California Injury Blog
A 64-year-old woman who suffered serious injuries in an Orange County pedestrian versus auto accident has been identified as Maria Salinas of Placentia. Salinas was waiting to cross Placentia Avenue at Ruby Drive on January 31, 2009 when the driver of a pickup truck veered to the right, jumped the curb and hit her. Salinas was taken to an area hospital with a broken leg and back and other internal injuries. Our source for this blog is this news report in The Orange County Register.
Placentia police officials say the driver of the pickup, identified as a 20-year-old Fullerton man, was either speeding or did not see the cars stopped in front of him. The driver was not cited or arrested and drunk driving is not suspected.
I’m extremely relieved that this woman was not killed or suffer catastrophic injuries in this Orange County pedestrian accident, which could have been a lot worse. I wish Maria Salinas the very best for a speedy and complete recovery and I’m happy to learn and she is now listed in stable condition.
I trust Placentia Police Department’s traffic investigators will soon discover why this accident occurred. Was the driver of the pickup truck not paying attention? Was he distracted? Was he speeding? Or did his pickup truck suddenly malfunction? Based on the newspaper report, officials say that preliminary investigations reveal that the driver of the pickup was not driving at a safe speed. He was going too fast near the intersection and lost control of his vehicle because he was going too fast.
Maria Salinas would be well-advised to retain the services of a reputed Orange County pedestrian accident attorney. It appears to me that this driver was negligent and not paying attention to the road or how fast he was going. Salinas would be entitled to compensation to pay for medical bills, loss of wages, pain and suffering. A skilled personal injury attorney will also be able to look into other factors that may have contributed to the accident such as a dangerous condition on the roadway or intersection. If that is a factor, then the city of Placentia could be held liable. Please remember that any claim against a California governmental agency must be filed properly within six months of the accident.