On Wednesday, January 12, a Ventura County Superior Court jury found a man negligent in causing a December 19, 2007 auto accident on Highway 101 north of Ventura that killed one motorist and left a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer paralyzed . In 2008, the man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, as well as for selling and transporting marijuana.
The Ventura County Star reports the accident occurred when the man was driving a pickup truck and crashed into an SUV that was stopped on the shoulder of the highway. The SUV had been pulled over by the CHP officer for a traffic violation, and the officer was conversing with the driver on the passenger’s side when the pickup truck collided into the vehicle. The SUV driver was killed and the accident rendered the CHP officer quadriplegic.
The jury also found that a mall was negligent in causing the fatal California car crash. They were sued because two mall employees loaded motorcycles onto the back of the man’s pickup in an “improper and unsafe backwards-facing manner,” in addition to not being strapped to the truck properly. The man’s percentage of liability for the accident was assessed by the jury at 67 percent and the mall at 33 percent. Now, the damages phase of the trial begins, where witnesses will testify regarding the economical, emotional, and mental losses the plaintiffs—the CHP officer and the family of the deceased SUV driver—have suffered. The plaintiffs are asking for $35 million.
In car accident cases in California, sometimes multiple parties are found to be partially liable for an accident, which means they are, to a degree, at fault for a car collision and any resulting damages or injuries. When it is concluded that multiple persons or parties contributed to a car accident, the negligence is apportioned using percentages.
The California auto accident attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP have many years of experience handling car crash cases in California. We understand the complexity of the laws surrounding accidents where multiple parties may be at fault and will work hard to protect your legal rights as an injury victim. Our lawyers will aggressively pursue compensation you deserve if you have been injured in an accident caused by a negligent driver or other parties. Please call 1-877-800-1700 to schedule your free consultation today.
