Auto Accident Fatally Injures Man Near Acampo
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton personal injury lawyer. A single-vehicle accident claimed the life of an Escalon man on June 2, 2018. The collision occurred along Highway 99 in the vicinity of Peltier Road shortly before 1:00 in the afternoon when a man driving a 2005 Chevrolet reportedly lost control of his vehicle. The Chevrolet veered onto the right shoulder, down an embankment and crashed through a barbed wire fence. The impact caused the Chevrolet to overturn several times and allegedly ejected the driver out of the vehicle. Unfortunately, the man suffered fatal injuries in the accident. The San Joaquin County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as 74-year-old David Ray Peck of Escalon.
I would like to send my thoughts and prayers to those grieving the loss of their loved one during this devastating time.
Accident Investigation
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has not yet released a cause of the accident. An investigation is underway. An initial CHP report suggested it was unknown whether distracted driving, alcohol or a medical emergency played as factors in the tragic crash. Authorities are investigating other reports of the Chevrolet possibly being involved in two separate accidents with other cars near the fatal crash scene.
Single-Vehicle Accidents
Accidents involving one vehicle are often presumed to be a result of driver error. However, this is not always the case. An accident may be caused by factors outside of a motorists’ control such as:
- Defective vehicle products are capable of causing serious injuries to consumers. One of the most consumer-friendly states is California as it abides by a legal doctrine of strict liability. This means that a manufacturer or company can be held responsible for resulting damages from a defective product, like faulty accelerator pedals, brakes, or vehicle roofs that fail to provide adequate protection in the event of a rollover accident. In order to prove such liability cases, negligence must be proven on part of design, manufacturing process and marketing defects.
- Roadway maintenance is an important part of keeping drivers safe. Failure to do so can increase the incidence of traffic accidents and fatalities. Road defects such as potholes, lack of guardrails and inadequate signage all have the potential to cause a serious crash. Determining that hazardous road conditions resulted in an accident causing injury or death can be extremely time-consuming. Filing a claim for damages against a government entity has a shorter timeline than the standard two-year statute of limitations in California. These claims must be filed within six months or 180 days from the date of injury or fatality.
- Single vehicle accidents are sometimes caused by hit and runs where the impact can cause a victim’s car to lose control and drift off the roadway. In these types of cases, a victim may utilize their own auto insurance policy to recover damages if they have uninsured motorist protection (UM). Filing a UM claim can be tricky as substantial evidence is required to show that another vehicle was responsible for the accident. Contact an injury lawyer for help with this process.
How an Injury Lawyer Can Help
The repercussions of a single vehicle accident are endless. From the mounting medical bills to wage loss, these accidents are often extremely difficult to recover from. A skilled attorney can investigate further into the accident by enlisting collision reconstruction experts to properly determine liability. Even if the driver involved in the accident shared partial fault in the accident, they may be able to file a claim for partial compensation as California adheres to a system of comparative negligence.
Stockton Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton personal injury lawyer. Single-vehicle accidents can be devastating for both the victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to recover for your damages. Please feel free to give me a call any time at (209) 227-1931 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 to receive friendly and free legal advice.
The first step in locating a reputable injury lawyer is by reading ratings and reviews by their former clients and peers. You may browse comments about my practice at:
I belong to the Million Dollar Advocates as a member of California.
To learn more about my past cases and their results, visit my Verdicts and Settlements page.
Photograph Credit: By “StockSnap” via Pixabay under CC0 Creative Commons
:ds [cs 802] cv