California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
KTLA News reported that a “multivehicle collision on the 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley sent dozens of people to the hospital.” The large crash occurred around 1 p.m., on October 14, 2018. Apparently, a large private charter bus traveling northbound on the 405 Freeway crashed into several vehicles.
After the initial hits, the bus crashed through the concrete center divider and into oncoming traffic. The bus hit several more vehicles on the southbound side of the freeway. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and evaluated 40 people. 25 people involved in the accident were transported to the hospital by ambulance because of their injuries—5 of those victims were considered to be seriously injured.
The bus was a private charter bus carrying 37 people from a church event. Due to the large number of injuries and heavy traffic caused by the accident, even ambulances struggled to get to the scene. Footage of the accident showed debris from the center divider all along the freeway, as well as the damaged cars, which closed the freeway for hours. At this time, officials are not certain what caused the bus to collide with the other cars in the first place.
Those injured in this very serious San Fernando Valley bus accident should contact a skilled personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Many times, bus accident injuries are more severe than a typical car crash because passengers may be standing or seated, but not wearing seatbelts. Therefore, these victims will need help obtaining good medical care, as well as financial recovery for their personal injuries and damages, including reimbursement of all the expenses they incur in connection with the accident.
Additionally, in an accident like this, because multiple cars are involved, it can be especially difficult to determine who is responsible for the crash and to what extent. Though it appears the accident was likely caused by the bus, determining fault will require sorting through the details of the investigation to determine which driver, or drivers, may be liable to the victims for the personal injuries caused by the accident.
If the investigation ultimately shows that the bus company and/or bus driver was negligent, their insurance will have to cover the significant damages incurred in an incident like this. The company will be liable to each victim for all of their injuries incurred in the crash. Therefore, the victims in the accident should contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can help them file a proper personal injury claim against the responsible party.
The attorneys at Walch Law have years of experience handling bus and car accident injury cases in the San Fernando Valley, the greater Los Angeles area, and throughout the state of California. We can assist in helping victims injured in a bus or other type of vehicle accident get the medical care and financial recovery they deserve. If you or someone you love has been injured in a bus or car accident, call us today for a free consultation at 866-465-8792.