Palmdale Accident

With the rainy weekend behind us, the consequences of unsafe drivers is evident in a solo car accident in the early hours of Sunday, February 24, 2008. Many cities throughout the Los Angeles County received inches of rain over the course of a week leaving the roads wet and slippery. Drivers must exercise additional care and awareness while on the road after the tremendous amount of rain that poured throughout the city. The Daily News reported that a 19 year-old man died in a solo-car accident around 6am near Avenue S-8 and 40th Street in the city of Palmdale. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies believe the young man was traveling at a "high rate of speed" and lost control of his Honda Civic consequently driving off into a dirt field. The Honda is believed to have overturned quite a few times, while the driver was ejected from his seat as a result of not wearing a seatbelt.

With the unexpected weather in the past few weeks, drivers must be very careful due to the slippery roads. The probability of having a car accident increases when additional factors, such as rain, affect the everyday driving conditions one is accustomed to. If you are involved in a car accident, please contact Lederer, Nojima, Tagliaferro & LoPresiti for a free consultation.

Cell Phones and Driving

With the new age of technology, everyone would like to have the most up-to-date gadgets from items such as cars, computers, and cell phones. The items one choses to buy is one's own business, but a popular item which has caused an alarming concern are cell phones. Cell phones have been around for a couple of decades now, but their everyday use have caused many (serious) problems. Cell phones have been the cause of many motor vehicle accidents because it diverts a drivers attention from the road. Even with the use of hands-free devices, these items can still cause a driver to lose sight of the road. Exon Mobile researchers discovered drivers using cell phones are as likely to rear-end a vehicle as often as drunk drivers. CHP statistics for 2005 showed that roadway crashes caused by the hand-held cell phones were higher than those of hands-free phones (1,098 v. 102). As a result, California passed a law that will prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, but it does not go into effect until July 1, 2008.

Although we cannot control the use of cell phones, we can control the steps we take when we are involved in a motor vehicle accident. Lederer, Nojima, Tagliaferro & LoPresti, LLP can assist you if you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident. Cell phone talking and negligent drivers exist, but so do dedicated, rigorous attorneys who will work for you at Lederer, Nojima, Tagliaferro & LoPresti, LLP.

Pedestrian v. MTA Accidents

The Los Angeles Times reported a woman was killed by a MTA bus in the busy streets of downtown Los Angeles. In the early morning, at the intersection of Los Angeles Street and Arcadia, a female crossing the street was struck and killed by a MTA bus as it was making a right hand turn. The Times went on to state that the woman was pinned under the bus.

At Lederer, Nojima, Tagliaferro, and LoPresti, LLP we have handled many cases against the MTA and achieved settlements totalling in the millions of dollars, even though the police reports have found that our client was at fault for failure to cross in a cross walk or for chasing a moving bus. Each case and client is different, however, each case is tragic. Our firm works toward achieving justice and assisting family members to move forward after a devastating accident resulting in a catastrophic injury or the wrongful death of a family member. Even if the police report identifies the pedestrian as the party at fault, our firm has reached a large monetary settlement for our clients and their families, because our firm does not believe in impossible cases.