Vehicle Plunges Off Road in Santa Barbara Car Accident
I’m Ed Smith, a Santa Barbara wrongful death lawyer. An accident near Santa Barbara the evening of June 26 caused the deaths of two people and injured three others after a vehicle plunged off a road and traveled down an embankment. The accident is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol as to the cause.
What Happened
The captain of the county fire department in Santa Barbara reported that the crash occurred around 9:30 in the evening along Gibraltar Road when, for unknown reasons, the vehicle went over the side of the road, landing on the vehicle’s roof about 300 feet down the hill. Two of the individuals involved in the crash died at the accident site. One of the survivors was hoisted up from the vehicle wreckage by helicopter and flown to a hospital in Santa Barbara with injuries described as critical. The remaining two accident victims were transported to a hospital by ground ambulances. One was described as moderately injured, and the other was described as having minor injuries.
Responding Emergency Personnel
Responders to the crash included county and city emergency personnel, the CHP, ambulances and fire personnel from Montecito. The search and rescue team from the sheriff’s office also responded.
Rollover Accidents
Rollovers are considered among the most dangerous type of motor vehicle accident. In fact, rollovers account for the highest number of traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Injuries can be devastating because the individuals inside can be tossed around in the vehicle or even ejected, particularly if the victim is not wearing a seat belt. In addition, the vehicle can end up with a crushed roof that collapsed on top of the people inside the vehicle, which can cause major brain injuries. SUVs are particularly vulnerable to rollover accidents.
What Causes a Rollover?
A rollover happens when a vehicle’s tires strike against something, such as soft dirt or a guardrail. This disrupts the vehicle’s forward momentum in a movement called “tripping.” Rollovers can also occur when a vehicle takes a corner too fast or overcorrects. This destabilizes the vehicle. It can also happen when one vehicle crashes into another vehicle or when driving over rough terrain.
Liability in a Single-Vehicle Accident
If a passenger in a vehicle is injured in California due to negligence by the driver such as taking a curve too fast and rolling the car, the passenger is entitled to compensation for their injuries. A driver’s duty of care not only extends to other drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists but to passengers in his/her vehicle. An experienced injury lawyer can advise a passenger who was injured because of the driver’s negligence about their legal rights and the best way to proceed in their case.
Car Accident Attorney Ed Smith
Santa Barbara Wrongful Death & Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Santa Barbara wrongful death lawyer. Car accidents caused by negligence can result in serious injuries or death. If you or a family member have been injured or have suffered the loss of a loved one, please phone me at (805) 372-0200. The toll-free number is (800) 404-5400. I am available to offer you friendly advice that is free.
I have membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a group that restricts membership to trial attorneys who have obtained million or multimillion dollar verdicts/settlements for their clients.
Reviews of my law practice are found at Google and Yelp, while Avvo carries both client and peer reviews. My Verdicts and Settlements page carries a sampling of some previous cases and their results.
I am the owner of autoaccident.com, a site that carries comprehensive information on personal injuries. Having worked as a personal injury lawyer in California for 35 years, I am experienced in securing fair compensation for victims of all types of injuries and families who have suffered a wrongful death for Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County residents.
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