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Lawsuit Against LA County Claims Emergency Dispatchers Botched 911 Calls Resulting in Death Of 11-Year-Old Girl

On Dec. 24, 2017, the family of 11-year-old Ashley Flores called 911 about five times after Ashley began having trouble breathing.

As mentioned in CBS Los Angeles, Ashley’s 16-year-old sister, Dulce states she was put on hold and then called a second and a third time. In another call, Flores’ aunt Norma can be heard pleading for an ambulance.

Ashley’s aunt, Maggie, says she arrived at the house about 15 minutes after Ashley stopped breathing and also placed a call to 911. When Norma finally got through and reached an L.A. Country fire dispatcher, it was too late.

Ashley’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Los Angeles County claiming that emergency dispatchers botched multiple 911 calls, severely delaying the response time of paramedics and resulting in Ashley’s death.

The lawsuit claim alleges “totally inadequate training and gross negligence by Los Angeles County and Sheriff McDonnell who are responsible for the training,” according to a news release from the attorneys representing the Flores family. The family is seeking compensatory damages.

If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of others, please contact the expert wrongful death attorneys at Coloval today for a free consultation.

Severely Injured Worker Sues Tesla for Unsafe Work Conditions

Son Nguyen was working as a contractor at the Fremont, California, factory on June 5, 2017, when an explosion called an arc flash threw him back 15 to 20 feet and engulfed him in flames.

As mentioned in Reveal News, Nguyen is suing the automaker for allegedly putting him in harm’s way “in order to increase productivity at the expense of human lives.” Nguyen’s lawsuit states Tesla should have cut electricity to the equipment he was working on, but refused to because the company did not want to temporarily stop production.

Nearly a year later, he is in constant pain from severe burns. He is covered in scars and skin grafts, his pinky finger amputated, a compression garment covering him from head to knees. Nerve pain, which he says feels like “thousands of pins and needles poking you,” keeps him up at night. He struggles with basic tasks and dreads the surgeries to come.

The suit says, Tesla made Nguyen work on energized equipment “with the knowledge of the probable dangerous consequences of prioritizing production numbers over the safety of workers in order to meet (Tesla’s) aggressive production schedule.”

The suit asks for punitive damages because it says Tesla acted in “conscious disregard for the rights and safety of others.”

If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury due to a negligent party, contact our experienced attorneys at the Coloval today for a free consultation.

Tesla on Autopilot Mode Crashes Into a Laguna Beach Police Car

A Tesla sedan vehicle on autopilot mode crashed into a Laguna Beach police patrol vehicle totaling the SUV and leaving the sedan’s driver injured, an official reported.

As mentioned in Los Angeles Times, thankfully the officer was not in the police SUV at the time, but handling a call for service about 1,000 yards away, according to Laguna Beach Police Department Sgt. Jim Cota.

The Tesla driver sustained minor injuries from the auto accident, but refused transportation to a hospital, reported Cota.

Cota mentioned that a year ago in the same area there was another collision involving a Tesla running into a semi-truck.

“Why do these vehicles keep doing that?” Cota said to Los Angeles Times. “We’re just lucky that people aren’t getting injured.”

Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assist feature has come under scrutiny following other collisions.

If you have been injured in an accident due to the negligence of others, contact our experienced attorneys at the Coloval today for a free consultation.

Dad is a Man on a Mission to Hold Accountable Every Person and System That Failed His Child in the Parkland School Shooting

Andrew Pollack worked as a successful real estate agent. He had plans to move to Northern California with his wife and buy a ranch in the mountains.

His youngest daughter, Meadow Pollack, was a high school senior planning to attend Lynn University, and was looking forward to prom and graduation, but she never made it to those milestones.

As mentioned in Naples News, Meadow was one of 17 students and teachers gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on February 14. She was shot brutally while draping herself over another student trying to protect her.

Since that tragic day, Pollack has become a man on a mission with a new purpose: holding accountable every person and system that failed his child and the loved ones of 16 other families.

Most recently, Pollack filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Scot Peterson, the former school resource deputy who stood about 30 yards from the building where students and teachers were hunted. Pollack seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial.

If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of others, please contact the expert wrongful death attorneys at Coloval today for a free consultation.

Updates to Mobile Devices and Driving Law

The new Mobile Devices and Driving (AB 1222) law removes a specialized mobile radio device and two-way messaging device from the list of devices specifically included as an electronic wireless communication device.

Existing law in California makes it a crime to drive a motor vehicle while holding and operating a handheld wireless telephone or electronic wireless communications device. The law defined an electronic wireless communications device as including, but not limited to, a broadband personal communication device, a specialized mobile radio device, a handheld device or laptop computer with mobile data access, a pager, or a two-way messaging device. This amendment removes a specialized mobile radio device and a two-way messaging device from the list of devices included in the definition of electronic wireless communication device.

If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury due to a negligent party, please contact the expert personal injury attorneys at Coloval today for a free consultation.

The Cleaning Product Right to Know Act

Under the existing Hazardous Substances Information and Training Act, employers must provide information to employees regarding the properties and potential hazards of hazardous substances in the workplace. Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) has adopted standards setting forth an employer’s duties to its employees consistent with specified guidelines, including, among other things, that the employer must make safety data sheets on substances in the workplace available to employees, collective bargaining representatives, or employee physicians.

The Cleaning Product Right to Know Act mandates that any employer required to maintain and make safety data sheets readily accessible to employees pursuant to OSHSB standards also must make readily accessible in the same manner and to the same persons printable information for designated consumer cleaning products in the workplace relating to chemicals contained in those products.

If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury due to a negligent party, please contact the expert personal injury attorneys at Coloval today for a free consultation.

Husband of San Antonio Woman Killed in Ski Lift Accident Files Lawsuit

On December 29, 2016, 40-year-old Kelly Huber was killed and her two daughters, Ashley and Taylor, injured after a fall from a ski lift at the Granby Ranch ski area. The investigation revealed one of fourteen at a Colorado ski resort during the 2016-17 season, was caused by an “unprecedented” mechanical error involving the lift’s electronic drive.

William Huber, the girls’ father, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Granby Realty Holdings, the ski area’s owner, that reveals the most details to date about the tragic incident.

According to Westworld, the lawsuit claims staff at Ski Granby Ranch knew the lift was unsafe before the incident happened.

“The event that killed Kelly Huber and severely injured Ashley Huber and Taylor Huber is of the kind that ordinarily does not occur in the absence of negligence,” states the complaint.

Judge Awards $30 Million In Pedestrian Injury Case

Attorneys Christopher Codling and Robert Sparks won a $30 million verdict from a Tampa jury on behalf of their client, Stephanie Ming, who suffered permanent and debilitating brain damage after she was hit by a vehicle while walking on the side of a road six years ago.

According to the Business Observer, Ming was walking on Christmas Eve 2011 when the side passenger mirror of a commercial pickup truck struck her in the back of the head at a speed of about 48 miles per hour. She was rushed to Tampa General Hospital where she was treated for a head injury.

After the incident, Ming began to exhibit symptoms associated with a traumatic brain injury, including memory loss, confusion and other cognitive issues associated with head trauma.

The truck driver, Gerelco accepted fault for the accident but continued to deny that Ming had suffered any permanent injuries.

The jury said it was awarding the $30 million to Ming for injuries and damages sustained, including past and future medical expenses, past and future pain and suffering, as well as the impact on her past and future quality of life.

Grandmother Killed After Wrong Apartment Is Set On Fire

Dallas grandmother, Debra Ann Williams died in the intensive care burn unit of Parkland Memorial Hospital after her apartment was set on fire in connection with a gang-related retaliation incident.

According to WFAA News, Williams’ children are now involved in a wrongful death lawsuit against the owners and managers of the complex, Amaz Property Acquisitions, and Amaz Property Management.

In 2015, the City of Dallas found numerous fire and city code violations on the property. Although, the complex owners agreed to make improvements, the property was re-inspected following the death of Williams and had not made improvements in relation to many of those code violations.

“None of the things that were supposed to be fixed under the injunction were repaired,” said Kevin Koudelka, the attorney representing Williams’ family. “The big thing for us has to be the fire extinguishers. None of them were outside for people to use.”

Police Dog Bites Teenage Boy In Unprovoked Attack

The mother of a teenage boy has filed a lawsuit against the city of in Palo Alto and the Police Department for civil rights violations after her son was bitten by a police dog, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose.

Palo Alto Online News reports the 16 year old boy was allegedly mauled by a police dog while officers stood by and watched, according to the civil complaint. The teen suffered cuts, lacerations and scrapes on his body and deep puncture wounds to his legs and hands.

The lawsuit alleges Fourth Amendment violations for police use of excessive force and unlawful search and seizure.

In addition, the lawsuit alleges violations of California civil rights laws against hate violence and guaranteeing protection from threats, intimidation, coercion and interference with an individual’s constitutional rights. Other claims include assault, battery, false arrest and imprisonment, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence and violations of the state dog bite statute.