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Santa Barbara District Attorney Files Felony DUI Charges in Pedestrian Injury
A Los Angeles man has been charged with felony DUI in connection with an October 11 Santa Barbara automobile accident that left a pedestrian with critical and life-threatening injuries.
The 23-year-old man is accused making a left turn into a 24-year-old pedestrian who was crossing at the 300 block of Carrillo Street. Initial blood tests determined that the driver of the automobile had a blood alcohol content of 0.11. It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or above.
Patients with Injuries Turning More to Online Support Groups
It is no stretch to say that the Internet has changed the way we live our lives and the way we communicate. So it is not surprising that people who have suffered injuries from defective medical devices or have experienced adverse affects from a prescription drug are turning more and more to online support groups to help them deal with the mental and physical pain they must endure.
Santa Barbara Cyclists Laud New Safety Law
California Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill into law that will require motorists to give bicyclists three feet of leeway when passing them on roads and highways. Assembly Bill 1371, also known as the “Three Feet For Safety Act,” is slated to take effect in September 2014.
Ed France, the executive director of the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, told Noozhawk.com that the new law is important because it makes drivers aware that the act of “buzzing” bicyclists or intimidating them on the road is now considered a criminal act.
“It is a meaningful step forward for respectful roadway behavior,” he told Noozhawk.
Santa Barbara County Man Killed in Goleta Industrial Accident
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, a 21-year-old man died while working at a Goleta dairy after he was pinned between a truck and a loading dock by a person driving a tractor trailer.
A report filed with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) said that a tractor-trailer owned by Alta Dena Dairy was delivering milk when the worker was pinned. The worker was rushed to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where he died. Cal/OSHA is investigating the cause of the accident.
Preventing Workplace Injuries and Deaths
According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, a U.S. worker is injured on the job every seven seconds. These workplace accidents cost the nation billions of dollars each year. Therefore, safety experts say that companies need to educate their workers and implement strict safety precautions in order to prevent workplace injuries and fatalities.
Jury Awards Nearly $800,000 in Santa Barbara Premises Liability Case
In March of this year, Reneé J. Nordstrand helped a client gain a favorable jury verdict in a case in which the client was harmed in a trip-and-fall accident. The woman tripped over a raised brick adjacent to an inadequately lit walkway in a Santa Barbara apartment complex. As a result, the woman fell and broke her left hip.
The fall and injury resulted in severe medical consequences for the client, who suffered four hip dislocations during the course of recovery and had to undergo three hip surgeries, including a partial hip replacement.
Ms. Nordstrand contended — and was able to prove — that the property owners had violated several building codes. That led the jury to conclude that those violations had most likely contributed directly to the woman’s fall and injury. The jury consequently awarded the client a total of $794,380.61. The award was reduced by 74% because the jury found that the client was under the influence of narcotic medications at the time of the fall.
Santa Barbara Officials Offer Stern Warning Before Labor Day Weekend
Local law enforcement officials gathered outside the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department recently to warn the public about the dangers of drinking and driving.
With the Labor Day weekend just around the corner, the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is in full swing. The Labor Day weekend has been designated as one of the four most dangerous driving times of the year based on collision and traffic numbers. NHTSA has given local law enforcement agencies a $130,000 grant to step up patrols, conduct warrant sweeps, and set up drunk driving checkpoints.
Proposed Law to Regulate Out-Of-State Compounding Pharmacies in California Introduced
A bill introduced in the California State Legislature is proposing that pharmacies that sell sterile compounded drugs in the state must meet stricter standards. This proposed legislation comes in the wake of a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak in 2012 caused by tainted epidural steroid injections manufactured by a Massachusetts-based compounding pharmacy. Some 14,000 patients received injections of the drug, 700 became ill and 63 died.
In reaction to that and several other high-profile incidents concerning compounding pharmacies, the California State Board of Pharmacy threw its weight behind Senate Bill 294, which was introduced by State Sen. Bill Emmerson (R-Redlands). The bill would tighten oversight of compounding pharmacies to “ensure patient safety.” It passed the Senate in May and will now go before the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Tool Company Settles Lawsuit with Dozens of Jesusita Fire Victims
According to the U.S Fire Administration, more and more people are settling in areas that are susceptible to wildfires. Therefore, it is essential that they practice wildfire safety. If you live in one of these areas, remember to follow these safety guidelines:
- Being informed about local fire laws.
- Creating a 30- to 100-foot safety zone around a home.
- Reporting hazardous conditions that can cause a wildfire.
- Selecting exterior home materials and plants that are fire resistant.
- Ensuring that fire vehicles can get to a residence.
- Planning escape routes by car and by foot should a wildfire become a threat.
Please check out the U.S. Fire Administration website for further tips on protecting your family and your home before and during wildfires.
Frozen Organic Berries Sold At Costco and Harris Teeter Linked to Hepatitis A Outbreak
The Law Office of Renée J. Nordstrand reported in an earlier blog that at least 155 people had fallen ill with hepatitis A infections after consuming frozen mixed berries purchased from Costco and Teeter Harris stores in several states. Sixty-seven people required hospitalization. Many more people had to undergo vaccinations in an attempt to stave off infection.
Townsend Organic Farms of Oregon packaged and distributed the frozen berry mix, which went under the name Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend at Costco and Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend at Harris Teeter stores.
Understanding the Dangers of Drunk Drivers
A recent drunk driving-caused five-vehicle pileup on Highway 101 near El Sueno Road that sent four people to the hospital highlights the serious dangers brought to the roads of California by drunk drivers every year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 30 people die in car crashes caused by drunk driving every day in the United States. Despite continued crackdowns by police through patrols and DUI checkpoints, drunk driving remains a grave danger on the road.