NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Dec. 29, 2016 - PRLog -- The Newport Beach personal injury law firm of Bisnar Chase has secured a $10 million judgment for the families of three victims who died in car accident in Colton, Calif. The judgment in the case (No. BC527467, Los Angeles Superior Court) was entered against the driver, Michael D. Hughes who according to the police and court documents was driving under the influence at the time of the collision. Further, Bisnar Chase settled an auto product liability claim against Chrysler on behalf of the family for an undisclosed amount.
Court documents state that the fatal rollover accident occurred Jan. 18, 2013 when a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by L.E. Mason was attempting to make a left turn and/or U-turn at the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Key Street in Colton. Mason's passengers at the time were Kylan Rose Allen and Haven Rose Penman, both 13-year-old girls. Court documents say they were on their way to a church event.
The Chrysler in which Mason, Kylan and Haven were traveling was struck by a 2000 Mercury Le Sabre driven by Hughes. Mason and Haven were pronounced dead at the scene while Kylan died from her injuries a week later. A police investigation determined that Hughes was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
The lawsuit also alleged that the victims suffered fatal injuries because the Chrysler PT Cruiser was defective and didn't protect its occupants during the crash. Among the defects listed in the complaint are defective seat restraint systems, lack of sufficient structural side impact protection and lack of side airbags as standard equipment. The lawsuit states that these defects rendered the vehicle "uncrashworthy" and failed to provide "the degree of occupant restraint, protection and safety a reasonable consumer would expect in a foreseeable accident."
The settlement with Chrysler and the judgment against Hughes will hopefully help provide the victims' families with the support they need following this devastating event, said Brian Chase, senior partner at the personal injury law firm of Bisnar Chase.
"We filed the case against Hughes and his employer because he was on the job at the time of the collision," he said. "We also filed a product liability claim against Chrysler because the vehicle the victims were traveling in at the time did nothing to protect them during a side-impact crash."
Chase said the vehicle in which the victims were traveling had a defective occupant restraint system.
"In addition to that, the lack of standard side airbag protection and adequate structural integrity caused the victims to strike their heads and bodies against the vehicle's interior, causing their fatal injuries," he said.
The tragic outcome of this street intersection collision may have been entirely preventable if automakers did not tend to put profits over the safety of consumers, Chase said.
"By spending just a little more on these critical safety features, three lives could have been saved here and a lot of heartache avoided," he said. "We are satisfied that the negligent driver who was operating under the influence and the manufacturer of a defective vehicle have been held accountable in this case."
About Bisnar Chase
Bisnar Chase represents victims injured by defective products and by acts of negligence. The firm has been featured on a number of popular media outlets including Newsweek, Fox, NBC, and ABC and is known for its passionate pursuit of results for their clients. Since 1978, Bisnar Chase has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for victims and their families. For more information, please call 800-561-4887 or visit http://www.BestAttorney.com for a free consultation. We are located at 1301 Dove Street #120, Newport Beach, CA 92660.
Contact
Brian Chase
***@bestattorney.com
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