Chico-Paradise, CA Personal Injury Blog

A Pacifica, California woman died this summer after being mauled by her family's pet pit bull. The woman suffered major trauma in the attack and could not be resuscitated, despite the best efforts of first responders on the scene. The dog, a two-year old unneutered male, was killed by police after it escaped the backyard in which it had been secured following the attack.

This tragic event marked the first dog-related death in Pacifica in over 25 years, although at least three Bay Area residents have been killed by dogs in the last decade. While fatalities are thankfully rare, many California residents suffer personal injury from dog bites and other animal attacks every year.

California Law Provides Remedies for Dog Bite Victims

Californians injured by a dog bite may be entitled to compensation from the dog's owner. California is one of many states that hold a dog owner "strictly liable" for the animal's behavior, meaning that it is not necessary for an injured person to show that the dog bite was caused by the owner's negligent behavior.

When California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed The Protection of Parent-Child Relationships Act, groups that advocate for non-biological parents were justifiably pleased. The new law, authored by San Mateo Assemblyman Jerry Hill, allows California family courts some discretion to grant parental rights to individuals who have an established relationship with a child, even if a biological father has stepped forward with a voluntary declaration of paternity.

The new law allows courts to take into account existing bonds between a child and an individual whom they have recognized as a parent in adoption proceedings. The bill, which has major implications for individuals in same-sex relationships, passed in both the Senate and Assembly with considerable majorities.

A Northern California teen recently earned the inauspicious distinction of being the third student driver to collide with a California Department of Motor Vehicles building in recent years. The teen apparently mistook the gas pedal for the brake and crashed into the side of the Roseville DMV, knocking a five-foot hole in the building's wall and putting the office out of commission for four days.

While this story may seem like something out of an old cartoon, car accidents caused by inexperienced drivers are no laughing matter.

Immaturity and inexperience can be a dangerous, and all too often deadly, combination for many teens. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, who suffered 4,054 accident-related fatalities in 2008.

Graduated License Programs Do Little to Decrease Risk

California, like many states, has attempted to curb the rate of teen-driving accidents by implementing a graduated license program for young drivers. Under the program, teens who pass their driving test are issued a provisional license that puts a one-year restriction on operating a motor vehicle between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Further, drivers under the age of 20 are prohibited from having passengers in the car unless they are supervised by an adult over the age of 25.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced plans to consider limiting the speed of heavy commercial trucks to 68 mph. If adopted, the new rule will require trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds to install speed-regulating engine controls called electronic control modules (ECMs).

A study being conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on the safety and economic impact of truck speed limiters will be reviewed before a change is finalized. If approved, a rule limiting truck speeds will join other proposed regulatory initiatives.

Other Safety Measures Studied

In 2000, large truck accidents were linked to 5,211 fatalities and 140,000 injuries. Committed to reducing this toll, the FMCSA is exploring a number of potential safety measures.

In a report to Congress in 2011, the FMCSA indicated research support for the use of event data recorders (EDRs) to reduce crash risks. Once installed, EDRs gather vehicle data including speed, braking and throttle position during truck operation. Analysis of this data helps pinpoint problems and improve driving behavior, thus reducing the risk of a crash.

The Every 15 Minutes program originated in Canada and came to the United States in the 90s when Chico, California, police instituted the program. The name is derived from the fact that every 15 minutes someone was killed as a result of a drunk-driving accident.

There seems no end to new ideas regarding social media. Bump.com is the latest - a social networking site that features online profiles similar to those on Facebook or LinkedIn, but for your car.

Here's how it works:

• Bump creates a unique profile for your car based on your license plate number

Your odds are far better if you wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. The Rooney Law Firm says always drive as if you are invisible.

According to MedPage Today, a recent study of 40,890 motorcycle accidents-apparently the largest study of its kind so far-finds that the likelihood of death in a motorcycle accident goes down by 37 percent with a helmet, and the likelihood of traumatic brain injury goes down by a whopping 65 percent.

Pedestrian accidents never seem to receive as much attention as a serious car or truck accident, although in many cases the injuries to the victim are just as severe. Drivers may not see those in crosswalks, leaving the victim defenseless against an oncoming vehicle. In pedestrian crosswalk cases, the pedestrian often takes the full impact of the crash, with very little time to react and avoid the vehicle.

It is not uncommon for these accidents to result in death for the pedestrian. Alex Kirst, former drummer for Iggy Pop, was recently struck and killed as he walked along Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City. Investigators determined that a white Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon apparently struck Kirst and fled the scene. There was no evidence that the driver made any attempt to stop before he or she drove into Kirst.