Last week, 11 people were injured in a construction accident at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

According to reports, the accident occurred on Wednesday when a 50-foot by 50-foot area of scaffolding collapsed.  The scaffolding was being used in an expansion project along the border.

15 vehicles became trapped underneath the fallen scaffolding and northbound traffic from Mexico was stopped.  Emergency crews had to extricate 7 people from their vehicles.

4 of the 11 people who were injured in the accident were construction workers.  Only 1 of the 11, a construction worker, was listed as being in serious condition after the accident.

Officials with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the construction accident.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a workplace accident, contact the San Diego workplace accident attorneys of Ritter & Associates by calling 619-296-0123 today.

Last month, the victim of a truck accident in California was awarded $12.2 million.  $235,000 of the verdict was allotted to past medical expenses related to the injuries incurred in the accident and the remainder was awarded for future medical expenses, therapy, and lost income.

The truck accident occurred in San Diego County in January 2008 when two rear wheels fell off of a YRC, Inc. truck, causing the truck to veer into the path of a Chevy Metro.  The driver of the Metro and plaintiff in the lawsuit suffered a traumatic brain injury and spinal injury in the accident.

These injuries caused the victim to experience memory loss, personality change, difficulty concentrating, and chronic pain.  Since the accident, the driver has had multiple surgeries to treat his injuries.

If you or someone you love has suffered injuries in a truck accident, contact the San Diego truck accident lawyers of Ritter & Associates at 619-296-0123 to learn more about how we can help you.

Allstate Insurance Company recently released their annual “America’s Best Drivers Report.”  The report ranks the 193 largest cities in the U.S. according to which cities’ drivers are the safest.

Officials used insurance claims data involving auto accidents to rank the cities.  43 cities in California were included on the list.  Salinas, California had the safest drivers of any other city in California with a ranking of 33rd.  Drivers in Salinas are in auto accidents about every 10 years.

San Diego ranked 103rd on the list with drivers averaging an accident every 9.2 years.  The safest drivers in the country according to the report are in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Drivers in Fort Collins are in an accident about every 14 years.

To learn more about the steps to take after being injured in an auto accident, contact the San Diego auto accident lawyers of Ritter & Associates at 619-296-0123 today.

San Diego Harbor Police report that a bicyclist suffered minor injuries in an accident in downtown San Diego.

The bicyclist was riding near the intersection of Hawthorne Street and North Harbor Drive when he was struck by a vehicle and knocked off of his bicycle.

According to Police Corporal Jonathan George, “Once [the driver] realized they made contact with the bicyclist, they stopped, rendered aid as well as other witnesses and waited for us to come and interview them about the accident.”

The driver called 9-1-1 after the bicycle accident and paramedics arrived shortly after to take the bicyclist to a nearby hospital.  The bicyclist’s injuries were described as being minor and not life-threatening.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident in San Diego, contact the San Diego motor vehicle accident lawyers of Ritter & Associates at 619-296-0123 and set up an appointment to meet with one of our attorneys today.

A recent study shows that the construction industry has the most workers suffer traumatic brain injuries than any other portion of the U.S. workforce.

The study, titled The Epidemiology of Fatal Occupational Traumatic Brain Injury, was conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Heath and Safety.

Another thing the study revealed was that falls have replaced motor-vehicle accidents as the leading cause of construction worker fatalities.

Employers are required to follow specific safety and health regulations.  Some ways to help prevent traumatic brain injuries include wearing proper safety gear and using protective barriers.

If you or someone you love has suffered a brain or head injury, contact the San Diego brain and head injury lawyers of Ritter & Associates at 619-296-0123 to discuss your case and learn more about receiving compensation for a brain injury.

Last week, a chemical leak occurred at the Pacific Coast Producers cannery in Woodland.  43 employees were taken to Sacramento-area hospitals after being affected by the chemical.

Investigators found that chlorine dioxide, a gas used for processing tomatoes at the plant, was released into the workplace because an injection system became overloaded.  As a result, the chemical was released as “off-gassing.”

Between 800 and 1,000 employees were evacuated from the plant.  2 of the workers suffered inhalation distress and were listed as being in serious condition upon arriving at the hospital.

Contact the San Diego workplace injury attorneys of Ritter & Associates at 619-296-0123 today, if you or someone you love has been injured or become ill as the result of unsafe or unhealthy working conditions.

This past Saturday evening, 5 people were injured in an accident in Fresno.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at the intersection of Belmont Avenue and Temperance Avenue at around 6 p.m.  A driver was reported to have ran a stop sign at the intersection and side-swiped a vehicle driven by a 40-year old woman.

The woman suffered serious injuries.  Reports did not indicate which hospital she was taken to after the accident.  2 of the vehicle’s 3 passengers suffered minor injuries and were treated at Community Regional Medical Center.  The driver and passenger in the other vehicle suffered minor injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, experienced legal representation can help you receive compensation for your injuries and medical expenses.  Contact the San Diego auto accident lawyers of Ritter & Associates by calling 619-296-0123 today.

Last Thursday, the California Supreme Court issued a ruling that damages in personal injury cases must be restricted to the amount of money a victim pays to an insurer.

The case involved a woman who was injured in a truck accident caused by a Hamilton Meats & Provisions Inc. employee.  After the accident, the woman accumulated $190,000 in medical bills.  However, her health insurance provider, Pacificare of California, reached a settlement with the hospital for $59,691.

The victim sued to receive the total $190,000.  After an initial loss, the woman filed an appeal and won at the Fourth District Court of Appeals.  Hamilton filed an appeal against this decision with the Supreme Court.  The case raised the issue of whether or not a victim could receive damages equal to the total sum stated on the insurer’s bill even if this is not what they paid to the insurer.

The ruling stated, “We hold no such recovery is allowed, for the simple reason that the injured plaintiff did not suffer economic loss in that amount.”

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident in San Diego, contact the San Diego personal injury attorneys of Ritter & Associates at 619-296-0123 to set up an appointment to meet with one of our lawyers.

On Monday, a driver narrowly escaped serious injury in an accident on Interstate 8 in El Cajon.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at around 10:45 a.m. in the westbound lanes of the highway when the driver of a flatbed truck that was entering the freeway “made an unsafe lane change” in front of a Mustang.

The truck’s bed was loaded with pieces of metal and wood scaffolding.  When the driver changed lanes, the Mustang collided with the truck’s back left side and pieces of scaffolding slid out of the truck and into the Mustang’s front window.

Fortunately, the scaffolding stopped within inches of the driver and passenger in the Mustang.  Both escaped the accident with minor injuries.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, contact the San Diego auto accidents attorneys of Ritter & Associates at 619-296-0123 to learn more about your rights.

340 days after entering the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills, California, a car accident victim who suffered burns on 85 percent of his body has been released.

The 19-year old was in a fiery car accident on August 9 of last year.  The teen was riding in an SUV with friends when they were involved in a 3-vehicle accident on Highway 395.  3 people were killed in the accident and around 12 others were injured.

After the accident, doctors said the teenager had about a 1 percent chance of survival due to the severity of his burns.  The young man had several surgeries to treat his injuries, including 33 skin grafts.

While doctors say that the man will continue to have surgeries, they are glad to see him be able to return home to be with his family.