Joe Mora, 76, died in a Ventura County pedestrian accident after he was struck by a truck that was towing a piece of exercise equipment, the Ventura County Star reports. The fatal car- pedestrian accident occurred the afternoon of May 28, 2009 in the 600 block of East Virginia Terrace when a car towing the exercise equipment slid backwards and struck Mora. He was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour after the fatal pedestrian-car collision.
Traffic investigators determined that Mora’s 43-year-old neighbor was towing some exercise equipment up her driveway when the pedestrian accident occurred. Mora had earlier tried to help her manually move the package, Santa Paula police officials said. The woman had later placed the exercise equipment on a dolly behind her car and was pulling it when it slid backward for unknown reasons. Police are still trying to determine where Mora was at the time of the santa paula pedestrian-car accident. The woman has not yet been identified, cited or arrested pending an investigation. For now, officials are calling it a “horrible accident.”
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Joe Mora for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. From this news account, it appears Mora was a good neighbor and a man who was always ready to help. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Mora. Please keep them in your prayers.
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were no fatalities and eight injuries associated with pedestrian accidents in Santa Paula. In Ventura County as a whole, in 2007, eight deaths and 186 injuries involved pedestrian accidents.
In this particular case, based on the newspaper report, it is possible that the neighbor did not properly secure or operate the car she was using to tow the equipment. Apparently the car slid backward and struck Mora fatally. So if investigators determine that the neighbor was at fault for this fatal California personal injury accident, she may be held liable for Mora’s fatal personal injuries.
Joe Mora’s family would be well advised to retain the services of experienced California personal injury attorneys, who will carefully examine investigators’ reports, the circumstances of the car collision, the area where it occurred and help determine who should be held responsible for the fatality. Retaining a reputed personal injury law firm will certainly give Mora’s family some assurance that their rights and best interests will be protected. In cases where there is negligence or wrongdoing involved, families of deceased victims may be entitled to file a wrongful death claim, which may compensate them for funeral expenses, loss of wages and other related damages. The best California personal injury attorneys will not charge any fees for a comprehensive initial consultation and case evaluation.