An accident on Interstate 5 in the northern part of the Los Angeles area left 1 person dead and 2 people with what police called moderate injuries.
The accident happened during the morning commute hours and involved several vehicles. Two of the vehicles were commercial vehicles, a semi-truck hauling a trailer marked 7 Up and a garbage truck.
An SUV belonging to a federal government agency and a private sedan were also involved in the pileup.
A woman driving the sedan died at the scene of the accident. The two people in the who were injured were both agents with the Department of Homeland Security and were in the government vehicle.
Commercial vehicle accidents are often legally complicated
Police are investigating this tragic accident and will no doubt continue to do so. At this point, there has been no information about whether any driver will face a traffic citation or criminal charges.
Just the same, the victims of this accident are likely to have significant expenses and lost income, not to mention their emotional distress and other non-economic losses. They will need compensation for these losses.
While the federal employees may receive some compensation through other programs, this compensation may not be enough to fully make them whole after the accident.
Particular when multiple vehicles are involved, accidents in which a truck driver may have played a role can be particularly challenging from a legal perspective on a number of levels.
Needless to say, these drivers, their employers and their insurers have every incentive to avoid responsibility and not pay the compensation that they owe.
Getting compensation after a commercial vehicle accident will require a lot of persistence and skill. Having the right legal counsel can help a family get the compensation they need and deserve.