Bakersfield, CA – A somber incident unfolded on southbound Interstate 5 near Copus Road on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 26, 2024, resulting in the untimely death of a 43-year-old man from Garden Grove, as reported by KBAK.
According to reports from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), around 4:40 PM officers responded to reports of a collision on southbound Interstate 5, north of Copus Road.
Initial investigations by CHP revealed that the 43-year-old Garden Grove man was behind the wheel of a Nissan MV2500 van, which had been traveling southbound on Interstate 5 at an undisclosed speed.
For reasons that remain unclear, the driver allowed the van to veer off the roadway to the right, onto the west shoulder of Interstate 5. The vehicle then traversed through a dirt field, colliding with two barbed wire fences before finally coming to a stop on its wheels within the dirt field.
Despite the efforts of emergency responders, the driver suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash. It is unknown whether or not driver intoxication may have played a part in the accident.
Wrongful Death in Solo-Vehicle Crashes
In cases like the one above where it may initially appear that only the driver and his vehicle were involved in the crash and bear responsibility for it, further investigations may reveal some part of the liability for the solo-vehicle crash belongs to outside sources, either other drivers taking reckless actions in the area or unsafe road conditions for which local governments carry responsibility.
Sorting through issues of liability is one of the important services that a personal injury attorney can provide to families who lose a loved one in a vehicular accident. Determining liability can provide grounds to issue a Wrongful Death Claim with the insurance provider of those who bear even partial liability in the fatality.
Wrongful Death Claims do not require criminal charges to be made in regard to a vehicular accident, and they can provide a means to help address the unexpected costs of medical bills, burial fees, and even the loss of income to support dependents of the deceased.
