A twenty-one-year-old woman from San Pedro remains in the hospital with severe brain injuries more than two weeks after a drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into the car she was in. There’s a sad irony here as the victim and a friend had been out drinking that night but did the right thing by calling an Uber to get home.
Unfortunately, the driver who caused the crash was not as responsible. He had reportedly also been drinking that night and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after the crash.
Multiple Injuries, Multiple Charges
Since the crash at Artesia Boulevard and Aviation Way in Redondo Beach around 2:00 a.m. on December 22, the victim has undergone multiple surgeries but at last report was still unconscious and in intensive care. The other passenger in the Uber also suffered serious injuries and spent more than a week at the hospital, although he was expected to leave soon. The Uber driver and the driver who caused the crash were not seriously hurt.
The drunk driver submitted to a blood test for alcohol at the scene, and while the results have not been made public, he was arrested on several charges, including at least one for driving under the influence and causing injury, an offense that assumes a driver has at least a 0.08 percent blood alcohol content.
Just a few minutes before running the light and causing this crash, the driver had also crashed into a nearby building and left the scene; that led to a hit-and-run property damage charge being included.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges several days after the crash but was being held on $250,000 bail. If convicted on the charges already filed, he could face up to fourteen years in prison.
Highest Risk for Brain Injury
Sports- and military service- related injuries have grabbed most of the headlines about traumatic brain injury (TBI) in recent years, but the truth is that a person is more likely to suffer one as the result of a car crash.
Motor vehicle accidents are the third leading cause of fatal TBI, and the number one cause of TBI hospitalizations for those between the ages of ten and fifty-four.
The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that TBI is involved in around 30 percent of all injury deaths in the United States.
Long Road to Recovery
There’s no simple or reliable way to predict how any victim of a TBI will recover. Some regain full function in a short time while others are afflicted with life-long problems.
We hope that the young woman affected in this crash can complete her final year of college and that she’s able to pursue her goal of attending nursing school. Her friends have set up a fundraising effort for her.
Orange County Brain Injury Lawyer
When you or someone close to you has suffered a serious injury, such as a brain injury, because of the negligence or reckless act of another, it’s important to take all action possible to make sure that justice is served. The damage can be severe and long-lasting, and the expense of care, recovery, and lost wages and income can run high.
You can turn to the experienced brain injury attorneys at Kohan & Bablove, LLP for help. Call us today at 1-844-404-2400 or contact us online through the form below to discuss your case, free of charge, and to learn more about the options open to you.
