Automobile accidents are so common in Southern California that they hardly make the news, even when a wrongful death is involved, but this time was different, the worse deadly accident in California's history in so many decades with 13 dead and 31 injured. Who is to blame? No doubt the bus driver was negligent (unless he had a heart attack), he was careless and not paying adequate attention to the road and his driving. Alternatively he may have been reckless, sleeping, speeding, or even drunk driving, and thus acted with complete disregard for the safety of his passengers. However as in so many wrongful death cases other invaluable evidence comes to fore when a competent wrongful death attorney gets involved to pursue the wrongful death claims of the decedents' immediate relatives and families.
The accident was caused when the USA Holiday tour bus carrying passengers returning from a casino near the Salton Sea rammed into the rear of a semitrailer on the way home to Los Angeles. So what was the semitrailer doing at the time? It was apparently moving at a much lower speed than the tour bus. Why? The CHP officers had been slowing and stopping the traffic so that a Southern California Edison work crew could complete electrical wiring which had to cross the road way, i.e. the 10 Freeway. Probing into the cause of the accident, a capable and seasoned wrongful death attorney would diligently scrutinize the legal duty of care and whether it was breached by anyone else including the semitrailer driver, the CHP officers, and/or the Southern California Edison work crew, each of whom may have possibly contributed to the tour bus driver's negligence thus resulting in so many wrongful deaths and so many suffering from serious personal injuries. Consequently, a wrongful death trial lawyer's timely involvement is essential to the families of the victims who seek justice for the death of their loved ones.
Under the law monetary compensation is the only remedy for negligent wrongful act of a person or organization which has resulted in injury or death. The intent of the law is to make the victims whole again, in terms of money damages, however if the insurance policy of the tour bus is inadequate, which is most likely the case with 13 dead and 31 injured, reasonable attribution of liability to others, persons or entities, who may be determined to have had contributed to the cause of the accident may bring about an expeditious legal resolution to the wrongful death and personal injury claims.