Jose F. Monay, 19, and five others from Lompoc were injured in a Santa Barbara County car accident when a 1990 Toyota Corolla left the roadway and overturned. According to a news report in The Santa Maria Times, the rollover accident occurred on Highway 154 east of the Lake Cachuma entrance, the afternoon of February 11, 2012. Officials say the Corolla drifted to the right shoulder and overturned. Evelyn Orozco, 6, suffered major injuries. The driver, Jose F. Monay, as well as passengers Adriane Barnard, 27, Maria Hernandez, 10, Joseph Sandoval, 8, and Erik Orozco, 5, sustained moderate injuries. Officials are investigating the cause of this rollover crash.

My thoughts and prayers are with all of the injured victims of this rollover accident. I wish them all the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

Santa Barbara Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 25 people were killed and 564 were injured as a result of car accidents in the unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County. During that same year, there was 33 fatalities and 1,918 injuries reported as a result of car accidents countywide.

What Caused This Rollover Accident?

Based on this news report, it is not clear what caused Monay to drift off the roadway. Did another vehicle force him off the roadway? Was he exceeding the speed limit? Did an auto defect or mechanical malfunction cause the crash? Was he driving distracted or fatigued? Did a dangerous roadway condition such as a large pothole or debris on the roadway force him onto the shoulder? Did the seat restraint systems in the vehicle fail to work properly or were some of the victims in fact unbelted? I trust investigators are searching for the answers to these and other questions in order to establish precisely what occurred here and why.

Liability Issues

If the driver is found to have been at fault in this incident, he could be held liable for his passengers’ injuries. An injured victim as well as his or her family in such cases can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related damages. Car accident victims would be well advised to contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all facets of the incident and ensure that the negligent parties are held liable.