Five people were injured Wednesday night in a single-car accident on Highway 70 north of Erle Road in Yuba-Sutter. According to the CHP, they are investigating a witness report that a Honda Accord being driven by Thomas Ramirez, 17, of Marysville, may have been racing another vehicle when it went out of control, veered right, skipped off one tree then struck a second head-on.  A male passenger suffered head and chest injuries and was taken to the U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. A female passenger was transported to Sutter Roseville Medical Center with a broken leg. Three others were taken to Rideout Memorial Hospital.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.  Mr. Ramirez is more than likely responsible from a legal standpoint to compensate the passengers of his vehicle for the ambulance bill, hospital bill, lost income and pain and suffering.  In most cases, Mr. Ramirez’s insurance would pay for these losses.  If he has no insurance, the passengers may be able to recover under the uninsured motorist provision of an auto insurance policy held by someone in their household.  Also, if there was another identifiable vehicle that contributed to this crash by racing, the driver of that vehicle may also be legally responsible for these damages.

Car Accidents in California

Anyone seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision has a number of serious issues to deal with after a collision like this.  First, the legal responsibility for the collision must be determined.  Sometimes that requires investigation beyond what is contained in the police report.

Second, the medical bills must be paid.  Even if there is health insurance to pay for the bills initially, the health insurance company will likely seek reimbursement from any liability insurance recovery.  That means that the health insurance company will be competing for money that otherwise would go to the injured victim.

Third, when there are multiple people injured in a crash, they will often be competing for a proportional share of a limited amount of insurance money.

Lastly, insurance companies will do whatever they can to avoid paying fair compensation for not only medical bills, but lost income and pain and suffering as well.

Hiring a Qualified California Personal Injury Attorney

Because of these and many other issues, everyone injured in a collision like this are strongly urged to consult with an experienced California Personal Injury Attorney who will make sure that your rights are protected and that you are dealt with fairly.

The Demas & Rosenthal personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Demas & Rosenthal will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.