A teen skateboarder was hit by a car and killed in Orange County on Monday night.
The accident happened at about 6:20 p.m. on Trabuco Rd. near Cherry Ave. in Lake Forest. The skateboarder, a 16-year-old boy, and a friend were skateboarding on the sidewalk. The victim lost control of his board and the skateboard went into the street. The 16-year-old chased it into the street and was hit by a passing Acura SUV.
The teen was transported to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the Orange County Sheriff's Department, the SUV driver remained at the scene and cooperated with authorities. Preliminary investigation did not reveal that drugs or alcohol played a part in the accident.
Does the Driver Bear Any Liability for the Accident?
Even though on the face of it, it sounds like the 16-year-old darted into the street, evidence could establish that the driver bears some degree of fault for the accident. The driver would be partially at fault if evidence shows he should have been able to avoid hitting the skateboarder.
What evidence would suggest that the SUV driver was partially at fault for the accident?
- · Driver was speeding
- · Driver's headlights were not on
- · Driver was distracted (texting, on a cell phone, engaged in conversation with a passenger, etc.)
- · Driver's brakes were faulty
- · Driver not wearing required prescriptive lenses
- · Driver's windshield was so dirty that it obscured his vision
Because of the severity of the harm caused (the loss of a life), even a small degree of negligence on the part of the driver could result in the insurance carrier offering his policy limit to the parents of the victim.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury or death as the result of an accident, you should seek the advice of a personal injury attorney.
McGee, Lerer & Associates is a husband and wife team of accident attorneys who specialize in serious injury and death cases. We have five office locations: Long Beach, Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Pasadena. We provide free consultations.