At least eight vehicles were involved in a crash on the northbound 14 Freeway this afternoon, resulting in injuries to twelve people including two who were critically injured. According to KABC News, the collision happened at about 4:30 p.m. on the Antelope Valley Freeway Monday south of Escondido Canyon Road in Agua Dulce. Apparently, a white pickup truck was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes which triggered the string of collisions. Some of the injured were transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital while one person was reportedly flown to Antelope Valley Hospital. The precise cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Area of The Accident and Its Cause
The northbound 14 Freeway in the area of the collision is in a fairly desolate area, and it is unknown where the southbound white truck got into the the northbound lanes, since there is a raised, concrete divider separating the directions of travel. Assuming the truck's driver was traveling the wrong way at the time of the collision, and absent an unforeseeable medical condition causing that wrong-way driving, liability would seem to clearly rest with the truck driver. Unfortunately, in multi-vehicle, multi-injury accidents like this one, it is fairly common to find out the driver causing the accident does not enough insurance coverage or assets to pay for all of the claims brought against them. With two critically injured parties, the likelihood is that the injured parties in this collision will have to accept only partial compensation for the injuries and damages sustained.
Insurance Coverage and Limits on Coverage
Most auto accident claims boil down to a determination of fault and an examination of the policy limits for the at-fault driver and injured party. When more than one party is injured and more than one party might be at fault, then the division of available insurance policy proceeds can become difficult and complicated. Usually, cases like the one above will not only involve consideration of the at-fault party's insurance but also the "underinsured motorist" (UIM) coverage available (if any) to the injured party. In California, if the driver of the car causing the accident has a lower insurance policy limit than the injured party, the person injured can make two claims: one against the at-fault driver and one against their own automobile insurance company, for payment of UIM benefits. For example, if the at-fault driver has a $15,000.00 liability limit, and you (the victim) have a $100,000.00 UIM limit, then you could receive $15,000.00 from the adverse driver's insurance company and another $85,000.00 from your own insurance.
SOURCE: Wrong-way driver causes 8-car pileup on NB 14 Freeway, lanes closed, KABC News, June 17, 2013
Area of The Accident and Its Cause
The northbound 14 Freeway in the area of the collision is in a fairly desolate area, and it is unknown where the southbound white truck got into the the northbound lanes, since there is a raised, concrete divider separating the directions of travel. Assuming the truck's driver was traveling the wrong way at the time of the collision, and absent an unforeseeable medical condition causing that wrong-way driving, liability would seem to clearly rest with the truck driver. Unfortunately, in multi-vehicle, multi-injury accidents like this one, it is fairly common to find out the driver causing the accident does not enough insurance coverage or assets to pay for all of the claims brought against them. With two critically injured parties, the likelihood is that the injured parties in this collision will have to accept only partial compensation for the injuries and damages sustained.
Insurance Coverage and Limits on Coverage
Most auto accident claims boil down to a determination of fault and an examination of the policy limits for the at-fault driver and injured party. When more than one party is injured and more than one party might be at fault, then the division of available insurance policy proceeds can become difficult and complicated. Usually, cases like the one above will not only involve consideration of the at-fault party's insurance but also the "underinsured motorist" (UIM) coverage available (if any) to the injured party. In California, if the driver of the car causing the accident has a lower insurance policy limit than the injured party, the person injured can make two claims: one against the at-fault driver and one against their own automobile insurance company, for payment of UIM benefits. For example, if the at-fault driver has a $15,000.00 liability limit, and you (the victim) have a $100,000.00 UIM limit, then you could receive $15,000.00 from the adverse driver's insurance company and another $85,000.00 from your own insurance.
SOURCE: Wrong-way driver causes 8-car pileup on NB 14 Freeway, lanes closed, KABC News, June 17, 2013
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