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Winter is Coming: Do You Have a Carbon Monoxide Detector?
With winter nearly upon us, many people in Southern California and the Central Coast are firing up their heaters for the first time. This can be an especially dangerous time of year for potential carbon monoxide poisonings, according to a spokeswoman for CAL FIRE, because many heaters have not been checked and have collected dust over the summer.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is known as the “silent killer” because carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas. CAL FIRE says that the most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are dizziness, headache, and feeling faint or nauseated. It only takes a few minutes to be overexposed and the results can be deadly.
The spokeswoman for CAL FIRE stated, “It’s so important before you put your fireplace into service, your heaters into service, to get them checked out. [Carbon monoxide] is called a silent, invisible, deadly killer, because that’s exactly what happens.”
CAL FIRE stresses that it is important that every residence have a working carbon monoxide detector in order to avoid potential injuries and deaths.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning due to a defective wall heater or a heater that has been improperly maintained by a landlord or property company, the carbon monoxide poisoning lawyers at The Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand have the resources to conduct an independent investigation into your case. When it comes to carbon monoxide poisonings, there is no “one case fits all” scenario, which is why it’s important that you seek professional legal representation from a law firm that is ready to fight for your legal rights in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
If you believe you have a case, call our office in Encino at (818) 981-3530. We are here to help you and your family.
Santa Ynez DUI Crash Suspect Wants Reduction in Bail
A Santa Ynez man, who seriously injured a passenger in his vehicle after allegedly driving drunk and crashing into a tree off of Highway 246 between Solvang and Buellton, is asking that his $500,000 bail be reduced.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the 36-year-old man was driving his 2003 Ford E-350 van on Highway 246 east of Ballard road when he veered off the road and struck the tree. While he suffered only minor injuries, his passenger, a 39-year-old Los Olivos resident, suffered major injuries and was flown to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.
This is the second serious accident that the driver has been involved in. In 1998 he lost control of his vehicle on Alisos Canyon Road, killing an 18-year-old woman in another car and seriously injuring a passenger in his vehicle. Injuries from that accident left him a paraplegic.
An attorney for the driver asked that his bail be reduced due to his serious medical condition. His public defender also stated that his client’s 1998 accident did not involve alcohol and that he only was charged with a misdemeanor in that case. The driver is currently facing felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, causing an injury.
CHP reported that both the driver and his passenger were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash and that the investigation is still underway
If you’ve been injured by the irresponsible and negligent actions of an impaired driver, you should seek the services of a Santa Barbara County car accident injury attorney in at The Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand. We offer the experienced and aggressive legal representation you expect when seeking compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, hospitalization, and other damages.
If you have questions about your automobile accident, call our Santa Barbara office at (805) 962-2022 or contact us online, for a free, no-obligation review of your case.
The Law Office of Renée J. Nordstrand Obtains $545,000 Settlement in Bicycle Injury Accident
Sometimes, all it takes is one careless or negligent move by a motorist to turn a person’s life and plans upside-down forever.
Such was the case of a client who was struck by a truck while he was riding his bike on Carrillo Street in 2008. The young man was planning on becoming a Navy Seal and he had moved to Santa Barbara to study at Santa Barbara Community College (SBCC) to get his Associates Degrees in Marine Diving Technology and Marine Biology. He was extremely active and had recently completed the application process to become a Los Angeles County Beach Life Guard — finishing 76th out of 500 applicants.
He had been working part-time as a commercial diver to make ends meet while attending SBCC.
On Dec. 31, 2008, his life was irretrievably altered. A tired surfer driving a Dodge Ram truck had gotten stuck behind a slow-moving, three-wheeled traffic-control vehicle on Carrillo Street. Impatient to get around the vehicle, the driver of the truck illegally moved into the bicycle lane to pass the vehicle and struck our client.
He suffered a litany of injuries including: visual disturbances, cognitive compromises, loss of taste and smell, depression, severe hip, thigh, and groin injuries, and deep vein thrombosis.
Sadly, as a result of his injuries, his pursuit of an active lifestyle was permanently compromised and he could no longer work as a commercial diver and his lifelong dream of becoming a Navy Seal was effectively over.
In October of 2010, the Law Office of Renée J. Nordstrand was able to win an award of $554,856 for our client to cover his medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages.
The bicycle accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand promise that we will aggressively seek compensation for your injuries and damages. Are you wondering whether you have a personal injury case? Our lawyers can help you determine the best course of action. If you’ve been injured by a negligent, fatigued, or careless driver, call our Santa Barbara office at (805) 962-2022. Your case review is free.
Santa Barbara Family Can’t Sue Employer in Wrongful Death Suit
A Santa Barbara Superior Court judge has ruled that the family of a teenager who was struck and killed on Milpas Street cannot bring a wrongful death allegation against the employer of the 19-year-old who was driving the flatbed truck that struck him.
The 15-year-old San Marcos High School student was crossing in the crosswalk at Ortega and Milpas on Oct. 7, 2011 when the truck, which was heading southbound on Milpas, struck him. The driver allegedly had been collecting shopping carts in the local area and was speeding when the accident occurred. The teen was taken to Cottage Hospital, but later died of his injuries.
The parents sued the driver of the truck for wrongful death and negligence in the California pedestrian accident. The family was seeking compensation for funeral expenses, medical costs, loss of use of property, and loss of earning capacity. The lawsuit also stated that they had “been deprived of love, companionship, affection, society, comfort, protection, services and support of their son.”
The suit also contended that the driver, who had been driving his father’s truck, had also been operating the vehicle as part of his job, and had named the father, the California Shopping Cart Retrieval Corporation, Inc. and Scolari’s Food & Drug Company as defendants.
The incident spurred an outcry from local residents who claimed the Milpas traffic corridor lacked proper safety controls. Months later, during a crosswalk sting at the same intersection where the teen was hit, Santa Barbara police cited 28 drivers for not stopping for a decoy pedestrian in the crosswalk.
There is no word as to why the judge denied the plaintiff’s wrongful death allegation against the driver’s employer, but the ruling now leaves the driver as the lone defendant in the civil suit.
Bringing a wrongful death suit is a complex endeavor that requires the skills and experience of an experienced law firm. The wrongful death lawyers in Santa Barbara at the Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand can help your family recover compensation for both economic and emotional losses. If you believe you have a case, call our Santa Barbara office at (805) 962-2022 for a free, no-obligation review of your case.
The Law Office of Renée J. Nordstrand Obtains $65,000 Settlement in Santa Barbara Dog Bite Case
In 2007, a 60-year-old client was viciously attacked by a neighbor’s 50-pound pit bull as she went into their back yard to ask them about borrowing a lawnmower and a weed whacker.
The neighbor’s hadn’t always had the dog, but had taken it in after their daughter and her family briefly moved back in with them. After their daughter’s family moved into an apartment that did not allow dogs, the animal stayed with them. By all accounts they fed, walked, and played with the dog while it was at their house.
On the day of the Santa Barbara dog attack, the neighbor had told our client that she could come over to the house and borrow the lawnmower. The woman went to the front door and the 12-year-old granddaughter answered. She told our client that her grandparents were in the back yard and that it was okay to go back and talk to them.
When the client went around the side and into the backyard, she was viciously attacked by the dog and suffered bites to her face, hands, knee and foot. The attack resulted in 37 stitches to her face and required the need for dental work. She healed well and had no scarring.
The neighbor said that the dog was not theirs and therefore refused to accept liability for the attack. Exhaustive investigation allowed us to establish that the neighbor was indeed liable for the dog attack, and we were able to garner a settlement of $65,000 for our client for her injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, and mental anguish.
As you can see, the dog bite victim lawyers in Santa Barbara at the Law Offices of Renee J. Nordstrand have an established track record of helping clients who have been injured in dog attacks. Rely on us to give you the solid and experienced legal representation you deserve. If you believe you have a case, call our Santa Barbara office at (805) 962-2022. Your case review, as always, is free.
Sheriff and County Settle Goleta Wrong Way Crash Suit for $4.8 Million
Santa Barbara County officials, as well as the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, have agreed to pay a family a $4.8 million settlement after a wrong way crash on Highway 101 in Goleta left two people dead and two seriously injured.
The Goleta auto accident happened in Nov. 2009 when a report went out of a vehicle driving down the wrong side of the road on Highway 101. A Santa Barbara sheriff’s deputy, responding to the call, entered the highway and merged slowly into the right lane in front of two cars. According to reports, he didn’t have his siren or emergency lights on.
Unaware of what was going on, the two cars behind the sheriff pulled into the lane beside him to pass — unwittingly putting them right into the path of the speeding, wrong-way vehicle. The sheriff then hit his lights and siren. The driver of the first vehicle, thinking he was being pulled over, turned into the right lane — just barely avoiding the wrong way vehicle.
The wrong way vehicle then plowed head-on into the second car, killing two people in the front and seriously injuring two others in the back seat.
The lawsuit brought by the family alleged that the California Highway Patrol should have handled the call and that the sheriff’s deputy had violated department policy. It also claimed that the sheriff’s actions contributed to the crash.
A wrongful death lawsuit is a complex and multi-faceted undertaking that involves emotional as well as legal issues. The wrongful death attorneys in California at the Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand understand these nuances and will do everything in their power to pursue the compensation your family will need while recovering from a devastating loss.
If your family has suffered the wrongful death of a loved one, call our Santa Barbara office at (805) 962-2022 for a free, no-obligation review of your case.
62-Year-Old Woman Attacked by Neighbor’s Dog in North Hollywood
On May 20, 2011, a 62-year-old woman was viciously attacked by a pit bull-mastiff mix in the normally quiet North Hollywood apartment complex where she had lived for 13 years.
Unfortunately, it was as if she and other tenants knew it was an attack waiting to happen. Two years before this vicious dog mauling, new tenants had moved into the complex with the dog in tow. Other tenants, as well as the victim, complained to management about the presence of the aggressive animal and wanted them to do something about it.
Apparently, the tenants’ displeasure at the prospect of an aggressive, 70-80 pound pit bull mix living in a small apartment fell on deaf ears and the landlord and property management company took no action to address their complaints. The dog owners, as well as their unwelcome dog, remained on the property.
Fast-forward two years, and as the woman was walking by the unit where the dog lived, it bolted out and attacked her. The dog owners made a hasty retreat and moved out of the building immediately after the attack.
The woman sued the landlord and the property management company for allowing the vicious dog to remain on the property and is seeking damages for emotional distress, Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and scarring and disfigurement to her left knee and calf.
The Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand is handling this case, and we would like to hear from you if you’ve been the victim of a dog attack. We fight aggressively to get our clients compensation for damages associated with dog bite injuries.
To schedule a free consultation with one of our Los Angeles dog bite lawyers, call us at (818) 981-3530.
Santa Barbara Man Hurt in Construction Accident Crashes Car on Way to Hospital
A 29-year-old man who was injured while working on a residential construction project, crashed his car on State Street while trying to drive to a hospital emergency department to receive treatment, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD).
The construction worker, who lives in the San Roque area of Santa Barbara, was working on a project in a residential area when he was hit in the face with a board. According to Nooshawk.com, the man sustained a severe facial laceration and realized that he needed to go to an emergency room for treatment.
A spokesman for the SBPD said that the man was attempting to drive to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital when for reasons that are still unclear — but are assumed to be due to pain and loss of blood because of his injury — he lost consciousness and his Toyota 4-Runner went off the road near Alamar Avenue. The vehicle went up an embankment and then rolled over on its side.
When emergency workers arrived, the victim was trapped in the driver’s seat. He was extricated and taken to the hospital, but there is no current word as to his condition.
Construction is a dangerous industry that can expose workers to serious hazards, such as falling from roofs, electrocution, getting struck by construction equipment, or getting injured by unguarded machinery. In 2011, 721 construction workers died while on the job, and many of those fatalities could have been prevented if simple safety measures had been implemented at the construction site.
The Santa Barbara construction accident injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand will act quickly to protect your legal rights if you’ve been injured at your workplace due to the negligence of an employer or another party. Having an experienced attorney on your side can make all the difference when you are seeking the compensation you deserve. With winning results in construction accident injury cases, such as successfully representing a man who lost an eye due to a saw that did not have a required guard, our legal team has the skills needed to get you outstanding results.
Call our Santa Barbara office at (805) 962-2022 for a free, no-obligation review of your case. We can help.
Meningitis Outbreak Reaches 205 Cases in 14 States, 15 Dead
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the fungal meningitis outbreak linked to contaminated steroid injections manufactured by a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy has now reached 205 cases in 14 states. As of Oct. 15, the death toll is 15.
Altogether the contaminated painkilling steroid injections were shipped to 76 clinics nationwide. Four clinics in California — two in Northern California and two in Southern California — received shipments of the suspect steroids. The California Department of Public Health says that as many as 600 patients in California may have received potentially contaminated steroid injections, but so far, there haven’t been any reports of fungal meningitis cases linked to the outbreak in the state.
The two Southern California clinics that received shipments of contaminated steroid lots were the Encino Outpatient Surgery Center in Encino ((818) 986-1037) and Universal Pain Management in Palmdale ((661) 267-6876 x166). According to radio station KPCC, Universal Pain Management claims it has contacted all of its patients concerning the injections, but it is unclear if the Encino Outpatient Surgery Center has done the same.
The New England Compounding Center (NECC), which was responsible for manufacturing the allegedly tainted steroids, has been accused of violating licensing rules and selling drugs to clinics without the required prescriptions. Compounding pharmacies like the NECC, which mix drug ingredients for specific clients, are not overseen by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but are regulated state by state. Politicians and health officials are now calling into question the seemingly confusing and unfocused regulation practices concerning the compounding drug industry.
It is a drug manufacturer’s duty to assure that it’s products are safe and do not harm the public. If you’ve suffered an injury due to a contaminated drug, contacting an Encino steroid injection meningitis attorney at the Law Offices of Renée J. Nordstrand is a wise move. We have the experience and resources you’ll need to get the compensation you deserve. Call us at our Encino office at (818) 981-3530 to learn more about your legal options today.
Yokohama Tire Corporation Recalls Over 10,000 Tires due to Sidewall Defect
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced the recall of 10,669 Yokohama AVID Touring S tires, size 215/65R16 as the result of a manufacturing defect that can lead to tire failure and result in an auto accident.
Yokohama AVID Touring S tires of the aforementioned size, which were manufactured from February 2009 to April 2009 and may have been produced with geometric irregularities in the casing turn up area above the bead in the lower sidewall. The irregular geometry of the casing can cause the lower sidewall to crack, resulting in a rapid loss of tire inflation and eventually leading to tire failure. If the tire fails while the vehicle is in motion, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of an injury accident.
Yokohama will notify owners of the recall and dealers will replace the tires at no cost to the consumer. This recall is expected to start on or around October 20, 2012. For more information, owners can call Yokohama at (800) 423-4544 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.
A vehicle’s tires are the most important piece of equipment on a car as they are the only parts that actually touch the road. If they are defectively manufactured or poorly designed, they can fail and jeopardize the health and safety of the vehicle’s occupants as well as other motorists and road users. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Southern California car accident caused by defective tires or any other auto part, the defective product attorneys in Santa Barbara can help you hold the manufacturer liable for their negligence. To learn more about your legal rights and options, call us for a free consultation at (805) 962-2022.