Fairfield Teen Survives I-80 Crash
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield car accident lawyer. A North Bay teenager is still in the process of recovery nearly a month after she was traumatically injured in a car crash on highway Interstate I-80 during a rainstorm. After spending weeks in the hospital, she was recently released to go home.
Accident Details
The car accident happened when the girl had been driving westbound on I-80 near Fairfield. She collided with another vehicle and both vehicles subsequently veered into the center divider of the freeway. The girl reported that, after the collision, she got out of her vehicle and the driver of the other car asked her if she was ok, to which she responded yes.
That was the last thing she remembers. Shortly after this happened, a third vehicle, a mid-size sedan, struck her, injuring her severely. Emergency medics were called to the scene of the accident and rushed the girl to the nearest trauma center for treatment of her critical condition.
Hospital Stay
Her hospital stay lasted weeks and included eleven separate surgeries, two of them amputation operations on her right leg.
Dangerous Driving Conditions
The girl’s mother indicated that she had “very bad fears” that the storm would endanger her daughter while she was driving and told reporters that she had texted her daughter multiple times, reminding her to drive cautiously in the dangerous weather.
Staying Positive
Although she has gone through so much hardship, the young teenager told reporters that she is able to stay positive on most days and that the experience, though difficult, has caused her to “want to get out and enjoy (her) life.”
Amputation Injuries
Recovering from an amputation can be a long and difficult process with expenses that add up quickly. In addition to the task of relearning everyday tasks, amputees often need to deal with purchasing prosthetics, physical therapy, emotional distress, the loss of their job, and more. However, under the law of the state of California, amputee victims are able to recover “just” compensation for all of these as well as the loss of future income, loss of quality of life, and other damages.
Comparative Fault
Even if a victim has some fault in the accident, they are still able to recover some damages. Because California is a “comparative fault” state, liability is decided in part. For instance, if an amputee is determined to be 20 percent at fault for an accident, they may see a 20 percent reduction in recoverable damages, but will still be able to receive compensation.
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Fairfield Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield amputation injury lawyer. If you, or someone close to you has been seriously injured or died in an accident, call me at (707) 564-1900 for free, friendly advice. Or, contact me toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
I have been handling cases involving wrongful death and personal injury for more than 3 decades.
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