California Injury Blog
An Orange County accident that caused a vehicle to plow through a concrete wall and into a home was the result of a driver trying to avoid another car that was making a U-turn in front of him, according to a news report in The Orange County Register. Michael and Nancy Smith were sitting in their family room watching Monday night football and had just gotten up from their seats to go to the store when a Pontiac sedan crashed into a block wall of their Placentia home, after going through the Smiths’ backyard. The Smiths said they were saved because they got up right on time.
Placentia police said the Pontiac was traveling west on Yorba Linda Boulevard near Brookhaven Avenue the night of November 23, 2009 when another vehicle made a U-turn in front of it. The driver apparently swerved to avoid hitting the car, lost control of his vehicle and crashed. The driver, who was a U.S. Marine who was coming home from Camp Pendleton, escaped without serious injuries. The driver who made the U-turn left the scene of the accident.
Orange County Car Accidents
It is extremely fortunate this incident was not catastrophic. Clearly, this incident could have turned out a lot worse. I’m relieved that Michael and Nancy Smith were uninjured and that the U.S. Marine escaped without serious injuries. I wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery.
California Highway Patrol’s 2007 traffic accident statistics show that there were two deaths and 164 injuries reported in Placentia, California, as a result of car accidents. In Orange County as a whole, 178 fatalities and 14,185 injuries occurred in 2007 involving car accidents.
California Car Accident Laws
Based on this news report, it appears that the driver who made the U-turn in front of the Marine caused this accident. It seems to me, if this news account is accurate, he or she made an unsafe U-turn. California law is very specific about the requirements for drivers making a left turn or a U-turn.
California Vehicle Code section 21801 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety.”
The driver of the other car should have stopped at the scene of this serious car accident. I’m inclined to believe that person left the scene intentionally after seeing what he or she caused. I hope officials will be able to contact this person and determine the facts.
The Smiths’ homeowners’ insurance should cover their damages while a knowledgeable California injury attorneys will help the injured Marine seek compensation through the uninsured/underinsured motorist clause of his car insurance policy. This incident is a great example of why it pays to spend that little bit extra every month for uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Ultimately, that is the kind of insurance coverage that protects you in the event of a car crash, especially when the incident involves a hit-and-run driver or an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
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.