A suspected drunk driver caused a multi-vehicle crash in Reseda early Sunday morning which killed an 89-year-old woman.
The accident happened just after midnight at the intersection of Victory Blvd. and Wilbur Ave. According to the Los Angles Police Department, the suspected DUI driver, Lorenzo Gonzalez, a 24-year-old Pacoima resident, was westbound on Victory in a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta. Gonzalez rear-ended a 2000 Nissan Altima. The force of the impact pushed the Altima into the intersection, where it collided with a stopped Toyota Avalon, whose driver was waiting to turn left. That impact knocked the Avalon backward, causing the Avalon to strike a Kia Rio which was stopped behind it.
89-year-old Justina Larrea, a Palmdale resident, was a passenger of the Altima, which was being driven by 55-year-old Moises Montano. Larrea was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
According to Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant William Kelly, Gonzalez was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter.
At least two other people were injured in the accident and were transported to a local hospital.
Multi-Vehicle Crashes Often Involve Insufficient Insurance Coverage
The more vehicles involved in a car accident, the greater the potential number of injury claimants. If one driver bears 100% fault for the accident, then that driver's auto insurance must pay everyone's injury claims. The at-fault driver's insurance coverage will often be insufficient to cover multiple parties' injury claims, especially if injuries were serious or a death resulted, as in this accident.
Recourse If There Is Insufficient Insurance Coverage In A Multi-Vehicle Crash
If the at-fault party did not have enough liability insurance to cover everyone's injury claims, the injury victims may be able to make an underinsured motorist claim under their own auto insurance policies, if they had such coverage. In order for underinsured motorist coverage to apply, the at-fault party's insurance coverage must be exhausted, i.e., the full policy limits must be paid out, and the injury victim's underinsured motorist policy limit must be greater than the at-fault party's bodily injury policy limit. Read more about underinsured motorist coverage here.
If you have been injured in an accident and have questions about whether you can make an underinsured motorist claim under your auto insurance policy, contact the lawyers at McGee, Lerer & Associates for a free consultation. We are husband and wife accident attorneys with over 40 years of combined experience. We have five office locations: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena and Santa Monica.
Our lawyers are available 24/7. If you hire our firm, there is no up-front fee and no fee whatsoever unless we win your case. Read more about our No Fee Pledge here.