A car accident in Los Angeles involving a hit-and-run driver, resulted in life-threatening injuries for 3-year-old Lany Castillo the afternoon of January 13, 2012. CBS Los Angeles reports that the injury crash happened at the intersection of Mulberry Drive and Laurel Avenue in Whittier. Police say 25-year-old Matthew Parker of Garden Grove was under the influence and driving at an excessive rate of speed when he blew through a red light at the intersection and collided with a Toyota Corolla. Lany, who was a passenger in the Toyota suffered severe head injuries. Her grandmother, Estella Garcia, and her grandfather, Jorge Garcia, 55, were also injured. Parker left the scene, but was apprehended shortly afterward and charged with felony DUI and hit-and-run.

My heart goes out to little Lany, her grandparents and their family members for what they are going through at this time. I pray for a speedy and complete recovery for these victims.

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If you haven't heard several times already the last few years, Johnson & Johnson have recalled their DePuy hip replacement device due to complications. The DePuy ASR XL Acetabular System and the DePuy ASR Hip Resurfacing System were part of the massive, worldwide recall. The DePuy recall is due to the high revision rate of these two products -- or in other words -- the amount of corrective surgeries needed to fix problems with the initial installation.

DePuy reported that somewhere near 12-13% of all patients that had the hip replacement systems implanted needed corrective surgery to fix problems. A more than 1 in 10 failure rate is unacceptable which is why the devices were pulled from the market. However, the British Orthopedic Association said that the revision rate was 21% after four years and 49% after six years!

Approximately 93,000 patients worldwide have had these devices installed since they were released onto the market.

DePuy announced the recall of these hip replacements in August of 2010, approximately eight months after recalling the devices in Australia. Why did it take so long to do so here? That's anybody's guess, but Johnson & Johnson would have you believe it's symantics. Read full story »

A school bus accident the afternoon of January 12, 2012 resulted in injuries for a bicyclist, who officials said, was a man in his 40s. The Orange County Register reports that the accident happened at Lincoln Avenue and Empire Street when an Anaheim Union High School District bus, which was not carrying any students, struck the bicyclist. The man was pinned under the bus. However, he did not suffer critical injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Officials are looking into what caused this bus versus bicycle accident.

My heart goes out to this injured bicycle accident victim. It is indeed fortunate that his injuries were not life-threatening. I pray that he recovers swiftly and fully from whatever injuries he has suffered.

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A car accident in Fountain Valley resulted in severe injuries for a 29-year-old Huntington Beach bicyclist the afternoon of January 11, 2012. The Orange County Register reports that the major injury collision happened at Bushard Street and Talbert Avenue. Police say two SUVs collided at the intersection and one of them veered and struck the bicyclist who was waiting at the corner for the lights to change. The bicyclist was transported to an area hospital with major injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

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A car accident in San Diego resulted in major injuries for a 20-year-old skateboarder the evening of January 9, 2012. City News Service reports that the incident, which involved a hit-and-run driver, occurred near the intersection of Oleander Avenue and Alamitos Way in San Marcos. Police say the victim was riding a skateboard in the area when he was struck. The driver left the scene, but was arrested shortly afterward. The man who was hit sustained severe head trauma. An investigation is ongoing.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victim of this hit-and-run car accident. I pray that he recovers swiftly and fully from whatever injuries he has sustained.

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One of the most frustrating elements of being involved in a car accident is the time it takes to receive the financial compensation you want and need. Each car accident case is different which presents a challenge when car accident lawyers in Irvine are required to give an estimated time frame for a presented case.

Irvine car accident lawyers will use a variety of factors to determine how long a particular car accident case will take. The following are some factors they commonly use.

Time Associated with Procuring Documents

Lawyers and law firms will need to gain access to hundreds of documents that are necessary to your particular car accident case. The problem is not all documents are found in one place, and some require you to grant permission for the law firm to see. It can take anywhere from four to six months to ensure that the law firm has all the documents they need for the case.

Time to Prepare for Depositions

The law firm or lawyer you hire to represent you will need to make sure that you are prepared for your deposition. Many car accident cases require that you give a deposition, which is where you answer a series of questions under oath, and the answers are recorded by a court reporter. A lawyer will need to assess how long it will take to prepare for the deposition as they will need to prepare you for the type of questions that will be asked. In most cases, lawyers won’t give you the answers to these questions but they will prepare you for what is going to be asked.

Possibility of a Settlement or Trial

Lawyers will need to assess whether there is a possibility of a settlement or a trial.   Orange County Car accident victims may receive more through a trial but the process can be lengthy, time-consuming and expensive.   A law firm or car accident attorney will assess whether a trial or settlement is possible when giving you a time frame for your case. In some instances, a lawyer may give you two time frames: the time associated with a trial, and the time associated with seeking a settlement.

Every car accident case is different, and the time frame given will vary.  The best Irvine car accident attorneys will offer a free consultation where you can get an estimate on how long your accident case may take.

A car accident in Los Angeles County resulted in injuries for a couple whose vehicle, officials say, was struck by a red light runner. The Cerritos-Artesia Patch reports that the accident, which involved three vehicles, happened at the intersection of Shoemaker Avenue and Artesia Boulevard in Cerritos, the evening of January 8, 2012. Officials say the blue Kia minivan carrying the husband and wife was hit by a Mitsubishi Lancer driven by an 18-year-old Fullerton man. The minivan rolled over and collided with a Toyota Sienna. The man and his wife sustained injuries, but are expected to survive. No citations have been issued pending an official investigation.

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A car accident in San Bernardino, which officials say involved a hit-and-run driver, proved fatal for 26-year-old Terrell Conner. The Press-Enterprise reports that the fatal pedestrian accident happened during the early morning hours of January 8, 2012 near the intersection of Vineyard Avenue and Ninth Street in Rancho Cucamonga. Authorities say Conner was struck by a vehicle whose driver left the scene. Officials are looking for the driver of a Ford F-150 pickup truck as "a person of interest." Police are still looking for the suspect and more information about this incident. An investigation is underway.

I offer my heartfelt sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Terrell Conner following this hit-and-run car accident. Conner's grieving family will be in my prayers.

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A car accident in Riverside left a 62-year-old woman seriously injured the evening of January 4, 2012. The Press-Enterprise reports that the injury collision happened at the intersection of Heacock Street and Kernwood Drive in Moreno Valley. Police said a Honda car struck the woman who was crossing the roadway. The driver did not stop and fled the scene. The suspect vehicle has been described as a 1990s model two-door Honda with a black hood. The woman was transported to a hospital with fractures and head trauma. Police are still looking for the hit-and-run driver.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victim of this hit-and-run car accident who has been severely injured. I pray for her swift and full recovery.

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A car accident in Los Angeles involving a suspected drunk driver proved fatal for 26-year-old comedian Angelo Bowers, early morning on January 3, 2012. KTLA News reports that the deadly collision happened at the intersection of Vine and Yucca streets in Hollywood, when a Toyota Matrix struck the Jeep Wrangler in which Bowers was a passenger. Officials determined that the 21-year-old driver of the Toyota was under the influence and caused a hit-and-run collision in Hollywood just five minutes prior to the fatal crash. Bowers died from his injuries a few hours after the crash, while the driver of the Jeep, Josh Adam Meyers, suffered severe injuries. The driver of the Toyota faces felony DUI and murder charges.

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