Christian De Oro Seriously Injured In Arleta, Los Angeles U-Haul Car Accident By The Intersection of Osbourne Street and Beachy Boulevard
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (June 13, 2022) – A man identified as Christian De Oro was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident with a stolen U-Haul on Osbourne Street.
Los Angeles police officials are saying that the accident took place on Sunday morning. Christian De Oro was in a Toyota Yarris when the driver of a stolen U-Haul ran a red light and crashed into his vehicle.
The two suspects fled the scene and are currently being sought by police. Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help the victim.
Christian De Oro was taken to the Holy Cross Medical Center in critical condition. The father of three sustained multiple injuries including fractures to his knee, ribs hips and pelvis.
You can help support the victim through GoFundMe.
According to the GoFundMe page, “My brother is a single father of three kids who also takes care of our mom, so we are asking for any help we can get to put towards his surgery and any expenses we may face (Taking care of the kids, arranging care for our mother, food and costs for the kids while my brother is recovering.)”
Liability In Los Angeles Hit-And-Run Collisions
Los Angeles has one of the highest instances of hit-and-run collisions. According to Curbed Los Angeles, “There were more than 100,000 hit-and-run cases in the city of Los Angeles from 2014 to 2018. Of those, 23,698 were felony hit-and-run cases, meaning that someone was hurt in the crash. Fewer than 16,000 drivers were arrested in that four-year time span, and only 715 of them on suspicion of felony crimes.” There are a number of factors that could potentially contribute to a hit-and-run collision.
- Many hit-and-run collisions involve speeding drivers.
- Nearly 1/3 of fatal collisions involve an intoxicated driver.
- A large portion of hit-and-run collisions occur at night.
Determining liability for an accident involving a U-Haul can be difficult. In general, companies that rent out vehicles such as U-Haul or Hertz are not liable for the wrongful acts of the people who rent those vehicles. This is due to the Graves Amendment which was passed in 2005. However, the driver of a rental vehicle could still be liable for a collision if they committed a traffic infraction, such as going through a red light. There are, however, exceptions under the Graves Amendment. A car rental company could be liable for the negligent entrustment of their vehicle prior to a crash. For example, a driver may have had a suspended license or they could have been visibly intoxicated when they rented the vehicle.
A car rental company such as U-Haul could also be liable if their vehicle is stolen prior to a crash. Car owners could be liable for an accident involving their stolen vehicle if “special circumstances” existed. See, for example, Carrera v. Maurice J. Sopp & Son. A tow truck in Huntington Park was stolen from a business before being crashed thereby causing serious bodily injury. In this case, the court of appeal ruled that “special circumstances” existed because (1) the stolen vehicle was powerful, (2) security measures were not in place or not followed, (3) the stolen vehicle’s key was left in the ignition and (4) Huntington Park, where the theft occured, was the nation’s leader in vehicle thefts. There are a number of steps that should be taken after U-Haul truck accidents.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- The location where the theft took place should be determined.
- A thorough, independent investigation should be conducted.
Any person that is injured in a car accident with a stolen vehicle may have legal recourse through a bodily injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering. Sadly, though, vehicle rental companies will often fight hard to deny liability for any collision. A car accident attorney can examine all of the facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating A Los Angeles Hit-And-Run Car Accident
We at TorkLaw extend our best wishes to Christian De Oro as he continue to recover. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what happened for the sake of all who have lost so much. The drivers involved in this crash should do the right thing and turn themselves in.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Los Angeles hit-and-run car accident? Our team of personal injury attorneys are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims get the medical and financial support that they are entitled to under the law. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into an accident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (888) 441-4991.
