Madera County Sheriff's Deputy Homer Puga sustained major injuries in a Fresno car accident after colliding with another vehicle that was making a left turn. According to a CBS News report, the injury crash occurred the evening of August 16, 2010 at the intersection of Road 222 and Dorstan Drive, near Bass Lake.

Puga was responding to an emergency call when he struck a vehicle driven by Cameron Taylor that was making a left turn from Road 222 onto Dorstan Drive. Puga's patrol car went off the road, struck a tree and caught fire. Puga sustained major injuries while Taylor's pregnant girlfriend, Melissa Skallerud, suffered minor injuries. Her fetus was not harmed. There is an investigation underway to determine how fast the two vehicles were traveling and who was at fault.

It is indeed fortunate that Puga and Skallerud did not suffer life-threatening injuries. I wish both of them the very best for a quick and complete recovery. My thoughts and prayers are with them following this car accident.

Madera County Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 21 fatalities and 464 personal injuries involving car accidents in the unincorporated areas of Madera County. Also, countywide, 32 people died and 626 were injured as a result of car accidents during the same year.

Fault and Liability

Based on this news report, it appears that both the patrol car and Taylor's vehicle were traveling in the same direction. There are several questions here. How fast were the vehicles traveling? Did the patrol vehicle rear-end Taylor's car? How fast was the patrol car traveling? Were the lights and sirens on? Did Taylor make a sudden left turn? Did Taylor fail to yield right-of-way to an emergency vehicle? I trust officials are looking at these and other aspects of the case in order to determine who was at fault here.

An experienced Fresno personal injury lawyer will be able to advise injured victims and their families about their legal rights and options. If this accident was Taylor's fault then he could be held liable for Puga's injuries. If Puga was at fault, then he and his employer – the sheriff's department – could be held liable for the injuries and damages caused to the others. Under California Government Code section 911.2, any personal injury claim against a public entity must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injuries.

What precautions do you take when you encounter emergency vehicles on the roadway?

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is 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 us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

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