A Huntington Park resident has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter after his car was involved in a fatal accident that killed a pickup truck driver. 20-year-old Kevin Amilcar Orellana was driving a 2000 Toyota at excessive speeds on highway 99 in Modesto. His car struck a pickup which rolled over. The 31-year-old driver of the pickup was killed at the scene of the crash.

Orellana was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and is being held at the Stanislaus County Jail. The car accident occurred on Saturday morning at about 8:30am. According to the California Highway Patrol, the pickup was traveling at about 65mph, and Orellana who was speeding, was recklessly using all three lanes to pass other cars. The California Highway Patrol does not believe that alcohol or drug use was involved.

The death of an innocent motorist because of the recklessness of another is always heartbreaking. The victim of this accident in all likelihood barely had a few seconds to register what was happening as Orellana’s car clipped his pickup, and sent it rolling. Too many car accidents every year are caused because of motorists who are in too much of a hurry to get to their destination, or find their cheap thrills in driving at excessive speeds without considering the dangers to the safety of other motorists. The victim in this accident was breaking no rules. He has had to pay for the negligence of a 20-year-old motorist who should have known better.

According to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, when speed limits were raised in several states in 1996, travel speeds also increased, leading to a spike in auto accident fatalities. Every year, the country loses $27.7 billion to the costs of speeding-related accidents. Speeding not only decreases the amount of time a motorist has to avoid an accident, but also increases the severity of an accident once it has occurred. The kind of force and pressure generated when a car is traveling at 90mph and collides with another car or stationary object can be enormous. The wreckage that results from such accidents is unrecognizable.

Serious injuries and fatalities are common in such accidents. In fact, according to the NHTSA, crash force on impact doubles with every 10mph increase in speed above 50mph. With this increase in crash force, the chances of motorists and passengers being killed or severely injured also increase. Young drivers below the age of 30 are, not surprisingly, more likely to drive at excessive speeds than older motorists. Of all motorists involved in fatal automobile accidents, young males are the most at risk for speeding. In fact, the proportion of speeding-linked fatal accidents actually decreases with the increase in motorist age. Not surprisingly, alcohol use seems to be involved in a majority of speeding-related accidents. That could be attributed to the fact that alcohol use can contribute to recklessness and risky behavior.

As California personal injury lawyers who are concerned about the safety of innocent motorists, we hope Orellana gets the justice he deserves.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

A motorist who killed an 18-year-old pregnant woman in February this year was sentenced to 15 years in state prison after pleading guilty to drug and alcohol use while driving and leaving the scene of the accident.

Gina Garcia was at the wheel of the car when she struck Danica Denton. Denton was just one week away from having a baby. She was seriously injured in the pedestrian accident, and doctors were unable to save both her and her child. 18-year-old Denton died suddenly and tragically, just a few days away from holding her first born child in her arms. Garcia was arrested the next day on suspicion of hit and run and released from jail on the same day after posting the bail amount of $25,000.

Garcia, whose husband works as an investigator with the District Attorney’s Office, pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and leaving the scene of the accident. Dania Denton’s family members expressed anger that the charges did not take into consideration the death of the young baby, as well as the fact that Garcia had been convicted for driving under the influence 13 years ago.

Although Garcia was sentenced to the maximum 15 year term, she was allowed as part of her plea to leave the court house on $25,000 bail in order to take care of a “medical problem” that, her attorney claims, requires surgery. She was ordered to return to court within a week to provide proof of a medical condition.

The entire incident has taken on racial overtones and whispers of preferential treatment because Garcia’s husband works in the office of the District Attorney. According to Kenneth Booth, who is the president-elect of the local NAACP, Garcia has been receiving preferential treatment, because her husband has connections with the DA’s office. Booth has also claimed that the bail amount should have been set at $150,000, instead of the $25,000 that was set here. For Denton’s family, there can be little comfort in Garcia’s sentencing.

Wrongful death damages can be claimed in a case where death occurs because of a motorist’s negligence. For people who have just lost their loved one in a tragedy, it can seem odd to think in terms of placing a monetary value on the life of the deceased. However, it’s important to remember that the loss of the victim will be felt in several ways over not just a few years but a lifetime. For instance, children who are left behind may suffer from the loss of care and affection and loss of upkeep and expenses from the death of a parent. Parents in turn who lose a child due to the negligence of another also lose out on the love and affection that the child could have provided in the future. Besides, people who have lost a husband or wife in an accident may suffer from a loss of companionship, spousal relations and affection. A California wrongful attorney can help you prepare a claim that properly compensates you for all your losses.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

A serious driver error contributed to a pedestrian accident in Live Oak on Wednesday. According to news reports, a mother and her 4-year-old son were injured when a car lurched out of its parking space and crashed through a fence.

The woman, a preschool teacher, and her son were walking on the sidewalk. The woman had apparently dropped off her older son at a school nearby and was walking with the younger son, when a Subaru Legacy struck the fence. According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of the Subaru seems to have slammed on the accelerator instead of the brakes, causing the car to crash into the fence and onto the sidewalk. A post of the chain link fence through which the car crashed seems to have hit the woman on the head. The boy seems to have been pinned down by the post.

California Highway Patrol officers don’t believe that there was a strong impact from the car on the pedestrians. The car seems to have dislodged the post which then struck the woman and her son. The woman is a well-known preschool teacher, and has sustained serious head injuries. She had to be airlifted for emergency medical attention. The Legacy driver was also taking her child to a preschool. Neither she nor her child sustained serious injuries.

We hope the young mother recovers soon from her injuries. She and her family will continue to be in our thoughts during this difficult time. The Legacy driver will likely insist that this was an accident, but the fact is that there was a serious error made here. That error has contributed to severe head injuries to the mother of two children.

Head injuries are some of the most severe types of injury resulting from an accident. That’s because fractures or injuries to the skull can easily lead to brain injuries. Emergency medical attention, if not provided within the “golden hour,” can lead the victims with long-lasting effects from the injury. Depending on the level and type of brain injury, victims may suffer from memory loss, concussions, contusions, inability to concentrate, depression etc. Victims may have to relearn their ability to perform routine activities. In case of severe injuries, victims may have to undergo expensive physical rehabilitation therapy to regain functioning of their limbs. In all cases, persons who suffer head injuries may have to undergo therapy that will lessen the impact of the injuries on their lives.

Injuries resulting from driver error can be the basis for a personal injury lawsuit. An error, however minor, that causes injuries to another motorist, pedestrian, bicyclist or motorcyclist can qualify as the basis for a civil lawsuit. Victims may be eligible for a range of benefits in compensation for the losses. These damages can include compensation for monetary lawsuits like medical expenses, lost wages etc. Besides, victims can also claim compensation for pain and suffering, anguish, and loss of consortium from serious personal injury.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

California personal injury lawyers sometimes come across car accidents that are caused by senior citizens. In a similar case, a 75-year-old San Rafael woman has been charged with felony hit and run in a pedestrian accident that left one person with injuries

Akiko Nogamie Zanoni was charged with one misdemeanor account of reckless driving causing injury. On May 26th, Zanoni was driving on Civic Center Drive when her car struck a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk. The pedestrian suffered a fractured leg and cuts to the forehead. According to police, Zanoni left the scene, and drove back home. When she saw the damage to her car, she thought it had occurred at an auto repair shop where she had just had her car repaired. She was arrested when she returned to the repair shop.

If convicted of felony charges, Zanoni could face prison time, but she has not had prior convictions, and the hit and run count could be reduced to a misdemeanor. According to her defense attorney, Zanoni does not remember the pedestrian accident and her team is exploring any medical issues that have contributed to the accident.

Senior citizens face unique age-related challenges while driving vehicles. Because of their age, they are more likely to face eyesight problems that can contribute to deadly errors on the road. These motorists may not be able to see other cars on the road, and this can cause serious errors. They may also have problems with hearing, and this may prevent them from hearing horns and signals from other motorists. Elderly drivers are also more likely to suffer from delayed response times. Besides, these motorists are more likely to suffer from health conditions that require long-term medication. Driving under the influence of prescription drugs can create conditions that are similar to those resulting from drunk driving. None of this is to say that senior citizens are not responsible drivers, but medical issues related to age can often be a factor in car accidents.

The problem is a touchy one, and any proposal that aims to place driving restrictions or limitations on senior citizens is often met with objection by these motorists themselves. It’s important that elderly drivers self police themselves, and restrict their driving when they begin to find their physical and mental facilities becoming slower. With life expectancy in America for both men and woman increasing, people can expect to live much longer than earlier, and this means that we will continue to have more elderly drivers on the streets. Besides, senior citizens these days are likely to live independent active lives that require them to be mobile. Putting an end to all driving may be excruciating, but could be necessary in case health conditions increase the risk of an accident. Families of senior citizens must also keep a close watch on their loved ones’ ability to drive, and must step in to take away their keys if they fear that their parents are in danger of causing an accident.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

Earlier this week, we reported on a Merced County pedestrian accident in which two twin toddlers were injured when a car struck their stroller. The two girls were injured when they were ejected out onto the street.

In a similar accident, a seventeen-month-old boy has been injured when a car struck him as his father pushed him in a stroller.

According to Edgar Rencinos, he was pushing his son in the stroller. As Rencinos and his wife crossed a street in Canoga Park, they saw a black Lincoln Town Car coming at them. The driver of the Lincoln mowed down the father and the stroller, sending both Rencinos and his son about twenty-five feet before they crashed down. The driver of the Lincoln Town Car fled the scene of the crash. The 17-month-old boy suffered serious injuries, and was airlifted to a hospital in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman, the toddler is in stable condition.

The Los Angeles Police Department is looking for a vehicle involved in the accident which has been described as a black 1990’s sedan. Anybody with any information on the pedestrian accident has been asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department.

In both the pedestrian accidents, the children who were ejected from the stroller were lucky to escape any serious injuries. Pedestrian accidents generally involve serious injuries to the pedestrians. That’s because these people have no protection in the event of an impact. Even an accident involving a vehicle traveling at normal speed limits is sufficient to cause severe injuries. A pedestrian may be thrown several feet into the air, and can crash to the ground with devastating force. Injuries sustained in such impact may require extensive hospitalization and surgeries. Serious injuries like head and spinal cord injuries can require weeks and months of rehabilitation and therapy. The road to a complete recovery can be long and hard.

For victims of such accidents, it helps to know that they may be eligible for compensation from the motorists responsible for the accident. California laws allow for pedestrians to be compensated even when the pedestrian is partially at fault in the accident. For instance, if the pedestrian was in violation of traffic rules, or was distracted at the time of the crash contributing to a collision, he could be seen as being partially at fault in the crash, but may still be eligible for compensation.

Avoid carelessness or distractions while on the road. Always be alert to the movement of vehicles on the road. Pedestrians should use caution when walking on the street while listening to an iPod or using a cell phone. Such distractions could cause pedestrians not to hear a motorist’s car horn or signal with serious consequences. Always cross the road only in marked cross walks and walk on sidewalks wherever these are available. Avoid walking in poor weather, and if you’re walking at night, wear brightly colored or reflective clothing.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

A study by researchers at Harvard University confirms that screening truck drivers for obstructive sleep apnea using obesity-driven testing strategies can help diagnose drivers who suffer from the condition, allowing them to receiving treatment and preventing the risk of truck accidents.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA is a sleep disorder in which there is disturbed sleep at night. Persons who suffer from OSA may experience frequent periods of wakefulness at night. Sleep apnea is caused by obstruction of the airways. There may be several episodes of interrupted sleep because of pauses in breathing during sleep.

Persons who suffer from sleep apnea are at an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke and cardio vascular diseases. People who suffer from sleep apnea have a risk of heart attack that is up to 30 percent higher than the general population. Because of frequent periods of wakefulness at night, a sleep apnea sufferer may find themselves extremely tired and drowsy during the daytime.

Medically unfit drivers are at a high risk for causing auto accidents. Drivers who suffer from sleep disorders are likely to dose off while the truck is in operation increasing the risk of a serious accident. The Harvard study raises concerns about the increasing frequency of the problem as Americans become excessively overweight.

The study screened 456 commercial truck drivers over a 15-month period. 78 drivers screened positive for suspect sleep apnea. These drivers tended to be older and overweight. They also suffered from high blood pressure.

The researchers are calling for mandatory screening of all obese truck drivers for sleep apnea. According to the researchers, a federal mandate for screening of truck drivers will be more effective in screening drivers and treating them. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is currently considering recommendations that will require obese truck drivers to be screened for sleep apnea.

A truck driver falling asleep at the wheel of the truck is bad news for motorists around. In California, several truck accidents every year can be linked to drivers who are tired or sleepy. With mandatory screening of these drivers for sleep apnea, truck drivers who suffer from this sleep disorder will be able to get the treatment they deserve.

According to the Harvard study, most of the truck drivers who were screened positive failed to follow up with their recommended treatment programs recommendations. Of the 53 drivers who were screened for suspect sleep apnea, 33 who were supposed to show up for sleep studies, did not do so. The remaining 20 drivers were confirmed to have sleep apnea. Among them, only one driver complied with the recommended treatment program.

It’s clear that merely screening drivers won’t do much to catch drivers with the sleep disorder, and get them to receive the treatment they require. It is important that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mandate screening for sleep apnea based on body mass index (BMI) to enable drivers to get the treatment they need.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of truck accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

In what is the highest ever civil penalty for violating CPSC import and distribution regulations, toy maker Mattel and its subsidiary Fisher Price will pay $2.3 million in fines for importing toys containing excessive levels of lead from China and selling these in the country.

Under the penalty settlement, the El Segundo, California-based toy maker and New York-based Fisher Price Inc., have agreed to pay the penalties to settle allegations by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that the companies knowingly imported children’s toys that contained lead levels in violation of federal laws into the country, and sold these. In 1978, federal laws placed a ban on selling children’s products, including toys, that contained more than .06 percent lead by weight in the paints or surface coatings. In 2007, Mattel was forced to recall millions of toys after they were found to have paints that exceeded lead-content limits. At least 25 toy models by Mattel and Fisher Price including several Barbie accessories and Sarge cars had to be recalled.

According to the CPSC, the civil penalty is the highest for “violations involving importation and distribution in commerce of a regulation product.” It’s also the third-highest for any kind of violation in CPSC history. Mattel and Fisher Price have now settled allegations that the former imported up to 900,000 “non-compliant toys.” These toys, including the Sarge car and Barbie accessories, were imported between September 2006 and August 2007. The Sarge car was recalled in August 2007, while the Barbie accessories were recalled in September that year. Fisher Price was alleged to have imported up to 1.1 million “non-compliant toys” including GEOTRAX locomotives, the Go Diego Go Rescue Boat and Bongo Band Toys. The GEOTRAX locomotive and Bongo Band were recalled in September 2007, while the Go Diego Go Rescue boat toys were recalled the following month.

After Mattel and several other companies were forced to recall their lead-tainted toys in 2007, Congress was finally galvanized into action. The recalls have led to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The out cry against high levels of lead in children’s toys and other products has forced toy manufacturers to enforce stricter standards.

The lead-tainted toys scare focused attention not only on the dangers of the poor standards of imported toys, but also on the product safety standards of a whole range of products manufactured in foreign countries, especially China. For American manufacturers fighting to stay competitive in a globalized world, it has become easier to shift production and manufacturing facilities overseas where labor costs are much lower. However, we can’t deny that there has also been a drop in the levels of oversight of these foreign companies that manufacture toys, clothes, cribs, and other products that our children use. There have been contaminated drugs and tainted pet food. The American consumer has a right to expect that companies, who have no qualms about shifting production overseas, also make an effort to guarantee that their products are safe.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of dangerous products. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

A Merced County mother is thanking her good fortune that her twin toddlers survived a pedestrian accident on Monday. The twins were injured when a car struck their baby stroller, throwing them on to the street.

Apparently, the twin’s mother had been pushing the children in the stroller. She noticed a Ford Taurus approaching the crosswalk, and stopped with the stroller to allow the car to pass. However, the car driver, Dwayne Davis, seems to have taken his eyes off the road to switch radio stations. Davis let the car drift out of the lane. The Taurus struck the stroller and both the girls were ejected on to the street. The girls had to be airlifted to a hospital in Sacramento.

Merced police are conducting an investigation into the pedestrian accident. Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be involved in the crash. Davis himself was not arrested, but he may be charged for alleged failure to maintain lane position and failure to yield to a pedestrian.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver distraction is the primary cause of approximately 30 percent of all motor vehicle accidents. Even minor distractions can cause potentially serious errors that can contribute to car accidents. Driver inattention can be in the form of cell phone use, snacking or driving in the car, distractions from passengers etc. Cell phone use has received a lot of attention as a major factor in accidents. But there are several other ways that motorists can have their attention wander, causing an accident. For instance, teen drivers are much more likely to be involved in an accident caused by distractions from passengers. In fact, teens driving with a bunch of friends are more likely to be involved in a crash than those driving alone. Mothers may find it hard to keep their attention focused on the road when there are rambunctious children in the car. Besides these, snacking in the car, switching radio stations like Dwayne was doing just before the pedestrian accident that injured the little girls, or reaching to change the CD, are all seemingly minor distractions that can have disastrous consequences.

Cell phone use as a factor in an accident has increasingly come under the scanner recently. Several states have been engaged in passing legislation banning the use of cell phone devices behind the wheel. A person talking on the cell phone, no matter how experienced a driver he is, is likely to have their attention divided. The ban on handheld devices in California and several other states has been criticized by auto safety advocates who believe that the ban, by only focusing on handheld devices, does not consider the main danger of the cell phone use - distraction. A driver is just as likely to be distracted by a hands free device as a handheld one. These experts including the National Safety Council have been calling for an outright ban on cell phone use throughout the country.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

Two brothers who survived an attack by a Siberian tiger at the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas Day 2007 have settled with the Zoo. The Zoo has agreed to pay Kulbir and Amritpal Dhaliwal $900,000 to settle the claims.

On Christmas day 2007, Tatiana, a 243 pound Siberian tiger escaped from her enclosure, attacking the two brothers as well as their friend 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. Sousa was killed in the animal attack, and the two brothers were left injured. Both Kulbir and Amritpal fled to the zoo café where the tiger followed them. The police was late to arrive, and response was further delayed because the security guards had enforced a lockdown of the premises, to prevent Tatiana from escaping the zoo premises. The Dhaliwal brothers suffered severe tiger bite wounds and claw wounds. The tiger was shot dead.

The settlement with the zoo comes a few days after attorneys for the brothers filed court documents, claiming that police officers had been ordered to issue arrest warrants for the brothers, accusing them of manslaughter in Sousa’s death. According to the court documents, the warrants had been issued to deflect attention away from the city’s negligence in the animal attack, and to intimidate Kulbir and Amritpal.

Soon after the animal attack, San Francisco city and zoo authorities suggested that the tigress was provoked into attacking the three men. The zoo director insisted that there is no way that Tatiana could have escaped the enclosure on her own. Some sources reported that sticks and pinecones were found inside the enclosure, which were probably thrown at Tatiana. Amritpal, who was 19 at the time of the attack, told Sousa’s father that the three had been yelling and waving the tiger just before she attacked them. Toxicology tests confirmed that the three including Sousa, had smoked Marijuana and drank alcohol at the time of the attack. The BMW that the brothers had used on that fateful day also contained bottles of alcohol and Marijuana.

The Associations of Zoos and Aquariums recommends walls for big cat enclosures to be 15.5 feet. Two days after the attack, the San Francisco zoo retracted its claim that the wall was 18 feet after it measured and found the wall to be just 12.5 feet. Besides, an autopsy conducted on Tatiana who was shot dead after the attack, found pieces of concrete on her paws which seem to indicate that she clambered up the wall, and out of the enclosure.

Right from the beginning, there were attempts made to vilify Kulbir and Amritpal. Much was made of their alcohol use, and a lot of attention was given to whether they had been taunting or teasing the tiger before the animal attack. All of this is utterly unimportant. It makes no difference whether the two brothers were simply standing by the enclosure, or teasing the big cat. The fact is that a large predatory animal was allowed to escape the confines of her enclosure due to the small sized moat wall. It’s inexcusable that a 243-pound animal was able to climb out of her enclosure and attack visitors. The zoo was clearly in the wrong because of its failure to construct a wall enclosure according to AZA recommendations.

You may not agree with Kulbir and Amritpal Dhaliwal’s behavior at the time of attack, but there is no denying that zoo negligence led to the tiger being able to climb out and attack visitors.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of animal attacks. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

A woman who suffered serious leg injuries in a car accident in San Mateo County has filed a lawsuit against the driver of the car who had allegedly taken the pain killer OxyContin just before the car crash.

Holly Rogers was at the entrance of Mollie Stone’s Market in Burlingame with her 18-yar-old daughter and a group of other Girl Scouts. They were selling cookies when a Lexus driven by Paul Glad crashed his car into the group. Both Holly and her daughter were seriously injured. Holly Rogers had to have her leg amputated after the accident. Five other people sustained injuries in the car accident including two other children.

Holly Rogers has now filed a lawsuit against Paul Glad who is an attorney working for Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal. The lawsuit alleges that Glad had taken the pain killer OxyContin as well as other blood pressure medicines just before the crash. According to the complaint, he was well aware that ingesting OxyContin could cause several side effects, including nervousness and slow response times. These side effects could make it hard for a motorist to drive a vehicle. In spite of knowing these, Glad drove his vehicle anyway. According to the lawsuit, Glad pulled into a disabled parking spot at the Mollie Stone’s lot, and began to get out of his car. When he realized the car was still rolling, he closed the door and slammed the gas pedal, instead of the brakes. The Lexus accelerated and rammed into Holly Rogers, her daughter and the other Girl Scouts. The complaint alleges that Rogers and her daughter have suffered permanent injuries that will require long-term health care, professional mental health service, nurses and physicians.

OxyContin contains OxyCodone, and is a strong narcotic painkiller. It is used in the treatment of moderate to severe pain, and can be used to treat chronic pain. OxyCodone is highly addictive and has pain relieving and addictive properties that are similar to morphine. OxyContin has come under increased scrutiny because of its potential for overuse and misuse. A person can get addicted to OxyContin after just a week’s use. Individuals who find that they are addicted to OxyContin will also find that they also suffer withdrawal symptoms that are similar to withdrawal symptoms from any narcotic addiction. Withdrawal symptoms may include nausea, muscle tremors, spasms, anxiety, depression and paranoia. A person who takes OxyContin may also experience side effects like light-headedness, confusion and altered mental stages. Over dose of OxyContin can cause brain damage, respiratory failure, seizures, confusion dizziness, unconsciousness and coma. It can also lead to death.

Perdue Pharma, the company that manufactures OxyContin has found itself faced with a number of product liability lawsuits brought by families of patients who developed an addiction to the painkiller.

Driving under the influence of prescription medication can contribute to delayed response times and impaired judgment similar to that experienced by a person driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Side effects can be serious enough to contribute to a car accident.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.