Teenager Killed in Single Vehicle Crash in Sacramento County
I am Ed Smith, a car accident attorney in Sacramento. A young man died on a rural road in Sacramento on November 4.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my condolences to the family and friends of Brandon Maldonado in this time of sorrow.
Accident Details
A Highway Patrol in California (CHP) representative reported that the accident happened on Dillard Road heading east in the vicinity of Meiss Road when the young man’s vehicle left the road and struck a pole. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Fire District in Sacramento said that the accident was called in at 11:48 in the morning. The coroner’s office in Sacramento County identified the victim as Brandon Maldonado, a resident of Sloughhouse. He was 18 years old.
Single Vehicle Accidents
Run off road accidents are responsible for a large portion of roadway fatalities. In fact, almost 70 percent of all single vehicle fatal crashes are ROR crashes. Basically, these are defined as an accident where a vehicle moves away from the lane it was in and veers onto the shoulder or median area and hits an object that is not moving. This could be a tree or cement divider. Alternately, there are single vehicle crashes on the roads where the moving vehicle strikes a pedestrian, a bicyclist or an animal, among others. On road accidents are responsible for 30 percent of fatalities.
Statistics for Single Vehicle Crashes
Statistical analysis of causative factors for single vehicle crashes include:
Darkness: According to surveys, almost 74 percent of ROR accidents occur at night while on road single vehicle crashes happen in the daylight.
Rural Road: More single vehicle crashes happen on rural roads. In fact, 80.6 percent of accidents on rural roads are ROR accidents.
Curved Roads: ROR accidents are over 90 percent more common on curved roads.
Weather: ROR accidents happen approximately 75 percent of the time. On road crashes happen in clear weather by a factor of 70 percent.
Occupancy: In 68 percent of ROR accidents, there was only one occupant, in this case the driver. However, an increase in occupancy to two brought the percentage of ROR accidents to 75 percent.
Gender: Men were more likely to have an ROR accident than a female by a comparative percentage of 72 to 66 percent.
Age: Drivers who are 15 to 24 years of age are most likely to have a single vehicle crash than others by 75 percent.
Drunk Driving: Driving drunk is a common cause of ROR accidents. If a young person was at a bar or party and drank alcoholic beverages served by the bar or host, a lawsuit can be filed against either party.
Medical Emergencies: Some ROR accidents happen due to a medical emergency such as a heart attack, glycemic episode or stroke.
Vehicular Part Malfunction: ROR accidents may happen because a defective auto product such as tires or brakes malfunction. When this happens, a claim against the manufacturer or distributor can be filed.
Injuries in Single Vehicle Crashes
Aside from fatalities, striking an immovable object at the posted speed limit can cause catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injury, burn injuries when the vehicle catches on fire, chest trauma, blunt abdominal trauma and femur fracture. Another frequent outcome is upper extremity injuries.
Fatigue and Distraction in Single Vehicle Crashes
Both driver fatigue and distraction are common in single vehicle crashes. Avoiding driving when tired is the best way to avoid this problem. Newer designs for car GPS and radio selections are voice-activated, meaning the driver does not need to fiddle with switches. Cell phone use is prohibited unless a hands free method is employed.
Sacramento Car Accident Attorney
I am Ed Smith, a car accident attorney in Sacramento. When a family member has died in a car crash, the family is often shocked and consumed by grief. In time, end of life expenses mount, forcing the family to go into debt. If this happens to you, reach out to me for free and friendly advice on your options. You can phone me at (916) 921-6400 locally or (800) 404-5400 toll free.
For over 35 years, I’ve assisted Sacramento residents and others in Northern California with wrongful death lawsuits and traumatic injury claims as a personal injury lawyer.
When you want more information about my practice just go to Yelp, Google and Avvo. You can also look at the ways I resolved previous cases on my Verdicts and Settlements page.
I am a Million Dollar Advocates member. Everyone inducted into this group of top-ranked trial attorneys has reached $1 million or higher in settlements and verdicts.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/car-crash-accident-car-crash-1360121/
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