Nathan Gonzalez, a 14-year-old Mission Viejo skateboarder, is fighting for his life after he was struck by a drunken driver Sunday evening and suffered severe head injuries, The Orange County Register reports. Nathan had been skateboarding with friends in the Aliso Villas neighborhood near Los Alisos Boulevard when the accident occurred.
The driver, 25-year-old Johnny Perez, was headed northbound in his Dodge Durango on Los Alisos when he hit the Nathan. Nathan was reportedly crossing the street with his friends when the SUV hit him. Nathan hit the hood and flew about 40 feet. The city’s police chief, Lt. Steve Bernardi is calling this incident the worst Orange County auto accident he’s seen involving a skateboarder and a vehicle. Perez has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Please keep Nathan in your prayers. Good luck Nathan, we are wishing you a speedy, full and complete recovery.
If Perez is determined to be at fault for this horrible car accident, then he would be financially responsible for Nathan’s injuries. Nathan and his family will be entitled to compensation, including sums to cover medical bills, medication and therapy. Those costs could be very high in Nathan’s case given his severe head injuries.
There is little chance that Perez has enough insurance to cover the full extent of Nathan Gonzalez’ injuries. If we were representing Nathan we would be looking into other responsible parties and other insurance coverage. For instance, was Perez working for someone at the time of the accident? If so, his employer may have financial responsibility. Does the Gonzalez family have auto insurance with an “uninsured – underinsured” policy provision? If so, they may be able to recover additional funds for Nathan. There are many more areas of responsibility and insurance coverage that truly experienced and skilled personal injury attorneys will look for.
Nathan’s parents would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer, who can further investigate this accident. A skilled personal injury attorney will also be able to look at other factors that may have played a part in this accident such as a dangerous condition on the roadway or obstructed views.