Chase Scarbough, a 10 year old boy, died today after sustaining injuries in an off road vehicle accident in Victorville, California, on Monday. The accident occurred when the boy lost control of the vehicle after riding over a series of bumps. The boy, who was wearing a helmet and other safety gear, did not appear to suffer major injury as a result of the Victorville accident.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the boy, from San Bernardino, vomited (a sign of possible concussion) today and was taken by ambulance to Saint Mary’s Medical Center. Tragically, according to the California Highway Patrol, Scarbough was pronounced dead due to internal injuries from the Victorville auto accident.
In this Victorville wrongful death accident, the family of the boy should hire a California personal injury attorney to examine the circumstances of the accident and see if there is any legal liability for the wrongful death. Various legal factors include whether children as young as 10 should be allowed to drive such vehicles and whether the off road course was safe enough for riders of such a young age. It will also have to be investigated whether the instructions before riding were adequate.
Depending on the severity of the collision, staff at the Johnson Valley Off Road Recreation area should probably have insisted that the boy see a doctor. The fact that a young boy was only complaining of minor pain does not mean that the injuries are not serious.
Very frequently, with many of our California personal injury auto accident cases, our clients do not quite realize how injured they are at the scene of the collision, and are often in shock. Police or paramedics will ask them if they need emergency transportation to a hospital and many of them will refuse, often happy to be just be alive, only to find themselves in serious pain and needing emergency medical care later that day or even a few days after the accident. For this reason, if you are involved in a serious auto accident, it is often a mistake to refuse emergency medical care and it is better to be safe and get checked out in an emergency room right after the accident.
For those worried that the ambulance or hospital bills will be too high, there are many programs that can help with these bills if there is no source of recovery. If the accident is not your fault, call our office right away so that we can help you get your medical bills paid by the other side, as well as obtaining a personal injury settlement for you to fairly compensate you for your pain, suffering, loss of earnings and other damages. We will help you get your car fixed and find you medical care close to your home. We can help you get doctors and specialists who can treat you on a lien basis, so that you will not have to pay any co-pays or deductibles while you are waiting for your settlement.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, call our office now. We have been handling California personal injury and wrongful death cases for over 30 years. We offer a free consultation and we do not get paid until we win. Call now, 1-866-INJURY-2.