Man Killed in Orange County Rollover Car Accident
Paul Kim, 52, was killed in an Orange County rollover car accident near the 241 toll road in Anaheim, The Orange County Register reports. Orange County Fire Authority officials doing inspection work the morning of June 28, 2009 noticed Kim dead from serious personal injuries in an overturned vehicle by the 241 toll road. Kim was in a 2003 Toyota Sienna at the bottom of an embankment north of the Windy Ridge Wildlife Underpass, California Highway Patrol officials said. The Toyota Sienna had been traveling northbound on the 241 toll road when it apparently veered off the road for an unknown reason, crashed through the guardrail and went down an embankment. California Highway Patrol officials estimate the fatal car accident occurred around 8:45 a.m. on June 28.
I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Paul Kim. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved Kim. Please keep them in your prayers.
According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 30 fatal car accidents and 2,006 injuries involving car crashes in Anaheim. In Orange County as a whole, 178 deaths and 14,185 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of car crashes.
Based on this newspaper report, it is not clear how or why Paul Kim lost control of his vehicle. There are many unanswered questions here. Did his Toyota Sienna experience any mechanical malfunction? Were there any auto product liability issues, which caused Kim to lose control of the car? Did a defective guardrail cause the fatal rollover? It is important that Kim's family find the answers to these important questions that will help pin down the cause of this tragic car crash.
Kim's family would be well-served to consult experienced Orange County car accident lawyers who will be able to analyze all aspects of this crash and determine who or what caused Kim's fatal personal injuries. If a defective guardrail in any way contributed to the fatal car crash, then the governmental agency maintaining that roadway could be held liable. Please remember that any claim against a governmental agency in California must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injury.
If an auto product defect caused or contributed to the fatal rollover, then the manufacturer of that defective product could be held liable as well. In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is involved, families of deceased car accident victims may be able to file wrongful death claims, which usually compensate them for medical or funeral expenses, loss of earnings, loss of companionship and other related damages.
