North County Injury Blog

A 15-year-old Vista boy named Lucas Gianconelli was killed Friday night when he was struck by a car from behind while riding his skateboard near Thibodo Road and Edna Way. The driver, who was thought to have been speeding, fled the scene. Police are searching for a white, 1990s model Toyota Camry with dark-tinted windows.…

The California Department of Public Health fined three San Diego area hospitals for making mistakes that could cause “death or serious injury.” The implicated hospitals are Grossmont Hospital, Sharp Memorial Hospital, and UCSD Medical Center. According to the Union Tribune, Grossmont hospital received a $50,000 fine for marking the wrong side of the head of…

State Route 94 in San Diego’s Spring Valley area was closed for a period yesterday after a head-on car accident that claimed the life of one man, and injured three teenagers, one of whom plays minor league baseball for the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization. According to reports, a Ford Mustang being driven by 18-year-old Andrew…

We have heard a lot in recent years about the dangers associated with talking or texting while driving. But what about walking? According to a new report, injuries caused by distracted pedestrians are on the rise. The New York Times is out with an article on the subject, discussing a survey done by Ohio State…

Three-year-old Omar Martinez died in his back yard yesterday when the family’s pit bull attacked him. At approximately 3:00 p.m., 911 dispatchers received a call that the boy was not breathing at a home on Goshute Avenue in Apple Valley after being attacked by the dog. When sheriff and firefighter’s arrived, the boy’s grandfather opened…

Authorities in Vista are looking for public help in identifying a hit-and-run driver who struck a 15-year-old boy, and left him with serious injuries. The pedestrian accident occurred on December 28th at E. Vista Way near Arcadia. At approximate 9:30 p.m. the boy attempted to cross the street, inside the crosswalk and on a green…

A 66-year-old man was killed while eating breakfast at his local Carl’s Jr. when an SUV plowed into the building, striking the man. According to employees, the man, whose name has not been release but is said to have been a college professor, ate breakfast at the same table every morning. What instigated the accident…

Instead of planning a baby shower, the family and friends of Elaina Luquis-Ortiz are planning a funeral. The 21-year-old Lemon Grove woman was killed during the early morning hours of News Year Day when she pulled over on the shoulder of I-805 to help a friend change a flat tire, and a drunk driver named…

Looking for a personal injury lawyer? Don’t grab the phone book (who uses phone books anymore?), grab the laptop and hit Google. Avvo.com is national lawyer directory founded by Mark Britton, an attorney for 16 years and formerly the top lawyer at Expedia.com, and Sendi Widjaja, a veteran of Microsoft. Together they launched Avvo.com as…

A major injury can cause major financial burdens, particularly at Christmas time. In San Diego County, there are a few non-profit charitable organizations founded by injured individuals and their families that are there to help. The Can’t Keep Me Down foundation, founded by Bobby DuCharme of Mira Mesa who was paralyzed in a surfing accident,…