A 53-year-old father who lost a leg in a fire truck crash has settled with 2 cities, Alhambra and Monterey Park, California, for $15 million, according to news reports. Part of the agreement is that the cities are not admitting fault.
The Accident
On April 16, 2014, an Alhambra fire ladder truck traveling southbound on Garfield Avenue collided with a Monterey Park fire engine going east on Emerson Avenue. The impact pushed the Monterey Park fire engine into the sidewalk, where it hit a man who was waiting at the intersection.
The man was pushed through the wall of a nearby restaurant and pinned under the truck. In addition to other injuries, he lost his right leg above the knee.
Fault and Liability
In some accident cases, the evidence supports a personal injury claim against more than one driver (and the owners of the vehicles). This happens when the negligence of these drivers has contributed, even in part, to the occurrence or severity of the crash. For example, Driver A runs a stop light as Driver B is texting and they crash in the intersection. Clearly, Driver A is at fault. If Driver B could have stopped in time to prevent the accident, but did not due to distracted driving, Driver B is also at fault.
The legal issues involved with multiple-liability cases can be quite complex. You can click here now for a free consultation regarding your crash claim with a lawyer with truck crash experience. Our law firm did not handle the case discussed above.