Lawsuit Filed in Teen Car Crash Death

The family of 14 year old boy Phoenix Nguyen sued the city of Huntington Beach approximately one year after the March 2008 car crash that killed him.  Nguyen was the passenger of a 1995 Acura when the driver, traveling at 75 to 80 mph in a 45 mph zone, ran a stop sign.  The family apparently claims that the stop sign at the intersection in which he was killed was not clearly visible, thereby creating a “dangerous condition of public property,” and that this condition resulted in a “reasonably foreseeable risk of injury.”

The city has stated it believes that “the road was properly marked and signed,” and that the accident was a result of excessive speed.”  However, approximately two weeks later, another drive of a yellow Ford Mustang ran the same intersection, crashing into a Toyota Camry.  Stephen Solomon, partner with the Playa Del Rey, California law firm Solomon, Saltsman & Jamieson and co-host of the weekly televised talk show Legal Help Live says when a family makes a claim for wrongful death of a minor child the law allows compensation for loss of love, comfort and society but not emotional distress.  While it is difficult to discern between these two categories of damages it is an important difference.  Moreover, the economic value to compensate for the death of a minor presents unique challenges.  Victims should always evaluate the experience of prospective counsel when deciding to retain a lawyer in this area of the law.

Car Accident Leaves Two Pedestrians Dead

A two-car accident that occurred on March 31, 2009 killed two pedestrians and left one other in critical condition.  The collision occurred on the border between Los Angeles and West Hollywood, near the intersection of Fountain and La Brea, killing a 65 year old woman at the scene.  The other two pedestrians, a man and woman in their 50’s, were hospitalized and listed in critical condition.  The second woman died just hours later.  The victims were allegedly in the pedestrian crosswalk when they were struck.

The surviving victim and the family of the two others may have legal claims both against the drivers of the two vehicles, as well as the City.  Stephen Jamieson, partner with the Playa Del Rey, California law firm Solomon, Saltsman & Jamieson, and co-host of the weekly televised talk show Legal Help Live says while it is apparent that the drivers of the vehicles must be considered when evaluating who is liable for this tragedy, it is also necessary to evaluate if one or the other City may also be liable, or perhaps CALTRANS, for a dangerous condition of public roadway.  Like any claim against a governmental entity in California, such a claim must be appropriately filed in an adequate manner against the correct entity(ties) not later than 6 months from the date of the accident or the victim’s rights may be forever lost.