Interstates—although, Hawaiians also share this latter problem. A quarter of all urban interstate pavement in California and Hawaii is in poor condition.

With hazardous road conditions and the nation’s most congested highways, how is the fatality rate so low in California? The correlation between road conditions, traffic, and fatality rates seems paradoxical, especially after examining the rankings of states with high fatality rates, such as West Virginia.

Despite receiving the 4th highest highway-fatality ranking (47th), West Virginia ranked much lower than California in the categories of road conditions and traffic: the state placed 28th in urban interstate conditions and 8th in urban interstate congestion. Many West Virginia Injury Lawyers found the high fatality-rate ranking quite disturbing.

“Californians are well aware of how bad the traffic and road conditions are here,” remarked a California car accident attorney, “but many were pleasantly surprised by the low fatality ranking.”

To request additional information on this subject or to speak with a California car accident attorney, feel free to call 866-981-5596.





Child Died In Santa Ana Van Accident

Date: 09/09/2010


In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the driver of a van stopped for a red light on Bristol Street in Santa Ana. When the signal changed and he accelerated, the door to the van slid open and his 4-year-old boy fell out. Paramedics rushed the boy to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery, but the child died from his injuries. The Orange County Register reported this fatal California injury.

Santa Ana Police are investigating the tragic van accident. Witnesses are urged to contact Cpl. John Crews at 714-245-8217.

In the United States, injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children. Properly securing children in car seats reduces the risk of serious or fatal child injuries by more than 50 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The newspaper’s California injury report noted that witnesses claimed the boy was in his car seat before the accident occurred. If this was the case, explains an Orange County accident lawyer, there may have been a manufacturer defect with the child seat or it may not have been used correctly. The improper use of child seats is a prevalent problem, resulting in numerous accidents each year, according to the CDC. It is important to secure children in seats that are appropriate to their age and size.

The Orange County accident lawyers at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer their condolences to the family of the boy. They will be in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

As a public service, we offer informative articles and books on numerous subjects related to personal injury law.

If you would like to request an article or book, or if you need to speak with an Orange County accident lawyer, call 866-981-5596.





Medication Errors In California Nursing Homes: Orange County Injury Attorney Recommends Written Medical Directive

Date: 09/03/2010


Last week an Orange County jury awarded $3.1 million to a woman who suffered a medication overdose at a skilled nursing home that left her brain damaged. Barbara Lefforge, only 57 years old was sent to St. Edna’s center for rehabilitation after a tendon repair surgery. She had only been there 5 ½ hours when the medication error occurred, explained an Orange County injury attorney.

According to court records, after her surgery her doctor recommended that she stay at St. Edna’s skilled nursing facility until she recuperated. She was mistakenly given 50mg of morphine instead of 50mg of Demerol. Since this was such an excessive dose, Lefforge’s attorney argued that medical personnel should have questioned that dosage order. Moreover the staff pharmacist even warned that the dosage was too high, but Lefforge’s doctor had doubled it, so she was given that quantity of medication.

Lefforge was left unmonitored until the next morning when she was found barely breathing due to the medication error. She had suffered from a major overdose of morphine. After being taken to the hospital, it was established that she had suffered a brain injury from the excessive morphine dose.

St. Edna Rehabilitation Center is one of 25 California rehab facilities owned by Covenant Care. Since 2004, they have accepted more than $880 million in additional compensation from the state for increased wages and staffing. According to the non-profit group, “California Watch”, it found that many Covenant Care facilities actually reduced their staff and let nursing ratios go below state standards during this time.

Tragically this is not an isolated case. Nearly one in five dosing orders of all nursing homes and hospitals has medication errors. These odds are unacceptable. In many cases, these patients are there for short stays while rehabilitating, not lifelong residents. It is for this reason that every citizen should have an up-to-date medical directive.

Only about 20% of Americans have a medical directive document; however, explained an Orange County injury attorney, it is one of the most important documents a person can have. The Advanced Health Care Directive is the best way to make known your health care wishes if you are incapacitated and can’t communicate your wishes.

Unfortunately, just telling your wishes to your husband or wife does not automatically ensure that they will be honored. Here in California, the law gives you two options for your directive: you can either appoint another person who can make the decisions for you or you can make your desires known through writing your own advanced directive. Either way, it’s important to meet with a professional lawyer to discuss your legal options.

If you have a loved one in any type of nursing facility, it would be wise to double-check that their medical directive matches the instructions that the staff has. If you have any questions or concerns regarding a nursing home in California, visit www.nursinghomeguide.org/ for a complete listing by city or county of local elder facilities and their violations, staffing policies, and complaints.

James Ballidis is an Orange County injury attorney specializing in injury claims arising from medical malpractice and medication errors, subjects on which he has written extensively. To request a copy of one of his articles or to discuss your rights and options after an accident, feel free to call 866-981-5596.