San Diego Personal Injury Attorney Blog

A La Jolla man who suffered critical head injuries in a skateboarding accident last Saturday has died, NBC News reported today. The accident occurred at 3:14 p.m. Saturday on Moonlight Lane in La Jolla. According to reports in the La Jolla Light, 27-year-old Justin Tomerlin "was skateboarding without a helmet down a hill near his home when he fell and struck his head. Medics responded and transported him to Scripps La Jolla Hospital where he was diagnosed with a closed head injury." Tomerlin was placed on life support, but was declared brain dead on Monday, March 22. NBC News reported that a friend of Tomerlin's believed a wheel may have locked and led to the crash. Tomerlin was a former football player for Nebraska University, and worked for a healthcare information technologies firm in La Jolla.

Our sympathy goes out to everyone who knew and loved Justin Tomerlin. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers as they are grieving the loss of this young man.

Southern California Skateboarding Accidents

There have been several recent skateboarding accidents in Southern California. Last month, an 18-year-old boy suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a car while skateboarding on February 5, 2010 in Vista. A 15-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car while skateboarding in Vista on January 29th. Outside of San Diego County, a 12-year-old boy was struck and killed by a drunk driver in Hesperia on Sunday, January 10th, and a 20-year-old man was critically injured after being struck by a car in Temecula on December 14, 2009. An estimated 25,000 people nationwide are taken to hospital emergency rooms each year with injuries sustained in skateboarding accidents.

Who Was At Fault?

Based on the news reports of the accident, it is impossible to speculate whether Tomlin's accident was the result of a rider error, or defect in the skateboard itself. The family would be well-advised to keep the skateboard and contact a San Diego product liability attorney. If the wheel did in fact malfunction due to a defect in manufacturing, the family may consider filing a claim against the skateboard's manufacturer for wrongful death.