Auto accident involved LAPD unit leaves seven injured
Any accident involving a motor vehicle – whether a simple car collision with a streetlight or a complicated multiple-car freeway pileup – has the potential to kill and injure. That is why anyone driving on the busy streets and highways of Southern California always should keep the safety of everyone around him or her first and foremost in mind.
At least one driver failed to keep this in mind in a recent two-vehicle crash involving a Los Angeles Police Department officer’s unmarked car. Seven people were injured in the morning car accident shortly before 9 a.m. at an intersection in the Atwater Village area, which lies northwest of downtown, as police were responding to a call for backup. The unmarked car was traveling with lights and sirens on when a speeding northbound SUV collided with the unit.
Four of the seven people hurt were LAPD officers, all of whom were taken to a local hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries. The three passengers in the SUV also were taken to a nearby hospital and were listed in fair condition. Two of the officers were later released; the other two officers remained in serious condition.
Southern California motorists know the inherent risks of driving without due regard for others on the road. Still, many motorists violate traffic laws by speeding, driving while intoxicated, driving while distracted by their cell phones, failing to yield right of way and driving while fatigued. Any of these acts of negligence can have devastating outcomes.
Injuries or fatalities incurred in auto accidents come with substantial financial costs, which may include medical expenses, hospital bills, lost wages and other damages, in addition to emotional costs. In the case of a fatality, funeral expenses also may be awarded.
Any victim of a car accident can seek compensation from a careless driver by filing a personal injury lawsuit. If the victim dies, surviving family members may wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “4 LAPD officers among 7 injured in traffic collision,” Ari Bloomekatz, March 18, 2014