Michael B. Jordan (Maybe) Causes Car Wreck in LA

Few details were available, including the identity of the driver, in a Los Angeles crash that allegedly involved the Hollywood actor.

The collision happened around midnight Sunday on Sunset Boulevard and North Beachwood Drive. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the blue Ferrari crashed into a parked car on the street. Police did not confirm if Jordan was the one driving or if he was even in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Police are still investigating the matter and offered no additional details.

Accidents and Crashes in California

According to a much-quoted figure, driver error causes 98 percent of the car crashes in California. Occasionally, a one-off driving error leads to a wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time accidental collision. Usually, however, the driving error is negligence, or a lack of care. Device distraction is a good example of the difference.

When drivers review a single text message, a task that requires less than five seconds, their vehicles travel the length of a football field. That extreme distance created plenty of opportunities for accidents, especially since traffic in SoCal is so unpredictable. 

To some jurors, any texting while driving is negligence, especially since California has a hands-free law. Other jurors might let it slide, at least in some cases.

Prolonged texting or a more extreme use, like attending a Zoom meeting, taking pictures, or streaming video, is another matter. These motorists clearly aren’t focused on driving and are therefore negligent.To establish the difference, Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyers often pulls device use records. Unless attorneys request these records very early, usually within a few hours of a crash, the tortfeasor (negligent driver) “accidentally” deletes them. The records are still accessible, but the process is much more time-consuming.

Drivers and Owners

Somewhat similarly, to obtain compensation, the Best Car Accident Lawyers Los Angeles, CA usually don’t have to identify a vehicle’s driver. Identifying the owner is usually good enough. This difference is especially significant in hit-and-run claims.

The burden of proof in criminal court is beyond all reasonable doubt. Unless a witness, either a person or a camera, got a very good look at the driver at or near the time of the wreck, the case probably won’t hold up in criminal court, especially if more than one person had access to the car keys.

The burden of proof in civil court is a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not). It’s more likely than not that the owner was the driver, even if multiple people drove the car and even if the owner has a “I was watching TV alone” alibi.

Incidentally, the owner could be financially responsible for damages, even if s/he wasn’t driving the car. Under the negligent entrustment doctrine, owners are liable if they knowingly allow incompetent drivers to operate their vehicles. No drivers’ license is the strongest evidence of incompetence.

Compensation in a car crash or other personal injury case usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Negligent drivers and owners must pay for the crashes they directly or indirectly cause. 

Contact Our California Automobile Accident Lawyers Today!

For a free consultation with our experienced California Car Accident Lawyers, contact the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you!