Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Victim Options Following an Alcohol-Related Wreck
Coronavirus lockdowns may have reversed the flow in the fight against drunk drivers. Fatal alcohol-related wrecks have increased 14 percent since 2020. Alcohol is an extremely popular party drug that reduces inhibitions (clouds judgment) and relaxes muscles (impairs motor skills). Either effect is dangerous for motorists. For victims, the combination is often deadly. Even… Read More »
High-Speed Police Chase Kills Two Children
Two young boys, an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old, were killed in a fireball collision triggered by a high-speed police chase on Interstate 805. After a chase that lasted less than five minutes, California Highway Patrol says a 20-year-old hit-and-run suspect crashed his car into another vehicle at the off-ramp of Interstate 805 at 43rd… Read More »
Legal Groundwork in Bus Crash Cases
Municipal and intercity bus crash claims might be the most complex personal injury matters in California. For example, the respondeat superior doctrine usually applies in these wrecks. The public or private company that owned the bus is financially responsible for damages, at least in most cases, even if the bus driver was an independent… Read More »
Fatal NYEE Crash in Chula Vista
Investigators believe that the driver’s excessive speed caused a fatal crash on New Years Eve Eve 2023. The driver was heading south on I-805 around 10:25 a.m. when, for unknown reasons, she slammed into a concrete wall on the overpass and crashed through a guardrail, sending her SUV plunging onto the street below, authorities… Read More »
Possible Defenses in Bicycle Crash Claims
Bicycle-vehicle collisions have a much higher serious injury rate than vehicle-vehicle collisions. Bicyclists account for about 1 percent of the traffic on California roads. But bicycle riders account for about 2 percent of roadway fatalities in the Golden STate. Bicyclists, unlike vehicle occupants, have no safety restraint systems to protect them. Compensation in serious… Read More »
What Causes Ridesharing Accidents?
Ridesharing crashes usually aren’t “accidents.” Instead, driver error causes 98 percent of the vehicle collisions in California. Commercial drivers, like ridesharing operators, are held to a higher standard of care in the Golden State. Therefore, any driver error is usually negligence, or a lack of care. Compensation in a negligence case usually includes money… Read More »
Top Five Car Crash Injuries
Every year, vehicle collisions cause millions of serious or catastrophic (fatal or life-threatening) injuries. The five car crash wounds discussed below account for most of these injuries. In addition to serious or life-threatening, most of these injuries are permanent, at least to some extent. The medical bills alone in a serious injury case usually… Read More »
Legal Options for Injured Workers
After several years of decline, the number of work-related injuries increased substantially in 2022. A sharp increase in the number of occupational diseases, such as hearing loss, mostly fueled the higher numbers. At the same time, another trend, the declining amount of money in the workers’ compensation system, shrunk, mostly because California lawmakers, once… Read More »
What to Expect in a Truck Crash Claim
Almost all truck crash victims can expect a settlement. About 96 percent of vehicle collision claims settle out of court. Out-of-court settlements end cases sooner, so victims receive their compensation sooner. Furthermore, these resolutions avoid an emotional courtroom showdown that many victims are in no shape, mentally, physically or otherwise, to participate in. Some… Read More »
SUV Driver Kills Encinitas Pedestrian
Few details were available after a 37-year-old man died in a pedestrian accident in San Diego County. The crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. on El Camino Real north of Encinitas Boulevard. The man reportedly ran east across the road, mid-block, while a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV was headed north, sheriff’s Lt. David LaDieu said…. Read More »
