One man was killed and two others were injured in a San Diego car accident early morning on July 23, 2010. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the two-car crash occurred on Skyline Truck Trail near Lawson Valley Road. California Highway Patrol officials say the victim was driving a 1998 Mitsubishi 300 GT west on Skyline Truck Trail when he turned the car abruptly to the left and entered the eastbound lane.
The car went out of control and struck an eastbound 2004 Ford F-150 pickup truck. The driver of the Mitsubishi was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. The driver of the Ford truck and his passenger, both 19, were transported to area hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening. An investigation is ongoing.
I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved this deceased car accident victim. They will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Car Accidents
According to CHP's 2008 traffic accident statistics, there were 81 deaths and 6,123 injuries involving car accidents in San Diego. Countywide, 246 people died and 13,527 were injured as a result of car accidents during the same year.
Accident Causes
Based on this news report, it is not quite clear how or why the driver of the Mitsubishi lost control of the vehicle. There are several questions here. Was there a vehicle defect or mechanical malfunction in the Mitsubishi, which caused the victim to lose control of the vehicle? Was it due to driver error? Was there a dangerous or defective condition on the roadway, which may have led to this crash? I trust CHP officials are investigating these and other issues in order to pinpoint the cause of this fatal collision.
Auto Product Liability Issues
If I were a family member of the deceased victim here, I'd definitely want to know whether he was ejected from the vehicle because of a seatbelt defect. Were his fatal injuries the result of a seat restraint system failure? If that was the case, the auto maker or manufacturer of the defective product could be held liable for the driver's wrongful death. If this accident was the result of driver error, then the injured victims could file a claim against the deceased driver's estate or insurance.
Victims or their families in such cases would be well-advised to consult a reputed San Diego personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all facets of the incident and ensure that the negligent parties are held accountable for their actions. Also, in such cases, the vehicle should be preserved in its current, crashed state, unaltered, so it can be carefully examined by an expert for product defects, malfunctions and other evidence.
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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.
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