Glendale Personal Injury Lawyer

5 Victims of Long Beach Plane Crash Identified, Lone Survivor In Critical Condition

Greg Owen — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:58:00 GMT

Coroner’s officials have identified all five men killed in a fiery plane crash Wednesday at the Long Beach Airport.

The victims were Mark Llewllyn Bixby, 44, a Long Beach real estate broker and cycling activist; Long Beach real estate investor Thomas Fay Dean, 50; his business partner Jeffrey Albert Berger, 49, of Manhattan Beach; Bruce Michael Krall, 51, of Ladera Ranch; and Kenneth Earl Cruz, 43, of Culver City.

Cruz was reportedly the pilot. He earned his private pilot license in January 2002 and his commercial pilot license in September 2003 and had no previous record of any accidents, according to Federal Aviation Administration officials.

Friends of the victims identified Krall as Dean’s banker.

The Salt Lake City-bound twin-engine plane crashed along the airport runway and burst into flames shortly after takeoff at 10:37 a.m.

Friends described several of the victims as prominent Long Beach business and community leaders and said they were headed to Park City, Utah, to ski.

Airport officials initially said the plane was circling back to land when it crashed, but the FAA has only been able to confirm that the plane took off, immediately turned left and then dived into the airfield, said spokesman Ian Gregor.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, was working with a salvage company Thursday to remove the wreckage and take it to a facility near Palmdale, where it will be examined.

A sixth passenger, real estate executive Mike Jensen, 51, of Long Beach, was the lone survivor of the crash and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Concert-goer Awarded $3.2 Million in Damages

Greg Owen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 10:03:00 GMT

With no lights and no pedestrian walkway available from a Nederlander Greek, Inc. operated parking lot, a night out became a nightmare. Los Angeles personal injury attorneys Greg and Susan Owen from the law firm of Owen, Patterson & Owen recently won $3.2 million in damages for a Greek Theater concert-goer who was injured in a remote parking lot in unsafe condition.

The case of Denise Herron v. Nederlander Greek, Inc. (Los Angeles Superior Court, Department 78, Case No. BC436191) was handed to the jury for its final decision on Friday morning March 7, 2011 after a one-week trial in Department 78 of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Denise Herron, the plaintiff, and her boyfriend went to see the John Legend concert during the 2009 season and were directed to a parking lot which the parking attendants had named “The Jungle.” The Jungle is located in a Griffith Park canyon. John Muse, who has been a safety consultant for over 35 years, testified that the condition of this parking lot and the callous disregard for their patrons’ safety was the worst he had seen in the thousands of cases that he has investigated. He went so far as to say that the actions of Nederlander, the corporation which leases the Greek Theater from the City of Los Angeles, and manages the property, were quasi-criminal.

Greg and Susan Owen, Los Angeles personal injury lawyers, of the law firm Owen, Patterson & Owen represent the plaintiff in this action. Greg Owen, lead trial counsel, stated that “what occurred in that parking lot in September 2, 2009, was unconscionable. All of the lights in the parking lot had been out for several nights before the night that my client and her boyfriend went out for a very special evening, which turned into a nightmare. There’s a reason why they call this The Jungle.” It is essentially an area between two hills where they bulldozed the dirt several years ago. It is incredibly dangerous even when the lights are working. On this particular night, the conditions were described as “pitch black” by parking manager/Nederlander employee, Carlos Robles. Denise Minatoya, the operations manager for the entire facility, admitted on the stand that she had never even been to the Jungle at night in the eight years that she has managed the facility. When she was confronted with the conditions of the parking lot on the night that Denise Herron was injured, she admitted that Nederlander-Greek has exposed its guests to the risk of death or serious bodily injury every night of every season for the last eight years. Minatoya testified that she was unaware that the parking lot did not have a walkway for pedestrians to get to the Greek’s entrance.

The guests had two choices to exit the parking lot. The first was to walk down a narrow dirt road into oncoming traffic, which Minatoya agreed was extremely dangerous. The only other exit was to climb over a two foot fence with a three foot drop on the other side. She chose to take the less dangerous route by following other patrons over the fence. Unable to see where she was going, the plaintiff fell from the ledge. Four major surgeries later, her leg has not healed, and the bone is still in two pieces. She testified that she lost her job as the sports marketing director for the L.A. Sparks. She faces 3-5 more surgeries over the next few years. Beverly Hills orthopedic surgeon, Keith Liberman, M.D., testified that there is a substantial probability that her leg may never heal.

The jury determined that the parking lot was a dangerous condition, and Nederlander-Greek, Inc.’s failure to provide a safe walkway for the guests caused Denise Herron’s injuries, which they valued at $3,236,455.31.

About Owen, Patterson & Owen:
Since 1977, the Owen, Patterson and Owen (OPO) team has successfully handled a range of personal injury cases ranging from slip and fall accidents to medical malpractice and wrongful death. Serving clients nationwide and headquartered in Valencia, Southern California, the personal injury law firm's clients rely on them to look out for their best interests. The firm's dedicated Los Angeles personal injury attorneys played an instrumental role in obtaining a $4.85 billion settlement of the dangerous drug Vioxx and a record-setting $35 million pretrial settlement on behalf of a 12-year-old brain-damaged Palmdale girl. For more information, please visit http://www.OPOLaw.com or call 866.654.4947.

Greg Owen is available for comment at (661)799-3899.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Roche Insulin Delivery Systems Recalls ACCU-CHEK® Infusion Sets

Greg Owen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:10:00 GMT

Roche Insulin Delivery Systems announced today that it is notifying its customers and healthcare professionals about the recall of the ACCU-CHEK® FlexLink Plus infusion set, because of the potential for under delivery of insulin due to a kinked/bent cannula when inserting the ACCU-CHEK FlexLink Plus infusion set. If this remains unnoticed, this can result in under delivery leading to elevation of blood glucose levels.

The symptoms of hyperglycemia include nausea/vomiting, blurred vision, excessive thirst or hunger, frequent urination, fatigue/tiredness/sleepiness, headache, fruity acetone breath and abdominal pain. If untreated hyperglycemia could lead to Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), serious illnesses and in severe cases death. Patients experiencing these symptoms are advised to check their blood glucose to ensure that the blood glucose level is within an acceptable range as defined by the patient’s healthcare team and to follow the medical advice given by the their healthcare team or contact their physician.

Roche Insulin Delivery Systems advises all customers to discontinue use of ACCU-CHEK ® FlexLink Plus infusion set and to contact their physicians or caregivers to determine if any changes to their therapy are needed and the local ACCU-CHEK ® Customer Care 1-800-688-4578 to receive support on obtaining alternative infusion sets, such as the ACCU-CHEK Tender or ACCU-CHEK Rapid-D infusion set. Until this issue is fixed, the ACCU-CHEK ® FlexLink Plus infusion sets will not be available.

Roche Insulin Delivery Systems emphasizes that the above mentioned action only applies to the ACCU-CHEK ® FlexLink Plus infusion set that was launched in November 2010. The use of the previous version ACCU -CHEK ® Ultraflex, other Accu-Chek® infusion sets or insulin pumps are not affected and insulin pump therapy can be continued as directed with these products or other alternatives.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Pedestrian Struck and Killed in Santa Clarita

Greg Owen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:51:00 GMT

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a van at 24800 Avenue Rockefeller in Santa Clarita at 10:10 this morning, according to a news release from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.

Julio Garcia, 52, of Reseda, was struck by a 2006 Ford van driven by Ralph Blunt, 60, of Pasadena, who apparently suffered a medical condition and lost control of his vehicle. After hitting the pedestrian, the van continued out of control and struck two parked vehicles.

The location was being used to film a television show.

Garcia was treated at the scene by the Los Angeles County Fire Department and taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in critical condition. He later died as a result of injuries he sustained in the collision, according to the news release.

The collision is being investigated by the SCV Sheriff's Station's Traffic Department, which asks anyone who may have witnessed it to contact Detective Smoldt at (661) 799-5111.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Pfizer Recalls Alcohol Prep Pads Used in Relistor Injection Kits

Greg Owen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:54:00 GMT

Pfizer Inc. and Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have learned of a United States market recall of alcohol prep pads and swabs manufactured by the Triad Group. In the interest of patient safety, Pfizer and Progenics are alerting U.S. patients and physicians to Triad’s recall. Triad® Alcohol Prep Pads are packaged for use with the kit presentation of RELISTOR® (methylnaltrexone bromide) Subcutaneous Injection in the U.S. The RELISTOR vial and other components of the kit are not affected by the defective Triad alcohol pad. RELISTOR sold in single vials also is unaffected by this recall.

Pfizer and Progenics advise patients using the RELISTOR kit not to use the Triad alcohol prep pads included in the RELISTOR packaging for 1 X 7 kits and 1 X 2 starter kits. When preparing to take their RELISTOR injection, patients should use an alcohol prep pad from a company other than Triad, or use a sterile gauze pad with isopropyl alcohol.

Shipments of RELISTOR kits have been suspended until the alcohol pads can be replaced, which will be done as quickly as possible to enable patients to continue to receive RELISTOR. Triad alcohol prep products are not included in RELISTOR sold as single vials or in RELISTOR kits outside of the United States or with other Pfizer medications.

The following information about the recall of Triad alcohol prep products is available on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s web site: Triad press release: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm239219.htm Safety information: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlerts forHumanMedicalProducts/ucm239319.htm.

Patients with questions about RELISTOR should consult their pharmacist or healthcare provider, or call Pfizer Medical Information at 1-800-438-1985. RELISTOR is manufactured and marketed by Pfizer under a licensing agreement with Progenics.

About RELISTOR

RELISTOR Subcutaneous Injection is approved in the United States for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with advanced illness who are receiving palliative care, when response to laxative therapy has not been sufficient. The use of RELISTOR beyond four months has not been studied. The drug is also approved for use in over 50 countries worldwide, including in the European Union, Canada, Australia and Brazil. Applications in additional countries are pending. In the 27 member states of the E.U., as well as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, RELISTOR is approved for the treatment of OIC in advanced illness patients who are receiving palliative care when response to usual laxative therapy has not been sufficient. In Canada, the drug is approved for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in patients with advanced illness, receiving palliative care. When response to laxatives has been insufficient, RELISTOR should be used as an adjunct therapy to induce a prompt bowel movement. RELISTOR is the brand name under which methylnaltrexone is marketed outside Japan by Wyeth, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pfizer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Drunk Driver Sentenced to 13 Years in Orange County

Greg Owen — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:20:08 GMT

A drunk driver was sentenced to 13 years in state prison for stalling his truck on an Orange County freeway and causing a crash that killed another motorist.

Christopher Koppi, 29, of Anaheim was convicted last year of felony gross negligence for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Tests showed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.20% -- more than twice the legal limit -- two hours after the crash.

On Aug. 26, 2006, before dawn, Koppi ran out of gas as he drove south on the 57 Freeway. While stopped on the freeway, he was rear-ended by Richard Pettigrew, 59. Another motorist rear-ended Pettigrew's vehicle, killing him.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

18-year-old was driver in fatal Christmas Eve Ferrari crash in Newport Beach

Greg Owen — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 10:21:00 GMT

Luicci Nader, 18, was behind the wheel of an expensive Ferrari that was involved in a fatal Christmas Eve crash in Newport Beach near Jamboree Road.

Nader, who remains in critical condition at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana and is unable to speak, was driving the sports car west on Coast Highway with Ralph Abinader, 24, a relative, in the passenger seat about 5:12 p.m. Dec. 24.

Police said the Ferrari, a gray 2008 F-430 Spider, was speeding down the highway between Jamboree Road and Bayside Drive when it lost control and careened onto the other side of the road.

The car smashed head-on into a tow truck, police said. The Ferrari split in two, and Abinader died at the scene.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Pedestrian Killed by Hit-and-run in Marina del Rey

Greg Owen — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:25:00 GMT

Los Angeles police are looking for the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a female pedestrian in Marina del Rey early Wednesday morning.

The woman, 48, whose identity had not yet been released pending notification of her relatives, was crossing the street at Culver and Jefferson boulevards shortly before 2 a.m. when the vehicle, heading east on Culver, struck her and the driver left the scene, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said.

The woman was pronounced dead at a local hospital, officials said. The LAPD's West Traffic Division is investigating.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

LAPD officer, Mission Viejo Man Killed in Orange County Motorcyle Collision

Greg Owen — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:28:00 GMT

An off-duty Los Angeles police officer was one of two people killed after three motorcycles collided near Irvine Lake in Orange County, authorities said Tuesday.

Officer Kent Carter, 60, of Rowland Heights was driving northbound on Santiago Canyon Road south of Jeffrey Road on Sunday when his 2007 Suzuki motorcycle veered into oncoming traffic.

He collided with Miles McCune, 24, of Mission Viejo, who was driving his 1999 Honda motorcycle northbound.

A third motorcycle -- a male driver and female passenger driving a 2007 Honda southbound on Santiago Canyon Road -- hit Carter a second time.

Carter and McCune were pronounced dead at the scene. The man and woman in the 2007 Honda were ejected from the motorcycle and hospitalized with serious injuries.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.

Carter, an officer with the LAPD Emergency Operations Division, had worked for the department since 1981. He started as a patrol and vice officer and later worked as a training officer. He had been assigned to the LAPD’s Labor Relations Division since 1998.

LAPD Lt. Andrew Neiman said in a statement that Carter was “the most gracious, warm and considerate individual I have ever met. He loved his family, loved life and was looking forward to a wonderful retirement in a year. His passing will create a huge void in the Department.”

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen

Orange Country Jury Convicts Man in Death of TapouT Founder Charles Lewis

Greg Owen — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:33:00 GMT

An Orange County jury Wednesday convicted a 53-year-old Costa Mesa man of killing Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr., known for the popular TapouT clothing line and his influence in the mixed martial arts community.

On March 11, 2009, about 1 a.m., Jeffrey Kirby was speeding in his 1977 white Porsche on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach alongside a 2004 red Ferrari driven by Lewis. Kirby, who was under the influence of alcohol, lost control of his car and crashed into Lewis’ vehicle, sending it crashing into a light pole and splitting it in half.

The crash threw the Ferrari’s female passenger onto a dirt embankment. She broke her elbow and suffered multiple bone fractures. Kirby swerved and came to a stop on the road for several seconds before fleeing the scene with a female passenger.

Lewis was left trapped inside the front half of the Ferrari, which had to be dismantled to free him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

After leaving the crash scene, Kirby parked his Porsche about a quarter-mile away. He was later arrested by a Newport Beach police officer. About two hours after the crash, Kirby had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13%; the legal limit in California is 0.08.

Kirby was convicted of one felony count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, with an enhancement for inflicting great bodily injury. Kirby, who was convicted of drunk driving in 2002, could face up to 13 years in state prison.

Trial testimony began Nov. 30. Kirby will be sentenced Feb. 4, 2011.

Orange County Deputy Dist. Atty. Jason Baez said one of Lewis’ signature phrases was “Simply believe.” “He influenced a lot of people in a positive way in the mixed martial arts community,” he said.

In 2009, Lewis was posthumously inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He’s the only non-fighter so honored.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Greg Owen