California Personal Injury Attorneys

Shirley Frank, 84, was killed in a San Diego car accident that occurred December 1, 2009 after the vehicle that she was a passenger in, was broadsided by another car. According to a news report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the fatal car accident occurred at the intersection of Third Avenue and Fredericka Parkway. Frank was critically injured and taken to a local hospital where she died the following day.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Shirley Frank for their tragic loss. Please keep them in your prayers.

San Diego Car Accidents

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), seven fatalities and 824 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents in Chula Vista. In San Diego County as a whole, 268 deaths and 14,641 injuries occurred in 2007 due to car accidents.

This fatal accident underscores just how devastating broadside crashes can be. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most deadly side-angle crashes in the year 2005 nationwide were broadside crashes. These types of traffic collisions typically occur at right angles, which is why they are also known as "T-bone" crashes. The NHTSA estimates that about 62.5 percent of all fatal side-angle crashes each year, are broadside crashes.

Deadly Broadside Crashes

The reason side impact crashes are so deadly is that the sides of vehicles offer less protection from the impact of a collision than the front or back of a vehicle. If the striking vehicle hits the other squarely on its side doors, occupants of the vehicle that is struck risk catastrophic injuries or even fatal injuries, as it happened with this San Diego car accident.

This news report does not offer much information about the vehicles involved in the collision or what exactly caused them to crash into each other. There are a number of questions here that need to be answered. Whose fault was this accident? Did one of the drivers fail to yield the right-of-way at the intersection? Did one of the drivers run a red light? Was there a traffic light at this intersection and if so, was it functioning properly or functioning at all at the time of the car collision? Were any of the motorists involved distracted, speeding or otherwise negligent? The answers to such questions should help pinpoint the cause of this accident and who must be held liable for it. An experienced San Diego personal injury attorney will be able to guide victims of car accidents and their families through the complex legal process to ensure their legal rights are protected and that they receive fair compensation for their injuries, damages and loss.

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.