Car Versus Motel Crashes in Los Angeles

There are a lot of cars and buildings in LA, so it makes sense that sooner or later, the two should meet. Buildings are struck at least 60 times a day and out of those accidents, around 140 people die, according to a report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Motels pose a special problem for building crashes as many of them are single story with the outside wall of the room next to a road or parking lot. This means a slip of the gas pedal and a car can plunge into an occupied room.

Two Hospitalized When Car Smashes Into Motel Room

Police say that two people were injured when a car crashed into a motel at the 4900 block of S. Sepulveda in Dell Ray Monday evening, February 3, 2020. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the car went through the wall of a single room at which was occupied at the time.

Both the driver of the car and the occupant of the room were transported to a local hospital where they are expected to recover. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety was at the scene to determine if the motel was safe for occupancy. So far no charges have been filed, and the incident is still under investigation.

Injuries from a Car v Building Crash

When a car smashed into a building, the wall of the building offers only a little protection. An average passenger car weighs around 3,000 lbs and walls are often made of wood and plasterboard. The impact typically sends glass, wood, metal and plastic pieces flying operating like shrapnel. Injuries can be severe with some being life-threatening.

Because of the nature of the collision, there are common injuries that come from a vehicle crashing into a building. Some of the most common are:

• Blunt Force Trauma
• Deep Lacerations
• Broken Arms/Legs
• Fractured/Displaced Ribs
• Compound Fractures
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Organ Damage

Car v Building Collision Liability

So who pays when people get injured inside a building? In some ways, it’s no different than a car accident with one of the drivers being negligent and thus responsible for the damages. However, the difference, there usually isn’t too much argument as to who was at fault.

It’s difficult to be negligently sitting on your bed. This means that the at-fault driver’s insurance will cover the damages, even if it’s not technically an auto v auto accident. The insurance is to cover their driver for any damages he or she does.

What about the Motel?

The insurance company will have to pay for the damage to the motel as well, but the motel might be liable for some of the damages. This is going to be only in rare circumstances, but if the motel owner failed to keep curbs or other protective structures in good shape, or if they were warned of a danger posed by automobiles and then did nothing to fix that danger, then the victim might be able to make a claim against the motel owner.

Contact a Los Angele Personal Injury Attorney Today

The best thing to do when injured in an automobile accident is to talk to a Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney who understands the law and has experience getting injured victims the compensation they deserve.

Call the Law Offices of Steers & Associates at 800 824 5416 or click here to contact us online. We have attorneys with years of experience dealing with every type of motor vehicle accident, and we get results against the insurance companies and their highly-paid lawyers. Call us now to even the playing field and get the compensation you deserve.

Allen Vaysberg

Allen Vaysberg practices personal injury law and works tirelessly to defeat the tactics of insurance companies and large corporations who try to deny justice and fair compensation to injured people.