April 3, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

WalMart Sued Over Tire Blowout

The son of a Lancaster man who died in a 2012 rollover crash after a tire blowout testified Friday that he was unaware his father had not survived the accident until he woke up in a hospital.

“I woke up and there were one or two nurses around,” said Daniel Akins, who along with his mother and sister are suing Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. “I thought he was still alive and I asked where he was. They told me he didn’t make it.”

Akins, 27, said his immediate reaction as he heard the news at Kern County Medical Center in Bakersfield was denial.

“I couldn’t get the words out, but I wanted to tell them it (their statement) was a mistake,” Akins said.

Akins, his 61-year-old mother, Diann Akins, and 31-year-old sister, Esther Pollnow, allege the employees at a Walmart store in Lancaster store should have inspected the 20-year-old spare tire when Diann Akins bought four new tires for her son as a Christmas gift in December 2009.

The spare tire failed when Akins lost control of his 1990 Jeep Cherokee on state Highway 58 on July 24, 2012, about 68 miles from the family’s home, ejecting and killing his 55-year-old father, William.

The two were headed on a Father’s Day camping trip to Kings Canyon National Park. Akins said he put the spare on the left rear of the Jeep after the tire there began losing air shortly before the trip.

The family’s lawyers say the spare tire’s age could easily be determined by coding on the tire. But Wal-Mart lawyers maintain that government and tire industry representatives generally agree that tires need not be replaced based on age alone. They also say there is no evidence to support Diann Akins’s claim that she asked Walmart employees to keep the best tire be kept as the spare.

Akins said he did not immediately know what was happening when he began to lose control of the Jeep before it rolled down an embankment.

“I heard a lot of noise and the car started to pull to the left,” Akins said. “It seemed to be like a fairly violent experience.”

Akins said he also felt “shuddering” from the rear of the Jeep. Wanting to avoid colliding with the tall median wall, Akins said he tried to steer back into the right lane.

“I felt like I wasn’t in control of the car,” he said.

Akins said his injuries included a deep gash on top of his head. He said he also temporarily wore a neck brace and was off work from Starbucks for three to four months.

“It took a while to realize how severe the nerve damage was,” Akins said, adding that he still has pain in both knees.

Diann Akins fought back tears as she recalled how excited her husband was that their son was taking him camping.

“It was a belated Father’s Day trip,” she said.

The morning that father and son departed, both were in a leisurely mood and the elder Akins was singing “Oh Danny Boy,” she testified.

She said she was on a computer looking at home improvement store websites later that day when her cell phone rang. She said she did not recognize the number from the hospital.

“Your son has been in an accident,” she said someone on the phone told her.

She said she asked to speak to her husband, but was passed more than once to another person and was finally given an address to the hospital. She got into her car and drove to Bakersfield, where she was met at the hospital by a doctor and nurse who asked her to follow them.

She said that when she reached the emergency room, she found her injured son, who apologized to her for the accident and asked her not to leave.

A hospital chaplain later told her in a hallway that her husband had died.

“I found out he was in the morgue in the other side of the hospital,” she said, testifying that her emotions overtook her.

“I remember waking up in a gurney,” she said.

 

488910227

Related Posts

Scoop Dreams Come True: Van Leeuwen Launches New Beverly Hills Shop

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Van Leeuwen’s Beverly Hills Opening Comes With Sweet Perks Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, a New York City-born brand celebrated for...

WeHo’s WeHappy Wednesdays Serve Up Big Discounts In Addition to Zero Parking Fees

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Free Parking and $5 Cocktails? WeHo Makes Wednesdays Worth It The City of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Chamber...

Saijo Hand Roll Rolls into Culver City with Premium Japanese Ingredients

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Binchotan-Fired Perfection: Saijo Rolls Out Premium Sushi in West LA A new destination for hand rolls and Japanese culinary craftsmanship...

(Video) Check Out Bernie’s, a New Pop Up at Citizen Public Market in Culver City

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Made with fresh frozen fruit and a toasted merengue topping these flavors are irresistible. The pop up will be at...

From Cocktails to Coffee: U.S. Tariffs Threaten Imports, Jobs, and Your Grocery Bill

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Major Price Hikes Expected for Coffee, Wine, Chocolate, and Butter  A sweeping new set of tariffs announced by former President...

Levain Bakery to Open Venice Location with Special Guests and Charitable Twist

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Bigger Than a Cookie: Levain’s Venice Opening Is a Flavorful Fundraiser Levain Bakery, the cult-favorite cookie destination founded in New...

LAX Airport Server Finds Hate-Filled Message From Unidentified Diners

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Waiter Says He Was Stunned by the Message Left by Customers Guillermo Ortiz, who works at Planet Hollywood inside the...

Sunset Strip Staple Le Petit Four Shuts Down After Landlord Pulls the Plug

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

End of an Era: Le Petit Four Forced to Close in West Hollywood In a stunning reversal to the upbeat...

Metro LA Pushes Back Sepulveda Transit Community Meetings

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Environmental Review Delay Prompts Metro to Reschedule  Metro announced that community meetings scheduled for early April to discuss the Sepulveda...

WeHo Unveils ‘WeHappy Wednesdays’ to Support Shops and Restaurants

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

New West Hollywood Plan Makes Midweek Outings Easier and Cheaper In a bid to boost foot traffic and economic recovery...

County Board Approves New Homeless Agency, Redirecting Millions from Existing System

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

With Billions on the Line, LA County Moves to Centralize Homeless Response Los Angeles County is making a dramatic shift...

Put the Phone Down: LAPD and CHP Targets Distracted Drivers in April Crackdown

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Hands-Free Law Violations Could Now Cost You More Than Just a Fine Throughout April, the Los Angeles Police Department will...

Kim Delaney, Partner Cleared After Weekend Arrest in Marina del Rey

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Emmy-Winning Actress and Partner James Morgan Released Kim Delaney, the Emmy-winning actress recognized for her roles in NYPD Blue and...

(Video) Spending an Afternoon at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Go To Pacpark.com For Tickets and More Information. Go To https://t.co/HneRcysYh5 For Tickets and More Information. #amusementpark #rides #rollercoaster #summer...

Matū Kai to Debut in Brentwood With Grass Fed Wagyu and Global Flair This Week

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Farm-To-Fork Beef, Wood-Fired Flavors, and Sustainability Meet on San Vicente The team behind Beverly Hills’ acclaimed steakhouse Matū will soon...