California pedestrian accident lawyer John Bisnar reacts to a deadly car accident in the Sepulveda Pass when a paparazzo who was taking a photo of Justin Beiber's white Ferrari during a traffic stop was run over and killed by an oncoming vehicle. According to a Jan. 1 CBS news report, the 18-year-old singer was not in the vehicle, which was being driven at the time by Beiber's friend.
Newport Beach, CA (PRWEB) January 02, 2013
A paparazzo was fatally struck by a car soon after he took photos of Canadian singer Justin Beiber's white Ferrari during a traffic stop on New Year's Day. According to a Jan. 1 CBS news report, the fatal accident occurred the evening of Jan. 1, 2012 after California Highway Patrol officers had pulled over the Ferrari for speeding on the 405 Freeway near the Getty Center. Beiber himself was not in the vehicle at the time, but the Ferrari was being driven by one of his friends, the report said.
CBS reports that the paparazzo parked his SUV on Sepulveda Boulevard and ran across traffic lanes to get a better view of the Ferrari. CHP officers told CBS that they asked the photographer to move away since the situation was unsafe and that the man eventually turned to go back into his car, but was hit by an oncoming SUV. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital, the report said. The driver of the SUV stopped at the scene and was not found to be at fault, according to the article. Los Angeles Police Department officials are investigating the paparazzo's death, the report said. In the statement issued to CBS, Beiber offered his sympathies to the victim's family and said he hopes that "this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation."
'This article is another example of the dangerous game paparazzi play, which could put not only them, but also the celebrities they pursue and other innocent bystanders in harm's way', said John Bisnar, founder of the Bisnar | Chase personal injury law firm. "Current law prohibits paparazzi from taking photos of celebrities and public figures who have a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, this has done nothing to discourage or prevent these photographers from getting that money shot."
In fact, a California judge ruled in November that the paparazzi statute could threaten activities protected by the First Amendment, according to an Associated Press news report. The ruling came in another paparazzo who was accused of chasing Beiber at high speed, but the judge dismissed counts filed under the law stating that the statute is "too broad," according to the AP report. Prosecutors have appealed that ruling, the article states.
Bisnar says he is concerned for the safety of the traveling public, especially in the Los Angeles area. "We have to hope that no one is in the wrong place at the wrong time. These paparazzi chases reach extremely high speeds. They pose a serious threat to public safety."
About Bisnar | Chase
The California pedestrian accident attorneys of Bisnar | Chase represent people who have been very seriously injured or lost a family member due to a car accident, pedestrian accident or negligence throughout California. The law firm has won a wide variety of challenging personal injury and defective product cases, involving car accidents, work-related injuries, dog attacks and defective products.
Sources: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/01/01/paparazzo-killed-after-chasing-justin-biebers-ferrari/
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/prosecutors-fight-anti-paparazzi-charges-dismissal
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/1/prweb10286066.htm
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