California can lay claim to one of the more unique accident stories in recent times. It started off with a horrendous tragedy that unfortunately occurs daily in this state and nationwide. A mother was in her minivan sitting in backed-up traffic on an Orange County highway when a heavily weighed down industrial rig barreled into them going 55 mph. Her three children, two girls and a boy, ages 2, 4 and 5, died as a result of the fatal accident.
The driver of the rig was sentenced to a year in jail. Although not clearly reported, it is likely that the parents settled with the trucking company for a very large amount reflecting the wrongful death value of three young lives. The prospect of a large settlement likely reflects the need for trucking companies to carry excess insurance to cover this very kind of catastrophe.
Furthermore, there is no question of liability in the case. Although there was talk of a blind curve, the truck driver was found criminally responsible. That made him negligent per se for the civil side of the case.
When there is a curve ahead that obstructs vision, the driver must slow down and become more vigilant. The parents, however, were not satisfied with that outcome. They sued the state for defective highway construction. They lost the highway case but apparently caused the state to fix the problem, bringing the litigation story to completion.
However, the human story of this fatal accident was not over: the parents underwent a process of in vitro fertilization. They were shocked when the doctors told them that she was pregnant with triplets. Despite their reluctance to try and have three children, the doctors told them that they were having two girls and a boy. They went ahead, and she had the three babies in a California hospital. Although the mother admits that it is a bittersweet thing and that her first three will never be replaced, she expressed gratefulness that their lives were again full of happiness and love.
Source: opposingviews.com, “Mom Loses Three Kids In Car Crash, Then Has Triplets“, Kathryn Schroeder, Aug. 12, 2016
