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.

Continue reading "27-Year-Old La Jolla Man Dies of Injuries Sustained in Skateboarding Accident March 20 " »

Just one week after a 15-year-old Vista boy was killed in a hit-and-run skateboard accident in Vista, another teenage boy was injured in Vista after being struck by a car while skateboarding. The victim, an 18-year-old Vista man, was riding his skateboard near Cedar Road and West Vista Way on Friday afternoon when he was struck at around 4:20 p.m., the San Diego Union Tribune reported.

The victim suffered two broken legs and other injuries and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The driver of the car that struck the skateboarder reportedly told authorities he tried to stop but was not able to avoid the collision. The Vista Sheriff's department is investigating the incident.

More than 25,000 people visit emergency rooms each year with skateboard accident injuries. If you or someone in your family has suffered serious injuries or was killed due to being struck by a car while riding a skateboard, you would be well-advised to contact a San Diego personal injury attorney about your legal rights. If the accident was the result of another driver's negligent or careless driving, or a defect in the roadway, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Continue reading "Teen Skateboarder Seriously Injured After Being Struck by Car in Vista " »

Sheriff's Deputies are looking for the driver of a white Toyota Camry who struck and killed a 15-year-old Vista boy Friday night. The boy was taken by ambulance to Palomar Medical Center with critical head injuries, where he died. The incident occurred on Thibodo Road, east of Edna Way at about 7 p.m. Friday. The victim, identified by the San Diego County medical examiner as Lucas Giaconelli of Vista, was skateboarding with friends when he was hit from behind by the speeding Toyota Camry.

Please keep the family of Lucas Giaconelli in your prayers, as they are coping with this terrible tragedy resulting in the loss of this young man's life. For the family's sake, we hope the driver is located or that he or she will turn himself or herself in to authorities. Witnesses or anyone with information about this accident is asked to contact sheriff's deputies at (858)565-5200. If you live in the Vista area, be on the lookout for the vehicle. The Camry has tinted windows and likely has a broken headlight and front-end damage.

Leaving the scene of an accident that results in injury or death is against the law. Under California Vehicle Code § 20001, "The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident..." In this case, because the victim was in fact injured, the driver had a responsibility to stop.

Continue reading "Vista Teen Killed in Hit-and-Run Crash " »