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An unsafe lane change on I-80 caused a major injury accident in San Pablo.

Three people were hospitalized with major injuries Thursday after a car accident caused by an unsafe lane change on westbound Interstate 80 in San Pablo.

•    An SUV made an unsafe lane change on I-80 and slammed into a Honda sedan.

•    The Honda crashed into the center divider and flipped over the wall.

•    Three passengers in the Honda were hospitalized with major injuries.

The three-vehicle freeway accident occurred shortly before 4 p.m., according to a report in the Contra Costa Times.

California Highway Patrol officials said the driver of a 2009 Toyota Highlander made an unsafe lane change and crashed into a 1992 Honda Prelude.

The impact caused the driver of the Honda to lose control of the vehicle and it slammed into the center divider, the CHP said. The car flipped over the wall, partially ejecting one of the passengers.

The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries, but all three passengers in that vehicle sustained major injuries and were hospitalized at Doctor’s Medical Center in San Pablo. The three men were from Richmond. Their names were not immediately released.

The driver of the Toyota SUV and a third vehicle involved in the accident were not injured.

Aggressive Driving: Unsafe Lane Changes Cause Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as “the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” Speeding, improper lane changing, tailgating and improper passing all are examples of aggressive driving, according to the NHTSA.

In California, unsafe lane changes are among the top six causes of car accidents, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

San Pablo Freeway Accident Lawyers

Two people were killed in a wrong-way freeway crash in Beaumont.

Fatal freeway accident: Two people were killed early Sunday when a man fleeing another accident drove the wrong way on Interstate 10 and crashed head-on into another vehicle in Beaumont.

•     A hit-and-run driver got on the I-10 freeway going in the wrong direction while he was fleeing from an accident.

•     The driver slammed head-on into a pickup truck. The truck burst into flames.

•     Both the hit-and-run driver and the pickup truck driver died at the scene. A third person was hospitalized with major injuries.

The deadly car accident occurred at about 1:30 a.m., according to a report in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

California Highway Patrol officials said 23-year-old Francisco Hernandez of Highland was fleeing the scene of an accident when he drove a 2012 Toyota TC westbound onto the eastbound lanes of I-10 in Beaumont.

Hernandez crashed into an oncoming 2004 GMC Sierra pickup truck about four-tenths of a mile east of the Brookside Avenue overcrossing.

The pickup truck burst into flames. By the time authorities arrived, the truck was fully engulfed by the blaze, CHP officials said. The driver, who was badly burned, died at the scene. The coroner’s office was attempting to identify him by DNA or dental records, Sgt. Brent Sechrest of the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s office told the Banning-Beaumont Patch news site.

Hernandez also died at the scene.

A third person was hospitalized with major injuries. Authorities did not release that victim’s identity. It was not clear which car that person was riding in.

What happens when the driver who is at fault dies in the accident?

Sometimes in a serious accident the individual who caused the crash suffers fatal injuries. Can the innocent victim still make a claim?

The answer is yes. The case survives even when the wrongdoer doesn’t. The insurance carrier for the car that the wrongdoer was driving remains liable for damages. If that policy does not have enough coverage, additional compensation may be sought via Underinsured Motorist coverage from the insurance carrier for the vehicle in which the innocent victim was a driver or passenger.

If a lawsuit is necessary, it would be filed against the estate of the wrongdoer. If there is no estate, then the injured party can force an estate to be set up to handle the lawsuit.

Beaumont Freeway Accident Lawyers

Three people were injured in a freeway accident on I-5 in Woodland.

Truck accident: Three people were injured Wednesday evening in an accident involving a car and two big-rigs on Interstate 5 in Woodland.

•       Two big-rigs were following a car on the I-5 freeway when traffic ahead of them started to slow down.

•       The car and the first big-rig slowed, but the second big-rig failed to slow down and crashed into the first big-rig.

•       Both truck drivers and one of their passengers were taken to the hospital to be treated.

The freeway crash occurred just before 5:30 p.m., according to a report in the Woodland Daily Democrat.

California Highway Patrol Officer Bryan Konvalin said 42-year-old Sergio Robles Angel of Sacramento was driving a 2006 Nissan Altima southbound on Interstate 5, on the Yolo Bypass, when the accident happened.

A 2012 Freightliner semi truck,  driven by 65-year-old Harry Vaughn Boatright of Marysville, was following the Nissan.

Another big-rig — a 2012 Volvo big-rig driven by 29-year-old Mandeep Singh of Turlock — was following the Freightliner truck.

Angel saw traffic ahead of him slowing down and reduced the speed of his Nissan sedan, Konvalin said. Boatright noticed and began to slow his Freightliner big-rig, but Singh didn’t see the slower traffic ahead.

Singh’s big-rig rear-ended the Freightliner truck, forcing the Freightliner to crash into the Nissan. The front of the Volvo was underneat the rear of the Freightliner.

Both of the big-rigs were fully loaded, and the impact was forceful enough to cause major damage to all three vehicles, Konvalin said.

Boatright and his passenger, 66-year-old Patsy Boatright, both were injured. Singh also was hurt. All three of them were taken to UC Davis Medical Center to be treated.

Woodland Truck Accident Lawyers

Two drivers were killed in a freeway accident on I-5 near Woodland,

Two drivers died Saturday night in a fiery freeway accident on Interstate 5 north of Woodland. Police say alcohol may have been involved.

•    An Oldsmobile was stopped in the fast lane of a freeway late at night, facing the wrong direction, with the lights turned off.

•    A Honda approached, could not see the blacked-out Oldsmobile, and crashed into it. The impact forced the Honda to roll on top of the Oldsmobile.

•    Both vehicles immediately burst into flames and were totally engulfed with the drivers trapped inside.

•    Both drivers died at the scene.

•    Police believe alcohol may have been a factor in the accident.

The fatal car accident occurred at around 11:10 p.m., at the I-5/I-505 off-ramp near Dunnigan, according to a report in the Woodland Daily Democrat.

California Highway Patrol officer Bryan Konvalin said the accident involved two vehicles that burst into flames when one of them rolled on top of the other.

Konvalin told the Daily Democrat that the CHP had received a call about a “hazardous vehicle” that was stopped in the northbound No. 1 lane.

That vehicle — later was identified as a  1998 Oldsmobile Achieva driven by 40-year-old Jorge Mora Arias of Woodland – had its lights off and was possibly facing the wrong way.

CHP officers were responding to the scene when a second vehicle — a 1992 Honda Accord driven by a 34-year-old woman from Willows — crashed into the Oldsmobile and was thrown on top of it.

Both vehicles immediately burst into flames with the drivers trapped inside. Firefighters battled the blaze, but could not get to the vehicles to rescue the trapped drivers.

Both drivers died at the scene. Police withheld the name of the Willows woman pending notification of her next of kin.

Police are investigating the accident, but said they believe alcohol may have been a factor.

What happens when the driver who is at fault dies in the accident?

Sometimes in a serious accident the individual who caused the crash suffers fatal injuries. Can the family of an innocent victim who also died in the accident still make a claim?

The answer is yes. The case survives even when the wrongdoer doesn’t. The insurance carrier for the car that the wrongdoer was driving remains liable for damages. If that policy does not have enough coverage, additional compensation may be sought via Underinsured Motorist coverage from the insurance carrier for the vehicle in which the innocent victim was a driver or passenger.

If a lawsuit is necessary, it would be filed against the estate of the wrongdoer. If there is no estate, then the family of the innocent victim can force an estate to be set up to handle the lawsuit.

Woodland Freeway Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

One person was killed and four injured in a head-on freeway accident on U.S. 101 in San Rafael. (Photo: AAA)

Freeway accident: One person was killed and four others injured Saturday afternoon in a head-on collision on Highway 101 in San Rafael.

•    A man in a Toyota SUV lost control of his vehicle on the freeway and crashed into the center divider.

•    The SUV flipped over onto the oncoming traffic side of the freeway and landed on top of a Honda Pilot.

•    The Toyota driver died.

•    All four people in the Honda were taken to a hospital to be treated for minor to moderate injuries.

The fatal car accident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. near the Central San Rafael exit, according to a report in the Marin Independent-Journal.

California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Roth said a 64-year-old Novato man was driving a 1992 Toyota 4-Runner northbound on Highway 101 when he lost control of his vehicle just past the Central San Rafael exit.

The sports utility vehicle crashed into the center barrier and then flipped over into the southbound lanes, Roth said. The airborne Toyota SUV crash-landed on top of an oncoming 2010 Honda Pilot driven by 46-year-old Windsor resident Waleed Abdel.

The driver of the Toyota, whose name was not released pending notification of next of kin, sustained critical injuries and was taken to Marin General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

All four occupants of the Honda were injured and taken to Marin General Hospital. Abdel and an 11-year-old boy suffered moderate injuries, according to the CHP. A 30-year-old woman and a 6-year-old girl reportedly suffered minor injuries.

Ask the lawyer: What happens when the driver who is at fault dies in the accident?

Sometimes in a serious accident the individual who caused the crash suffers fatal injuries. Can the innocent victim still make a claim?

The answer is yes. The case survives even when the wrongdoer doesn’t. The insurance carrier for the car that the wrongdoer was driving remains liable for damages. If that policy does not have enough coverage, additional compensation may be sought via Underinsured Motorist coverage from the insurance carrier for the vehicle in which the innocent victim was a driver or passenger.

If a lawsuit is necessary, it would be filed against the estate of the wrongdoer. If there is no estate, then the injured party can force an estate to be set up to handle the lawsuit.

San Rafael Freeway Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A Marine was killed in a crash with a wrong-way driver on Interstate 15 in San Diego.

An active-duty U.S. Marine was killed in a motorcycle accident Wednesday when he crashed into a wrong-way driver’s wrecked car on Interstate 15 in Escondido.

•    A 63-year-old man drive a Ford Escort the wrong way on the freeway and crashed into a pickup truck.

•    The Escort crashed into a concrete railing and flipped over before hitting a Kia Optima and coming to rest in the traffic lanes. 

•    Just then, a motorcyclist approached the scene and could not stop in time to avoid crashing into the wrecked Escort.

•    The motorcylist, who was an active-duty U.S. Marine, ws thrown off of his Harley and died on the way to the hospital.

The fatal freeway crash occurred shortly after 6:30 a.m., according to a report in the North County Times.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said several motorists reported a wrong-way driver in a Ford Escort traveling north on the southbound side of Interstate 15 at that time.

The Escort sideswiped a Ford F-150 pickup truck, stopped briefly in the center divide between the northbound and southbound lanes, and then continued driving in the wrong direction, Bettencourt said.

When the Escort crashed into a concrete railing on the Gopher Canyon Road overpass, the vehicle rolled over and landed in the middle of the traffic lanes, where it struck a Kia Optima, according to the CHP officer.

Just as the wrecked Escort came to rest, a motorcylist — later identified as 29-year-old Brent V. Durrant of Fallbrook — approached on a Harley Davidson and could not avoid crashing into the Escort.

Durrant, an active-duty U.S. Marine, was thrown off of his motorcycle and died en route to the hospital. No

The Escort driver, 63-year-old Robert Sidney Bowman of Valley Center, sustained unknown injuries and was taken to a hospital to be treated.

No other injuries were reported.

CHP investigators did not yet know if drugs, alcohol or a medical emergency may have played a role in the crash.  Toxicology reports were pending, Bettencourt said.

Escondido Freeway Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented freeway accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A man was killed after his Smart Car was hit twice on Interstate 210 in Claremont.

Fatal freeway accident: An Upland man was killed Wednesday after his Smart Car was struck first by a drunk driver and then by another vehicle on the I-210 freeway in Claremont.

•   A drunk driver in an Infiniti hit a Smart Car on the freeway. The Smart Car was disabled in the fast lane without working lights.

•   A few moments later, a Toyota crashed into the disabled vehicle from behind; the Smart Car driver died at the scene.

•   The Infiniti driver was arrested for drunk driving.

The tragic car accident occurred shortly before 2:45 a.m., according to a report in the Upland Daily Bulletin.

California Highway Patrol Officer Anthony Martin said 62-year-old Upland resident Antonio Sanchez was driving a Smart Car eastbound on I-210 when he was struck by a 2003 Infiniti G35.

The driver of the Infinity, 50-year-old Sterling Cross, also of Upland, was driving under the influence of alcohol. He managed to get his vehicle over to the shoulder after the accident.

The Smart Car was disabled by the accident, however, and was stuck in the fast lane without working lights. Shortly thereafter, a 1996 Toyota Camry crashed into the disabled vehicle.

Sanchez died at the scene, coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter told the Claremont-LaVerne Patch news site.  The driver of the Camry, 55-year- old James Laurence of Fontana, suffered moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The CHP officer at the scene notice that Cross appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, so he administered a field sobriety test. Cross was then arrested on drunken driving charges and was booked into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Claremont Freeway Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Three family members were killed in a freeway accident on I-280 in Redwood City.

Fatal freeway accident: Three people were killed Friday after their car got a flat tire and was slammed by a speeding driver on Interstate 280 near Redwood City.

•   A family of four were en route to San Francisco International Airport when their car got a flat tire on the freeway. 

•   The driver pulled the car onto the center median and stopped.

•   A speeding SUV crashed into the car from behind, killing a mother, her son, and her daughter. 

•   The CHP said they do not suspect drugs and alcohol as factors, but the speeding driver could be arrested on vehicular manslaughter charges.

The deadly car accident occurred shortly after 3:10 p.m. just north of Edgewood Road, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News.

California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel said 28 year-old  Santa Clara resident Manpreet Singh was driving several of his family members to the airport in his sister’s 1997 Lexus when one of the car’s tires flatted.

Singh drove the Lexus onto the center median, where it was slammed from behind by a Volkswagen SUV traveling “at a high rate of speed,” Montiel said.

Singh was killed in the accident, as was his mother, 48-year-old Manjit Kaur and his sister, 21-year-old Jasdeep Kaur. All of them live in Santa Clara. All were pronounced dead at the scene.

Singh’s father, 56-year-old Amarjit Singh Multani, survived the crash.

The driver of the SUV, 82-year-old G.A. Smith of San Jose, was hospitalized and underwent surgery for numerous injuries including broken ribs, Montiel said.

“No arrests have been made at this time,” Montiel said. However, a later report in the San Mateo Daily News quoted Montiel as saying that Smith would be arrested upon his release from the hospital on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.

Montiel said the CHP does not believe that drugs and alcohol were involved. The accident remains under investigation.

Redwood City Freeway Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Four people were killed and seven others injured in a head-on crash on I-5 in Elk Grove. (Photo: Sacramento Bee)

Fatal car accident: Four people were killed Sunday afternoon when an SUV crossed the median strip on Interstate 5 and crashed into two oncoming vehicles near Hood-Franklin Road in Elk Grove.

•   An SUV driver lost control on the freeway and crossed over the center median into oncoming traffic.

•   The SUV crashed head-on into two other vehicles. The SUV and one of he other vehicles rolled several times, ejecting passengers.

•   Four people died at the scene, including the SUV driver and the driver of one of the vehicles he hit.

•   Seven people were injured, some of them critically. At least one was airlifted to a trauma center.

The deadly freeway crash occurred at around 3:30 p.m., 15 miles south of Sacramento, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee.

California Highway Patrol Officer Michael Bradley said a 2004 Ford Expedition with nine people inside was traveling southbound on the freeway when the driver apparently lost control for unknown reasons.

The SUV crossed over the median strip and crashed into two northbound vehicles — a  2012 Honda Accord and a 1997 Toyota Rav4 that was towing a boat. Bradley said authorities did not yet know what happened to cause the driver to lose control.

“We don’t have a cause to release as yet,” Bradley told the Bee. “Initially, we are investigating an unsafe turning movement that caused the car to leave the roadway.”

The Expedition and the Accord both rolled over multiple times. Some passengers were ejected from both cars,while others were pinned in their vehicles.

The driver of the Expedition — tentatively identified as a Berkeley man in his 50s — died at the scene. Two of his passengers also died. The Sacramento County Coroner’s office identified them as 50-year-old Kulwant Kaur Gill of Lathrop (San Joaquin County) and a 70-year-old woman from Berkeley. Both of them had to be extricated from the vehicle, according to a CBS Channel 13 News report

The Accord driver died at the scene. His identifying information was not released as of Monday afternoon.

Seven other people were injured, three of them critically. Their injuries ranged from broken wrists and ribs to major injuries, according to the Bee report. A passenger is the Accord suffered major injuries, as did one of the passengers int eh Expedition.

The six other injury victims were passengers in the Expedition — a woman in her 40s and a 17-year-old boy, both from Lathrop, plus three women ages 18, 19 and 23 from Berkeley, and a 20-year-old man from Berkeley.

“We are going to be conducting an investigation on the Expedition to determine if there was a mechanical problem that caused it to leave the roadway,” Bradley told the Bee.

The CBS News report said tire tread was missing from the Expedition, which could be indicative of tire failure being a possible cause.

Elk Grove Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A dworng-way drunk driver caused a fatal crash on I-710 in Long Beach. (Photo: KABC)

A 27-year-old woman was killed in a car accident Friday night when a drunk driver drove the wrong way and caused a multi-car collision on the 710 freeway in Long Beach.

•   A drunk driver drove onto the freeway in the wrong direction and crashed into two oncoming vehicles.

•   The driver of one of the struck vehicles died at the scene. Two other victims were hospitalized with major injuries.

•   The drunk driver tried to run away on foot, but witnesses chased him down and held him until police arrived.

•   The drunk driver was arrested for driving under the influence, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and hit and run causing death or injury.

The fatal DUI crash occurred north of Anaheim Street at about 10 p.m., according to an ABC News report.

Long Beach police said 33-year-old Derrick Armstrong of Buena Park drove a white 1997 Chevy Tahoe up the the Broadway Avenue off-ramp and onto the southbound lanes of the freeway — traveling northbound — according to the LA Daily News.

Continuing to drive the wrong way on the freeway, Armstrong’s vehicle struck two oncoming cars: a gray 1987 Honda Accord and a white 2010 Toyota Corolla.

A passenger in the Honda,  27 year-old Tricia Esmond Cade, died at the scene.

The driver of the Honda, a 26-year-old Long Beach woman, was pinned in the vehicle and had to be extricated  by the Long Beach Fire Department. She suffered major injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

The driver of the Toyota, a 26-year-old man from Long Beach, also was seriously injured and taken to a local hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

Witnesses said Armstrong got out of his car and attempted to flee the scene on foot, but they ran after him and detained him until police arrived. Armstrong was arrested for driving under the influence, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and hit and run causing death or injury. He was booked into the Long Beach City Jail where he was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Long Beach Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented drunk driving accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.