Second Girl Dies Weeks after being struck by a Truck

On Monday, April 22, 2019, Amy Lorenzo (a 12-year-old girl) died. A few weeks earlier, on April 4th, Amy and her sister, Marlene, were walking to school in a crosswalk when they were struck by a truck in the Exposition Park area. The sisters were rightfully crossing the street at 37th Place and Broadway when they were struck by the truck. The driver of the truck claimed that he did not see the two young girls – video taken after the accident shows a distressed driver. Although witnesses saw the driver looking down when the accident occurred, there is still no evidence to prove that the driver was distracted by his cell phone (analysis of his cell phone usage at the time of the accident is yet to be concluded). Unfortunately, Marlene (the older sister) died the day of the accident. Her sister, Amy, was hospitalized in critical condition. Amy was fighting for her life; she was placed on a medically induced coma. Amy died just over 3 weeks after the truck accident that killed her older sister. Without a doubt, the family of the two young girls that died as a result of the truck accident is going through a very difficult time. Although it is possible that they have not considered the possibility of pursuing a claim against the party liable for the death of their daughters, doing so is an option. Were you or a member of your family harmed in a truck accident? Did you suffer injuries after being involved in a truck accident? Did a member of your family die after being involved in a truck accident? Regardless of the specific details of the situation, you might have the right to file a claim against the party liable for the accident. If you are in need of legal assistance, do not hesitate to contact our law firm at your earliest convenience. Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law firm that has dedicated many years to representing all the parties affected by personal injury accidents. It does not matter whether a specific incident resulted in injuries or in death; you could trust that the lawyers at our law firm are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to pursue a successful claim and recover the compensation that you deserve.

Why are Truck Accidents so Dangerous?

Truck accidents are easily some of the most dangerous types of accidents that anyone could suffer. Truck accidents are dangerous to the drivers of normal vehicles. Truck accidents are even more dangerous to pedestrians. What’s the danger? The danger surrounding these large commercial vehicles is usually very straightforward. Consider the following:

These vehicles are large; therefore, they can cause more damage than any other vehicles.

These vehicles are heavy, often weighing thousands of pounds.

These vehicles require a longer distance to come to a full stop (when compared to other vehicles).

These vehicles have a very limited range of visibility (many blind spots).

Commercial trucks require certain skill and training to operate. Because of that, truck drivers are required to have commercial driver’s licenses to operate these vehicles. If you would like to learn more about the dangers of truck accidents, do not hesitate to contact us and discuss your claim with our experts at your earliest convenience.

The Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Why do truck accidents occur? As mentioned above, truck drivers are required to have commercial licenses; therefore, they must know what they are doing while driving these vehicles. However, it doesn’t matter how skilled drivers are behind the wheel of their commercial trucks – truck accidents can happen at any time and for a variety of reasons. Consider some of the most common causes of truck accidents mentioned below:

Truck drivers are distracted by their cell phone.

Truck drivers are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Truck drivers are driving while sleep deprived.

Truck drivers are weaving in and out of traffic.

Truck drivers are ignoring traffic laws and signals.

Truck drivers are not exercising caution while driving.

Truck drivers fail to check for other vehicles or pedestrians when driving.

Trucks are poorly maintained. In most cases, truck accidents occur due to the negligent actions of the truck drivers. In some occasions, the negligence that caused the accident can be traced back to the truck driver’s employer. In other cases, truck accidents that harm pedestrians are a result of the negligent actions of pedestrians.

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Consider the case mentioned above. Witnesses claimed that the truck driver who struck the two sisters was looking down. It is unknown whether the truck driver was using his phone or distracted in another way. Witnesses also claimed that the girls were crossing after getting a green light to cross – so they were rightfully crossing. If the authorities can prove that the driver was distracted with a mobile device at the time of the accident, he will likely be held liable for the deaths of the two young girls.

Truck Accident Injuries

The injuries resulting from truck accidents depend on the circumstances surrounding the accident. In general, pedestrians are the most vulnerable parties when it comes to truck accidents. Although every accident is different, truck accidents could result in some of the following: head injuries; traumatic brain injuries; shoulder injuries; neck injuries; back injuries; spinal cord injuries; hip injuries; pelvic injuries; organ damage; knee injuries; leg injuries; severed limbs; road burn. Without a doubt, these injuries could be minor and result in only minimal affects to the victim’s livelihood. However, in most cases, the injuries suffered due to truck accidents are severe – often leading to death. Regardless of the specific injuries suffered as a direct result of a truck accident, you could be certain that our knowledgeable attorneys are ready to fight for your right to be compensated for the injuries/harm suffered.

Who is Usually Liable for Truck Accidents?

In general, there are a few parties who could be liable for the harm resulting from truck accidents. Liability depends on the specific circumstances surrounding the accident. Consider all of the following parties who could be held accountable for the damages resulting from a truck accident:

Truck drivers: truck drivers can recklessly and negligently cause truck accidents by failing to adhere to traffic laws and by disregarding the safety of others, which could result in harm to pedestrians.

Employers of truck drivers: the employers of truck drivers can contribute to truck accidents by forcing their drivers to drive long hours without breaks or by enforcing strict time expectations on their drivers. This could result in accidents that could harm pedestrians.

Trucking companies: trucking companies often rent or lease commercial vehicles to other business. The failure to maintain these vehicles and ensure that they are up to mechanical standards can result in accidents, which could harm pedestrians.

Pedestrians: pedestrians can negligently contribute to truck accidents by crossing in undesignated areas, ignoring traffic signals, and running into busy streets, for example.

Other drivers: drivers who exercise recklessness while behind the wheel (such as cutting trucks off) can cause accidents which could harm pedestrians.

Cities/counties: in some cases, poor road conditions contribute to the accidents involving trucks and pedestrians. Uncontrolled intersections, poorly lit intersections, and cracked pavement could all contribute to accidents that harm pedestrians.

Regardless of the party that is liable for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered, you have the right to take action. You must seek legal assistance as soon as possible to learn more about establishing liability for truck accidents and your right to pursue a claim.

Filing a Claim

Do you have the right to pursue a claim after you or a member of your family suffered harm as a direct result of a truck accident? Without a doubt, you have the right to file a lawsuit for the harm suffered. However, the type of claim that you are eligible to pursue depends on the specific details of your claim. You likely have grounds to pursue a truck accident personal injury claim or a wrongful death claim. If the truck accident resulted in any sort of injuries (injuries that did not lead to death), the victim can pursue a normal personal injury claim. If the truck accident resulted in instant death or injuries that led to the victim’s death days, weeks, or months later (as in the incident described above), surviving family members will have the right to pursues a wrongful death claim. Regardless of the type of claim that you are interested in pursuing, you could be certain that the knowledgeable attorneys at Downtown L.A. Law Group are ready to provide you with all the information that you need to take action against the party liable for the harm suffered. Our expert lawyers are ready to fight for your right to be compensated for all the damages caused by the unfortunate truck accident that affected you and your family.

Recovering Compensation

You and your family were affected by a truck accident; how much compensation could you recover? The specific type and amount of compensation that victims and their families are eligible to recover depend on the specific details of the claim. In general, victims and their families could be compensated for the following: medical expenses; lost income; pain and suffering; loss of consortium; funeral and burial costs; punitive damages. Regardless of the type or amount of compensation that you and your family are eligible to receive, you could be certain that our attorneys will fight for your right to be rightfully compensated. To learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you might be eligible to recover, do not hesitate to contact our firm as soon as possible.

Our Law Firm Can Help You

To ensure that all parties affected by truck accidents have access to legal assistance, our law firm offers both free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our knowledgeable attorneys will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you with all the information necessary to reach a successful claim outcome. Our legal services are available as part of our Zero-Fee guarantee. Our firm is also strictly based on contingency; therefore, our clients will never have to worry about paying any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. If you believe that you are ready to discuss the truck accident that affected you and your family with the knowledgeable attorneys at our law firm, do not hesitate to contact Downtown L.A. Law Group as soon as possible.