Monterey Car Accident Attorneys at Piccuta Law Group Hired to Handle Motor Vehicle Collision Resulting in Serious Personal Injury
Monterey Car Accident Attorneys at Piccuta Law Group Hired to Handle Motor Vehicle Collision Resulting in Serious Personal Injury
The car accident attorneys at the Piccuta Law Group have been hired to represent a couple seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision. The crash occurred in Northern California in Lake County. The Piccuta Law Group was recommended to the couple by two other family members. The Piccuta Law Group previously represented those two other family members in two separate car accident cases. Those cases involved a crash in Monterey County and a crash in Santa Clara County. The Piccuta Law Group handles car accident cases throughout all of California and Arizona.
The Monterey County car accident case caused deep bone bruises and spinal strain injuries to the firm’s client. The client was elderly and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. It took months for the client to recover and she required physical therapy to do so. The firm obtained a fair settlement for her injuries.
The Santa Clara County car accident case to the other family member occurred at an intersection. The client had the right of way when the at-fault vehicle attempted a turn when it was unsafe to do so. This caused the client to hit the broadside of the vehicle head on. The client suffered a broken bone in her lower arm. Specifically, a fracture of her radius bone. The client required a surgery with hardware to position the bone in anatomical alignment. The at-fault driver was driving under the influence, without insurance and on a suspended license. The firm secured a sizeable settlement for the client.
Due to the great results obtained for those clients, they recommended the Piccuta Law Group to their family members. The Piccuta Law Group frequently receives referrals from the family members and friends of past clients. Our car accident attorneys consider this the greatest compliment a client can give. This also shows that our firm delivers on its promises and that our accident attorneys get results that clients are satisfied with.
The Details of the Motor Vehicle Collision
Unfortunately, the case that our car accident attorneys were just hired to handle has several similarities to the Santa Clara County case mentioned above. Like that car accident case, the current case involves a drunk driver with a suspended license that attempted a turn illegally. The clients struck the side of the at-fault driver’s vehicle head on. The clients were seriously injured.
On November 10, 2020, the clients were driving southbound on State Road 29 at approximately fifty-five miles per hour. As they neared the intersection of Merritt Road, a ford pickup truck, driven northbound on State Road 29, attempted a left turn onto Merritt Road. The driver of the pickup truck was required to yield the right of way, but failed to do so.
As a result, the pickup truck crossed the southbound lanes of State Road 29 and directly into the path of the clients. The clients were unable to slow their vehicle in time to avoid the collision. The front of the clients’ 2012 Mazda 3 struck the passenger side of the Ford pickup truck. The impact was severe and at a high rate of speed. The impact caused significant damage to the vehicles. The airbags in the clients’ Mazda deployed, but this did not prevent the clients from suffering serious injuries. Both clients were taken to the Emergency Room by ambulance for their injuries.
The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Luis David Vargas Avalos. The reporting officer to the scene immediately recognized Avalos as an unlicensed driver. Less than two weeks earlier, that officer had stopped and cited Avalos for speeding and driving on a suspended license. A search on Avalos revealed that he had two prior DUIs. One that resulted in a suspended license and the other that he was currently on DUI probation for. Plaintiff was also intoxicated at the time of the crash and was arrested for Felony DUI.
If someone causes injuries to another while driving drunk, that person may be liable for punitive damages. Punitive damages are damages to punish a person for misconduct and to stop them from similar conduct in the future. Whether or not a person’s intoxication allows for a recovery of punitive damages requires a fact specific analysis. Punitive damages are not automatically available just because a person was driving drunk and caused an accident. Click here to read about when a driver’s intoxication may allow for the recovery of punitive damages and what facts are considered.
Our Car Accident Attorneys Are Seeking Compensation for the Serious Personal Injuries
Both clients sustained serious injuries in the motor vehicle collision. The client driving the vehicle suffered spinal injuries and is currently in physical therapy. He also suffered a chipped front tooth that will require repair. The chipped front tooth is permanent and he will never have his natural teeth again. Instead, he will be forced to have a dental implant to regain his normal smile and appearance.
The client will require further surgeries including an abdominal wall reconstruction.
The client that was the passenger suffered life-threatening injuries. The client was hospitalized for over ten days where she underwent several surgical procedures. Her injuries include, but are not limited to, a fractured sternum, two fractured ribs, fractured humerus, fractured illium, fractured metacarpals requiring surgery with hardware, torn abdomen, left and right knee injuries, contusions, abrasions and musculoskeletal injuries. The client is still recovering and treating for her injuries. The client will require further surgeries including an abdominal wall reconstruction.
The Theories of Recovery our Car Accident Attorneys are Evaluating
Due to the extreme nature of our clients’ injuries, our car accident attorneys are evaluating theories of recovery other than car insurance. These theories include potential auto defect product liability claims. These claims include the failure to install crash avoidance technology, specifically intelligent brake assist and forward emergency braking, in the Mazda 3. These claims also include the crashworthiness of the Mazda in which the clients were driving.
Our accident attorneys are also investigating whether or not the roadway design was dangerous or defective. This could lead to a claim for dangerous condition of public property against the State. Our accident attorneys are obtaining all crash reports for that area of roadway for the past five years to see if a pattern can be determined that would put the State on notice of a dangerous problem with the road.
Contact a Monterey Car Accident Attorney to Discuss your Motor Vehicle Collision
If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident and sustained injuries, contact the Piccuta Law Group today. An experienced car accident attorney is available now to evaluate your case. A consultation is free and hiring an experienced accident lawyer costs you nothing up front. Our injury attorneys only earn a fee if we recover money for you. If we are not successful in recovering money, there is no fee for our services and you owe us nothing.
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 attorney advertising and is for informational purposes only. It 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.
