California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
Two people died early Monday morning in a Pomona car accident, when a 2008 Infiniti hit a Nissan Maxima, as the Nissan was turning left. The two people who died in the car accident in Pomona were passengers in the Nissan. According to the Pomona Police Department, Lorraine Martinez, who was driving the Nissan, did not have a license and was arrested for a possible auto theft.
Martinez, who is 26 years old, sustained only minor injuries according to the police. According to the Los Angeles Times, Police also said that after the Nissan was impacted by the Infiniti, it was ripped apart and hit a light pole, then became engulfed in fire. There were no immediate reports on the well being of the driver and any passengers in the Infiniti and it is unknown if the passengers died from the Pomona burn injuries or from the impact.
Usually in a left turn car accident, the vehicle making the left turn is presumed to be at fault. This is because nobody should attempt a left turn unless it is completely safe to do so. In certain circumstances however, such as when the car has a left turn arrow and/or the other vehicle is running a red light, the fault switches to the driver of the car going straight. For this reason, in left turn accident cases, it is very important to have eye witness testimony as to who caused the car accident.
In this case, it appears the driver of the Nissan, who was arrested, probably caused the Pomona accident deaths. The fact that she did not have a license, however, does not prove that she was at fault for causing the Pomona accident.
Investigators may look at the speed of the Infiniti as another possible cause to the Pomona crash. Family members of the deceased passengers may make a Pomona wrongful death claim, however if the driver did not have a license, and possibly stole the vehicle, it is unlikely there will be insurance coverage adequate to cover the Pomona wrongful death damages. The families should contact a Pomona wrongful death lawyer immediately. Our personal injury law office handles Pomona injury and wrongful death cases as well as personal injury claims throughout California.