A 21-year-old man was killed and five others were injured in a San Francisco area car accident the afternoon of June 29, 2011. According to an article in The Reporter, the fatal bus accident occurred at the intersection of Walters Road and Pintail Drive in Suisun City, when a Toyota Supra crashed into a Fairfield and Suisin Transit bus.

The driver of the bus and three passengers sustained non-life-threatening injuries while two men in the Toyota suffered major injuries. One of them later died at the hospital. Officials say the Toyota was traveling south on Walters when it crashed into the transit bus that was turning left from northbound Walters onto Pintail. The men in the Toyota suffered head injuries and massive leg injuries, officials said. An investigation is ongoing.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, there were no fatalities, but 44 injuries reported as a result of car accidents in Suisun City. In Solano County as a whole, 33 people died and 1,735 were injured as a result of car accidents during the same year.

Left Turn Law

Based on this news report, it appears that the accident occurred as the bus was making a left turn at the intersection. Officials are still trying to determine who was at fault here. California law requires motorists making left turns at intersections to yield the right-of-way to oncoming vehicles.

California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a) states: "The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety."

Fault and Liability

If the bus driver is determined to have been at fault here, then, both the driver and his employer, the transit authority, can be held liable for the injuries and wrongful death caused. Injured victims or their families in such cases would be well-advised to contact an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their rights are protected. Under California Government Code Section 911.2, any personal injury or wrongful death claim against a governmental agency must be properly filed within 180 days of the incident.

Lost a family member in a San Francisco bus accident? Want to know your rights? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation? Want justice? Want to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen to another family?

Call your best friends in the legal industry after a fatal Solano County street intersection accident. Call 866-990-8787. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE San Francisco wrongful death lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your rights by attorneys who have been representing families of deceased accident victims since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a compassionate and understanding law firm in a comfortable environment.