California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
Qingwen Zhu, a 29 year old woman from Laguna Hills, California, was killed early on Sunday morning when the vehicle she was in was forcefully rear ended by another vehicle. The Los Angeles rear end accident occurred shortly after midnight, when the Mini Cooper Ms. Zhu was in had stopped on the 405 freeway, in the Sepulveda Pass. According to the Orange County Register, the Mini Cooper was then rear ended by a Nissan Sentra, which the California Highway Patrol says was going about 65 miles per hour.
According to the CHP, the drivers of both cars, who have not yet been identified, were both transported to the hospital with major injuries. The extent of their injuries is not yet known, but we wish them both a fast and full recovery.
The Los Angeles freeway accident resulted in the closure of the 405 northbound freeway for about two hours while officers investigated the scene. It is not yet known why the driver of the Mini Cooper stopped the vehicle on the 405. This is an incident that may have shared negligence on the part of the drivers of both vehicles. If the driver stopped without a good reason, this could be negligent on the part of the driver, while the driver of the car that rear ended the Mini Cooper was negligent for not keeping a safe distance behind the Mini Cooper. A driver must keep a safe distance so that if the car in front of it stops, the car behind is able to safely stop behind it.
If the Mini Cooper did not have its lights functioning properly, this could mean the Nissan driver may not have had any warning before striking the Mini Cooper. This will all have to be investigated by a California wrongful death lawyer, to determine what wrongful death damages are available, and who will be the source of financial recovery for those extensive damages.