A woman in Gilroy, California, has filed a personal injury lawsuit against the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for catastrophic injuries she sustained about a year ago at an intersection she says is dangerous and has been dangerous for a long time. According to a news report in the Monterey Herald, 66-year-old Anna Reznik was injured in a car accident on January 20, 2009 on Highway 101 southbound when another driver pulled in front of her from San Juan Road in an attempt to turn onto northbound 101.

Tragic Car Accident Caused by Dangerous Intersection

The crash killed Reznik's passenger, Olga Tarcher. Reznik sustained severe head injuries and was bedridden for six months after the accident. She is still wheelchair-bound, needs 24/7 care, is still in a lot of pain and may need more surgeries in the future. Reznik is also suing Yong Ae Bowman, the 69-year-old driver who turned in front of her, for negligence.

Reznik's lawsuit alleges that the intersection of Highway 101 and San Juan is one of the most dangerous in the area. Vehicles turning from San Juan onto northbound 101 must cross two lanes of traffic to enter a merge lane and then accelerate into the fast lane of a freeway. There have apparently been a number of rear-end and sideswipe car accidents at the intersection. According to California Highway Patrol officials, there have been 212 collisions at the intersection over the last decade. After Reznik's accident, officials held a public hearing, but are still awaiting funding for a project to make this dangerous roadway safer.

Dangerous Roadway Laws in California

California’s Government Code section 835 provides that a public entity or governmental agency is liable for damages to an injured person or his or her family because of a condition of public property when the injured person proves that there was a dangerous condition on the public property at the time of injury; the injury was the proximately caused by the dangerous condition; and the dangerous condition created a reasonable foreseeable risk of injury of the kind that occurred.

A Reputed Injury Lawyer Can Help

As California personal injury attorneys who have successfully represented injured clients against governmental agencies, we have been observing that with the economic crisis, governments are not giving priority to roadways that need attention. Ignored, as a result of this so-called lack of funding, are crosswalks that need to be painted, stop signs or traffic signals that need to be installed, signage that needs to be posted. And who's paying the price? You and me – Californians who use these roadways. I hope Reznik, who has been catastrophically injured in this tragic car accident – receives the compensation she rightfully deserves. I also hope that this dangerous Monterey County intersection gets fixed as soon as possible so such injuries and fatalities can be prevented in the future.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.