Man Loses Control of Car and Strikes Family, Killing 3 of 4
Early in the evening on Sunday, June 24th, a 19-year-old driver, Leonardo Bravo, lost control of his Dodge Challenger on Slover Ave in Bloomington. He veered off the street and struck a family of four who was walking in their neighborhood. The three siblings – Andrea, 13; Jose, 17; and Angel, 20 – were all killed in the crash. Their 49-year-old mother was critically wounded.
The aftermath of the scene was met with many neighbors and residents rushing to help. Bravo stayed behind and was not arrested; police and investigators did not detect any drugs or alcohol in the car, on his person, or in his body, and no arrests were made.
The cause of the crash is still undetermined, but police believe Bravo may have been speeding. A resident of the neighborhood said that there is a dip in the road that has previously caused two cars to veer off and crash into her fence. There is no warning sign for the dip. Drivers on the road routinely speed, the resident said, and if they encounter the dip too suddenly, they could easily lose control.
Other residents have called for a reduced speed limit on the road, amidst other requests. There has been no action taken by the city to fix the street and remove the dip. It is unknown whether or not there are any plans to start construction in the wake of numerous accidents, but there may be lawsuits pending if the city does not act fast.
Premises Liability
Many times, premises liability cases happen because of a homeowner’s negligence. He may not fix a crack in the sidewalk, a pothole in his yard, or a defective stair in his home. He may not take proper care of his property and trim his trees or have sufficient space to walk by. However, the city or state government can be held responsible for the maintenance of public roads, and if there are numerous accidents that happen because of a poorly maintained road, the government can be targeted in a lawsuit.
There are certain criteria that must be met in order for a piece of road to be considered dangerous. Some exceptions would be if the danger was created by the weather, deterioration, and more. In order for you to prove that a road was dangerous, you must be able to show that:
- The government-owned or controlled the property or road
- The road was in dangerous condition
- The condition presented a foreseeable risk
- An employee acted negligently in the creation of the road or the government entity had notice of the condition and did not do anything to fix it
If there is only a minor risk of injury, the condition will likely be ignored but because of the chance of car accidents and fatalities, it is safe to say that the dip can be considered a substantial risk.
In order for you to receive compensation in the event of an accident, you must file a claim within 6 months of the incident – which is a drastic difference from the 2 year limit present on other personal injury claims. This difference can be confusing, and we recommend hiring an experienced attorney as soon as possible so your case is handled within the proper timeframe.
Legal Restitution
Our attorneys will assemble all the evidence gathered from the scene of the accident, including photos of the crash, pictures of your injuries or the injuries of a loved one, the reports from the paramedics and police, medical bills, blueprints of the condition of the road and any records that discuss the condition, and more. We will present everything and submit it to the government entity. If a loved one died, we will pursue a wrongful death claim on your behalf.
With the help of our lawyers, you may be able to receive a fair amount of compensation, including damages for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Wrongful death expenses
Our attorneys will make sure that you are taken care of in your time of need. You should not be held responsible for these bills if a government entity was negligent in its duty and did not maintain a public road. Dips in streets have been causing accidents for years, and we have worked hard to convince public works departments to fix these issues wherever we can.
Normandie: Here to Help
Our law group, Normandie Law Firm, is here to help all victims of car accidents. We will walk you through the claim process and help you from start to finish. No matter what you need, we encourage you to call us for help. We will negotiate the best settlement offer from the insurance agency and if we are not satisfied, we will take your case to court to fight for your rights before a judge and jury. It can be difficult to pursue legal action by yourself without legal representation, and we will dedicate ourselves to your case to bring you what you deserve.
Reach out to our lawyers today to schedule a free consultation. During the call, we will answer your questions and tell you what we believe your case is worth. All of our consultations are completely confidential – your personal details are safe with us.
By choosing us to represent you, you will receive our zero fee guarantee, which promises that you will not touch your own savings throughout the case. We will cover the costs of the lawsuit, and if we win, our fees are paid off by a percentage taken from the total settlement, so the government entity essentially covers your legal expenses. In the event that we lose, you owe us nothing at all.
If you have been injured in a car crash or if a loved one has died because of a dangerous road condition, contact an experienced attorney at Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles today.
