Four people were killed in a truck accident in Napa County on June 3, 2010, due to negligence of a truck driver who was travelling at a highly risky speed. California Highway Patrol Officers reported that four members killed in this tragic traffic accident–Laura Katherine Smith, 19; Sally Smith, 74; Richard Smith, 80; and Matthew Jay Smith, 48–were all from the same family.
The family’s SUV, a Subaru Forester, had stopped due to heavy traffic, when it was hit by a rear-end collision from a truck driven by Grustavo Lopez, 42. The impact of the collision was so massive that the SUV landed in the pathway of an eastbound big-rig loaded with concrete pies. Luis Marabilla, 44, driving this big-rig tractor trailer had no time for damage control and crushed the SUV.
California Highway Patrol officers believe that Lopez was driving inattentively and was driving at a fast rate of speed violating the stop-n-go traffic light rules at the intersection. If Lopez is found guilty of causing the death of these four people, he may be held liable for their loss of life, funeral expenses, and other accident related damages. Their family may be entitled for compensation from Lopez and/or from his employer.
We offer our deepest condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones in this tragic accident and to their surviving family members. Losing a loved one is always unspeakably difficult. However, when one loses four family members from the same accident, the pain is just much more difficult.
Ross Jurewitz is a truck accident attorney in San Francisco and the managing lawyer of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing families of people killed in a wrongful death accident. If you or a loved one has been killed in a fatal wrongful death accident in California, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.
