According to the Orange County Register, on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 3, 2018, at around 3:19 p.m., a passenger van carrying nine students crashed into a tree, injuring the students inside. The van was taking the children to paddle board activity at Baby Beach as part of an after-school program, not connected with the school. As the van was coming down the Cove Road hill in Dana Point, the brakes on the van went out.
The driver of the van was uninjured but was extremely distressed about what happened. When the brakes gave out, she did her best to steer the van down the hill while honking at other drivers to avoid collision. The car finally stopped at the bottom of the hill when it hit a tree. The students in the car ranged from 9-12 years old and all nine suffered personal injuries in the collision. Five students in the van were seriously injured and were immediately taken to Mission Medical Center.
Luckily, none of the children suffered life-threatening injuries in this Orange County car accident. Currently, it appears that the cause of the accident was mechanical failure of the brakes. The families of the students who suffered personal injuries in this accident should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately who can help them make a personal injury claim to receive compensation for their injuries.
In a case like this one, it is important that the cause of this accident is investigated. One vital issue will be determining why the brakes failed and who was responsible for their failure. Those responsible for the brake failure and thus the children’s injuries could include: the owners of the van (in this case, the after-school program), the insurance that covers the van, and even the makers of the brakes if the product was faulty. When an auto manufacturer produces a defective part, they can be liable for injuries caused by that defective part.
Anytime a case involves more than one potentially responsible party or a faulty product, the detailed facts and determining fault can get very complicated, very quickly. That is why speaking to a skilled car accident attorney is so important. The attorneys at Walch Law have decades of experience with cases that involve personal injuries resulting from California car accidents. Our office can assist in case investigation and analysis to help determine who was at fault and assist those injured in making a proper claim against the right party.
Financial compensation received from a personal injury claim can be used to help cover the medical costs associated with the victims’ injuries, which can be extensive, even if an injury is considered minor. If you or someone you care about has been injured due to no fault of their own in a car accident in Southern California, you should reach out to our Southern California personal injury law office for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.
We certainly hope the children involved in this accident can make a speedy recovery and get the compensation they deserve.