California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
An Agoura Hills accident on Friday has resulted in the death of Eric Stein, a thirty-six year old man from San Clemente, California. According to the Agoura Hills Patch, Stein was driving on Mulholland Highway, near Kana Dume Road, in Agoura, California, when his vehicle was struck by a Los Angeles County Fire Department vehicle that was in route to a brush fire.
Apparently, Mr. Stein was slowing down to make a left turn when the Fire Department truck, which was carrying female inmates, tried to cross over the center line to pass Mr. Stein, thereby striking the driver’s side of Stein’s Ford Fusion, as it was in the process of making a left turn.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the Fire Department vehicle was driving with its lights and sirens activated. If correct, it is not currently known why Mr. Stein apparently did not hear or see the vehicle approaching and pull over to the right side of the road. However, it must be noted that we have seen emergency personnel claim that they had their lights and sirens activated prior to an accident, when in fact witnesses have said that the emergency vehicle did not in fact have lights and sirens activated.
In this case, if Mr. Stein’s family believes that the driver of the LAFD vehicle was negligent, they should hire an Agoura personal injury lawyer to investigate all facts of the incident and find out if there were any witnesses who verify the LAFD’s account of what happened. It will be necessary to interview the inmates as well to see if they recall the lights and siren being activated prior to the collision. If the LAFD vehicle did not properly alert other vehicles that it was approaching, Mr. Stein’s heirs may be able to pursue a Los Angeles wrongful death claim against the County of Los Angeles and any other potentially responsible parties. When a government entity is involved, such as in this case, the government claim must be made within 6 months of the date of the incident. Because different rules apply for government claims, it is important to consult with an experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney right away.