A tragic wrongful death accident occurred on the set of the popular CBS television show, “NCIS,” when a security guard was killed when he was hit by a van. The van belonged to a production company whose driver allegedly blacked out when it hit a tent on the set. According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the fatal accident occurred on Anza Drive in Santa Clarita, California.
The Los Angeles pedestrian accident allegedly happened when the van sped through the lot and collided with the man, who apparently could not see it coming because of the tent. The accident victim was 52 years old.
In situations like this, the family of the victim, who died at a hospital, may be able to pursue a California workers’ compensation claim against the employer as well as a personal injury claim against the responsible party. The responsible party will likely include the driver and owner of the van that collided with the victim.
Since the van appears to have belonged to a production company, it will likely be covered by a commercial insurance policy, which usually provides higher coverage amounts than normal private party insurance policies. Because of the tragic nature of the incident, a large insurance policy will be needed to cover the extensive wrongful death damages.
Another potential legal issue here is why the driver blacked out and lost control of the vehicle. The driver may claim it was an “act of God,” in which case there is some case law that says he may not be legally responsible. Therefore, it will be necessary to investigate the cause of the blackout and find out if there was a health condition, of which the driver had knowledge, which caused the blackout.
Due to the complexities involved, the family of the victim should call an experienced Los Angeles wrongful death attorney so that the proper investigation can be conducted and the family can recover the full amount of the wrongful death damages. Our office has been handling personal injury, including wrongful death cases, for over 30 years.