A driver was injured in a San Francisco car accident involving a Muni Metro train the afternoon of August 24, 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The inbound L Taraval train was on Taraval Street when it collided with the car heading south on 34th Avenue. The male driver of the car, who was not identified, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with injuries. Officials say they do not know yet what caused this collision. There are stop signs at the intersection for traffic on 34th Avenue, but not for traffic on Taraval.
I sincerely hope the driver here was not seriously injured as a result of this car accident. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep him in your prayers.
San Francisco Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 51 fatalities and 3,632 injuries involving car accidents in San Francisco.
Based on this newspaper report, it is hard to tell who had the right-of-way at the time of the accident or what caused this California car accident . In any car versus train accident, it is extremely important to look into the state of the train operator at the time of the accident. Was he or she distracted at the time of the crash (use of cell phone, texting, talking to a passenger)? Was the driver impaired in any way or intoxicated at the time of the crash? Was there an element of negligence such as recklessness or carelessness? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," then the injured driver may be able to file a personal injury claim against the train operator and his/her employer, the Muni transit system.
San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyer
In such cases, it is in the best interest of injured victims and their families to consult an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the car accident and make sure that the victim's legal rights are protected. A skilled car accident lawyer will also look into whether there was a dangerous condition at the intersection that caused or contributed to the collision. If that was the case, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could also be held liable. Any such claim against a governmental agency in California must be properly filed within 180 days of the accident or injury.
SLS Consulting