Teenager Injured in Newport Beach Car Accident

A 19-year-old man was injured in a Newport Beach car accident after the car he was driving crashed the evening of July 10, 2016. According to a news report in the Daily Pilot, the man was driving a Honda Civic south on Newport Coast Drive just south of Pelican Hills Road North when the car left the road, rolled over and hit a tree. The driver was partially ejected from the car. He was transported to an area trauma center in critical condition, but is expected to survive. Officials say it is not clear if the driver was wearing a seatbelt at the time. Police are still investigating the crash and asking that anyone with information contact them at 949-644-3747.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the young driver who has been seriously injured. We wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Newport Beach Crash Statistics

There were nine fatalities and 447 injuries reported as a result of car accidents in the city of Newport Beach, according to California Highway Patrol’s 2013 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In Orange County as a whole, 165 fatalities and 13,857 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents.

What Caused This Accident?

Based on this news report, officials say this was a single-car crash. However, it is not clear how the crash occurred. In addition to other factors, it is also crucial to look into whether a vehicle defect or mechanical malfunction caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. We trust officials are also looking into whether other vehicles were involved. For example, did another vehicle force the victim’s Honda off the road?

Potential Seatbelt Defect

The other important factor in this case is that the victim was partially ejected from the vehicle and officials are unsure whether he was buckled up. Was he ejected because the vehicle’s seatbelt failed? Seatbelt defects are unfortunately all too common and seat restraint systems could fail in many ways. At Bisnar Chase, we have seen cases of partial or total seatbelt failure involving seatbelt mounts, buckles, webbing and grabbers.

In traffic accident cases where the victim is fully or partially ejected, police investigators tend to assume that the driver was not buckled up. But an expert looking for signs of seatbelt use will be able to correct or confirm such assumptions. If you suspect seatbelt failure, it is important to contact a Newport Beach seatbelt defect attorney who will conduct a thorough investigation.

It would be in your best interest to contact a law firm that has access to leading experts who will have the webbing microscopically examined for indicators such as marks and bloodstains, which would prove that the seatbelt was in use at the time of the crash. The best Newport Beach car accident lawyers will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to victims and their families.