A driver was killed in a Los Angeles car accident on the southbound 5 Freeway after his vehicle collided with a big rig and another truck, CBS News reports. The fatal car accident was reported the morning of November 30, 2009 on the southbound 5 Freeway near Fourth Street, in East Los Angeles. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, California Highway Patrol officials said.
I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of this driver who was fatally injured in this car accident. Please keep this victim's grieving family in your prayers.
Los Angeles Car Accident Statistics
There were 260 fatalities and 27,110 injuries involving car accidents in the city of Los Angeles in 2007, according to California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In Los Angeles County as a whole, car accidents claimed 712 lives and caused 56,475 injuries during the same year.
This news report offers very little information about how or why this fatal, multi-vehicle collision occurred. Any investigation involving multiple vehicles and several victims can be extremely complex. I trust officials are looking into who or what caused the accident. Truck accidents can be deadly especially for occupants of smaller vehicles that get hit by these large big rigs. And recent data shows just how devastating truck accidents can be. Although trucks make up less than 4 percent of all passenger vehicles on U.S. roads, they are involved in 12 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities. More than 4,000 people die every year in truck accidents and more than 80,000 are seriously injured, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Liability Issues in Accidents
In any accident where cars and large trucks are involved, the fault of course, may lie with either the car driver or the truck driver, or in some cases, both. If an investigation determines that the truck driver is responsible, then the driver as well as his employer, the trucking company could be held liable for the accident and injuries. In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, families of deceased car accident victims may be able to file wrongful death claims seeking compensation for funeral expenses, loss of earnings and other related damages.
In such cases, it would be in the best interests of victims' families to contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Los Angeles, who will make sure that their legal rights are protected and that they receive fair compensation for their injuries, damages and loss. Anyone who has been injured in a car accident would be well-advised not to speak with insurance adjusters, attorneys for other parties or sign papers or agreements without first getting a qualified injury lawyer to represent them and remain on their side.
The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.
SLS Consulting