Jimmy Rayes Hayes, 76, was killed Sunday in a head-on collision on Highway 20 in Yuba County. At about 10:50 pm Mr. Hayes’ 1999 Ford Explorer drifted across the center line of the highway near Timbuctoo Road and hit a Volkswagen Golf head on.  Mr. Hayes’ vehicle then careened off the roadway and hit a tree.

Mr, Hayes was pronounced dead at the scene. His 76-year-old passenger Karen Line was taken to the hospital with cuts on both arms and head pain.  The driver of the Golf, 47-year-old Tamara Yoneda of San Juan, reported pain in her jaw.

According to the police, all three victims were wearing seatbelts and both drivers were traveling below the city speed limit at the time.  It does not appear that alcohol or drugs were involved, however, this California car accident remains under investigation.

Based on the available information, Mr. Hayes is more than likely responsible from a legal standpoint to compensate the victims of this California injury accident for all medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering. In most cases, Mr. Hayes’ insurance would pay for these losses even though he is deceased. If he had no insurance, the passengers may be able to recover under the uninsured motorist provision of an auto insurance policy covering their vehicle.

California Highway Accidents

Anyone seriously injured in an auto accident 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.

Seek The Help of a California Personal Injury Attorney

Because of these and many other issues, injury victims an involved in a injury accident 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.