Suspected DUI Driver Causes Accident that Leads to Roof Collapse; at least 9 Injured

On Sunday evening, October 20, 2019 shortly before 9pm, a suspected DUI driver caused an accident that resulted in significant damage – luckily, no lives were lost. The incident occurred in Canoga Park, at the corner of Sherman Way and De Soto Avenue. According to reports, the suspected DUI driver, driving a red Kia, crashed into a Nissan at a high rate of speed. The collision caused the Nissan to slam into a fire hydrant. The impact to the fire hydrant resulted in a geyser, sending water hundreds of feet into the air. The geyser toppled power lines. The force of the geyser also caused the roof of a nearby WSS Footwear store to partially collapse; unfortunately, this occurs with several unsuspecting customers in the store. A total of 9 people were rushed to local hospitals. At least 4 of the victims sustained critical injuries. A child – just four-years-old – suffered a broken leg due to the partial roof collapse. Although some of the injuries were classified as critical, none of the injuries seemed to be life-threatening. The driver of the red Kia was handcuffed at the scene of the incident, investigations are underway to confirm whether she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Department of Water and Power responded to the scene and shut off the water within an hour.

What Options are Available to Victims

In general, the victims of auto accidents can go after the liable party’s insurance to receive the compensation that they are owned. Likewise, the victims of roof-collapse incidents can go after the liable party’s (usually the owner of the property) for the compensation that they are owed. The incident discussed above is an unusual circumstance, however. Because of this, there are many questions surrounding the legalities. Some of the questions include the following:

• Who is liable for the harm suffered?
• Is only the driver that caused the initial accident liable?
• Can the store be liable in any way?
• Can both the driver and the store share liability?
• Can victims and their families take legal action for the harm that they suffered?
• Could affected parties recover any sort of compensation for the harm that they suffered?

If you have any of the questions listed above and are interested in discussing your current situation (and the possibility of pursuing a claim) with experts, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our lawyers at Downtown L.A. Law Group. At Downtown L.A. Law Group, we have many years of experience handling a variety of claims – always focused on representing the best interests of our clients.

Understanding Liability

If you suffered any sort of harm, you will likely have grounds to pursue a claim; however, you will have to establish liability. Without a doubt, the driver that caused the accident could be at fault. All drivers have a duty of care to exercise caution and follow all traffic laws while behind the wheel to ensure that they do not cause any accidents. By driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and speeding, for example, drivers are breaching their duty of care – they could cause accidents that could harm innocent victims. Property owners, such as the owners of the WSS store mentioned in the incident above, also have a duty of care, albeit towards their guests. They have the duty to keep their entire premises free of any hazards that could potentially harm their guests. They must actively inspect their premises to identify any risks; they must also promptly address hazards – even something as simple as placing a warning sign or closing off an area can be enough to ensure that innocent customers are not harmed. Let’s consider the incident above. There is no way that the property owner could have known that a car accident would cause a fire hydrant to geyser and that the force of the water coming down on the property’s roof would cause it to collapse. There is no way to anticipate that something like this could happen. However, all property owners have to ensure that there are no hazards on their premise – issues with a roof could represent a significant hazard.

Learn more about your options for compensation by calling (855) 339-8879.

If the investigation determines that the property owner was aware that the roof over the WSS store was hazardous (due to building code violations, poor maintenance, poor construction, or excessive load, for example) but failed to take any action to address the hazard, the property owner could have at least some liability. Specifically, if there weren’t any existing problems with the roof, the force of the water coming down from the geyser might have not made the roof collapse. Although the property owner could not have anticipated something like that to happen, any hazard present in the roof could have contributed to the partial collapse. In many cases, liability is not straightforward – liability can be complicated and difficult to establish. If you would like to learn more about establishing liability for the incident that harmed you or members of your family, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers are ready to provide you with the legal assistance that you need to pursue a claim and fight for your right to recover compensation.

Could You Sue and Receive Compensation?

Without a doubt, you could pursue a claim if you were harmed in any way by the negligent actions of a party. If your claim is successful, you could even receive some sort of compensation. Depending on the specific details of your claim, you could be eligible to recover compensation. Although every claim is different, you could be eligible to recover compensation for some of the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral and burial costs
• Property damage
• Punitive damages

Regardless of the type and amount that you could be eligible to receive (based on the details of your claim), you can be certain that our lawyers will always do everything within their reach to ensure that you recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim. Whether you want to settle your claim or take your claim to trial, you can be certain that our attorneys will not rest until you recover the compensation that you deserve. If you would like more information about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive if you pursue a claim, do not hesitate to contact us today.

What Should You Do?

If you suffered any sort of harm in an incident that could have been avoided, you will likely have grounds to pursue a claim. However, there are a number of things that you must do to ensure that you can pursue a claim, which include taking photos of all injuries, taking photos of the scene of the accident, and gathering witness information, for example. By far, one of the most important things that victims should immediately do is to seek medical attention. When victims seek medical attention, they are creating a link between their injuries and the incident in which they were involved. Many injured victims fail to seek immediate medical care; therefore, it is more difficult to prove that the injuries were caused by the specific incident. Besides seeking medical care, it is absolutely essential that claimants seek legal assistance at their earliest convenience. Having a lawyer from the start will ensure that you have the guidance that you need every step of the way.

The Statute of Limitations

All claims are subject to a statute of limitations – or a deadline to sue. In the state of California, injury claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that victims will only have two years to pursue their claims. If claims are not filed within the appropriate length of time, claimants will likely lose their right to sue and lose their right to receive any form of compensation. The statute of limitations determines a strict deadline; however, exceptions could apply. Because claims are time-sensitive and failing to file on time could result in losing the right to sue, it is essential that you discuss the applicable statute of limitations with an experienced attorney.

Get started today by calling (855) 339-8879.

Seek Legal Assistance Today

Were you involved in the incident described above? Whether you or a member of your family suffered any sort of harm in the incident mentioned above or any other similar incident, it is essential that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible. if you would like to learn more about your right to pursue a claim after you or a member of your family suffered any sort of harm due to the negligent action of a party (or multiple parties), do not hesitate to contact the experts at Downtown L.A. Law Group. Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law group with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims – always aggressively fighting for the rights of our clients. At our firm, we offer a variety of free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will always be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns – always ensuring that you have access to all the information that you need to pursue your claim. To benefit from our free legal services, do not hesitate to contact our firm as soon as possible. We are dedicated to ensuring that all affected parties have access to the guidance necessary to reach a successful claim outcome. Because of that, we offer a Zero-Fee guarantee, which ensures that our clients will never have to pay anything for any of our legal services. Our law firm is also based on a contingency structure. Because our firm is based on contingency, our lawyers will not be required to pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome – if you do not win, you will not pay. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience.