A 13-year-old boy suffered serious head injuries after he was hit by a car while riding on a San Juan Capistrano street in his motorized scooter. The boy, whose name has not been released, was hit the afternoon of January 30, 2009 near the 31300 block of Via Las Palmas as he rode the scooter out of his driveway into the street. A 54-year-old woman who was driving a Volvo C90 hit the boy, dragging the scooter and the boy more than four feet. Our source for this blog is this news report in The Orange County Register.
Orange County Sheriff’s officials say the teenager was not wearing a helmet and suffered a fractured skull as well as other serious injuries. The driver of the Volvo has not been arrested or cited pending an investigation. The boy was taken to an area hospital in serious condition.
Please keep this young boy in your prayers. I cannot imagine what his family and friends must be going through. Let us all pray for his quick and complete recovery.
This news report does not have much information about how this tragic accident occurred. Did the boy ride his scooter into the path of the vehicle? Did the driver of the Volvo have enough time to stop before colliding into the teenager? If the driver of the Volvo is determined to be at fault for the boy’s injuries, then she would be financially responsible for the injuries caused. The teen and his family will be entitled to compensation including sums to cover medical bills, medication and therapy. Those costs could add up very quickly given this boy’s severe head injuries.
The driver’s insurance may or may not have enough insurance to cover the full extent of the boy’s injuries. If I were representing the teenager, I would be looking into other responsible parties and other applicable insurance coverage. For example, was there a dangerous condition on that roadway that caused the driver to collide with the teen? If so, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable. Was the woman working for someone at the time of the accident? If that is the case, then her employer may have financial responsibility. There are many more areas of responsibility and insurance coverage that a skilled Orange County personal injury attorney will actively look for.
The parents of this San Juan Capistrano teenager will be well-advised to seek the advice of an experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer, who will be able to look at this incident from all angles and obtain the best possible compensation to help them during these tough times.