Car Accident Attorneys From Piccuta Law Group Hired to Help Woman Hit By Drunk Driver

Car Accident Attorneys From Piccuta Law Group Hired to Help Woman Hit By Drunk Driver

The car accident attorneys at the Piccuta Law Group were recently hired to represent a woman who sustained injuries in a motor vehicle accident. The client was driving at night on Fremont Boulevard in Seaside, California. As the client was heading southbound on Fremont Boulevard and nearing Harcourt Avenue, a driver in a Chevy Silverado pickup attempted a left turn onto northbound Fremont Avenue. However, the driver did so when it was unsafe and turned directly in the client’s path. The client was unable to stop and the truck collided with the client’s vehicle.

As a result, the driver of the pickup truck failed to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. As such, the driver violated California Vehicle Code 21802(a). This Vehicle Code sections sets forth as follows:

“The driver of any vehicle approaching a stop sign at the entrance to, or within, an intersection shall stop as required by Section 22450. The driver shall then yield the right-of-way to any vehicles which have approached from another highway, or which are approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to those vehicles until he or she can proceed with reasonable safety.”

The impact was severe and there was significant damage to both vehicles. The front passenger side of the client’s vehicle came into violent contact with the front of the pickup truck. The airbags in the client’s vehicle deployed. The client reported injuries at the scene. Including injuries to her left leg, neck, mouth and hip.

The Driver who Caused the Motor Vehicle Accident Was Driving Under the Influence

The driver who caused the crash was arrested at the scene for driving under the influence. The police reported that his drunk driving was the cause of the motor vehicle accident. Specifically, that he “caused the collision by driving in violation of California Vehicle Code 23153(b).” California Vehicle Code 23153(b) addresses causing injuries to others as the result of driving drunk. It states as follows:

“It is unlawful for a person, while having 0.08 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood to drive a vehicle and concurrently do any act forbidden by law, or neglect any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver.”

A search of the drunk driver’s vehicle revealed several incriminating items. The truck contained a cooler with full Coors Light cans and a full Budweiser can on the floor. There was a Coors Light 30 pack box in the truck, but only 16 Coors Light beer cans were discovered. An open bottle of Jim Beam whiskey was also in the cooler.

The Client Sustained Serious Injuries Due to the Drunk Driving Car Crash

The client sustained serious injuries as a result of the motor vehicle accident. The most serious of which were a spinal injury, a hematoma to her leg and torn hamstring. A hematoma is an unnatural accumulation of blood outside a blood vessel. It is the result of a blood vessel wall, artery, vein or capillary leaking after being damaged. This is usually the result of an acute trauma such as a strike, fall or impact. These injuries may result from blunt force trauma caused by a motor vehicle accident.

These injuries may result from blunt force trauma caused by a motor vehicle accident.

In the client’s case, the hematoma formed by her knee and upper leg. The hematoma was likely caused by the client’s knee or upper leg coming into violent collision with the lower part of the vehicle’s dashboard underneath the instrument panel. This could have also been the result of the client’s knee and leg hitting her driver’s side door. This can occur when a driver is jarred by a high-speed impact and travels sideways.

Typically, the lower portion of the vehicle lacks airbags to prevent injuries to the lower body. Most airbags systems are designed to protect the upper portion of a driver and passenger’s body. Airbags are placed in these areas to protect the vital organs, face, brain and head. Protecting the legs and feet are an afterthought in most airbag safety systems.

The torn hamstring of the client was particularly difficult to diagnose. The client received several diagnostic tests and participated in physical therapy, but her initial medical providers were not sure why she failed to get better. Eventually, the client received a scan that revealed the damage. The client has since been treating with a pain management doctor who has administered pain injections into her leg. These injections were given in an effort to alleviate the client’s extreme pain symptoms.

Contact a Monterey Car Accident Attorney Today to Discuss Your Personal Injury Case

If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident, contact the Piccuta Law Group today. One of our experienced car accident attorneys is available now for a free consultation. If we take your case, it will be on a contingent fee basis which means you do not pay anything unless we recover for you. We will also advance all costs and you will not be responsible for paying those costs back unless we win your case and obtain a recovery. Contact our office today.

About the author: The content on this page was written by California civil rights lawyer and Monterey personal injury attorney Charles “Tony” Piccuta. Piccuta graduated with honors from Indiana University-Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana (Ranked Top 35 US News & World Report 2018).  Piccuta took and passed the State bars of Arizona, California, Illinois and Nevada (all on the first try). He actively practices throughout California and Arizona. He is a winning trial attorney that regularly handles serious personal injury cases and civil rights lawsuits. He has obtained six and seven figure verdicts in both state and federal court. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers for six years straight. He is AV Rated by Martindale Hubble. He is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, American Association for Justice, National Police Accountability Project, Arizona Association of Justice, Maricopa County Bar Association and Scottsdale Bar Association, among other organizations.

Disclaimer: The information on this web site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading and relying upon the content on this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, you should contact our law firm for a free consultation and to discuss your specific case and issues.

[1] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=21802.&lawCode=VEH

[2] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=23153.&lawCode=VEH