California Injury Blog
Two drivers were injured in a San Francisco car accident after a speeding vehicle entered a street intersection and broadsided another the afternoon of May 8, 2010. According to a news report in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, a blue Subaru Legacy sedan going south on Brookwood Avenue hit a red Jeep at the intersection of Fourth Street, in Santa Rosa. The Jeep flipped at least twice, eyewitnesses said. The Jeep then landed on its side and its hood crushed into the cab. Both, the driver of the Jeep and the Subaru were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.
I truly sympathize with the injured victims in this crash. I hope neither one of them sustained any catastrophic injuries. I pray for their speedy and complete recovery.
Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were eight fatalities and 764 injuries involving car accidents in Santa Rosa. In Sonoma County as a whole, car accidents claimed 36 lives and caused 1,988 injuries during the same year.
Right-of-Way Issues
This report states that the broadside collision occurred at a street intersection in downtown Santa Rosa. However, it is not clear which driver had the right-of-way. Eyewitness accounts seem to suggest that the female driver of the Subaru was speeding through the intersection, may have lost control and broadsided the Jeep. Did that driver run a red light? Was she intoxicated, speeding, distracted or otherwise driving recklessly? I trust police are looking into who had the right-of-way at that intersection in addition to these other significant issues.
Failure to yield right-of-way is a serious traffic violation. According to California Vehicle Code section 21800 (a): “The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle which has entered the intersection from a different highway.” Running a red light is also a serious traffic violation under California Vehicle Code section 21453 (a). Whichever driver is determined to have failed to yield right-of-way at the intersection could be held financially responsible for the accident and injuries caused to the other parties.
Claim for Compensation
Injured victims in such cases would be well-advised to contact an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the accident and make sure that the negligent parties are held accountable. A skilled car accident lawyer will also be able to advise victims about how their own car insurance policy applies in a case where the at-fault motorist is uninsured or underinsured.
What preventive steps do you take as you drive through a street intersection?
The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys 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.