A 7-year-old girl was fatally struck by a vehicle at a car show in Santa Fe Springs on Sunday.
The accident happened about 7:30 p.m. in the 12000 block of Freeman Ave. The driver of the car was exiting a warehouse belonging to Kool Aid Hydraulics when he lost control. According to conflicting witness statements, the driver either hit the young girl, or hit a pallet of water bottles that fell on the girl.
The victim, Mia Chapman, died instantly.
Chapman was visiting the car show with her family. The show featured classic cars and low riders with hydraulics. Kook Aid Hydraulic sells aftermarket parts and accessories for customized vehicles. The warehouse's monthly car shows attract hundreds of auto buffs.
The Whittier Police Department is still investigating the cause of the crash.
The family of the decedent not only has a claim against the driver of the car involved in the accident, but also has a potential claim against Kool Aid Hydraulics, if there is evidence that the company was negligent, and said negligence contributed to the occurrence of the accident. Obtaining statements from witnesses at the car show will be critical. Those statements should be obtained immediately, before the witnesses' memory of the incident has been tainted by conversations with representatives of the auto parts company or its insurance carrier. Kool Aid Hydraulic's insurance carrier is no doubt already aggressively investigating the incident and building a defense in anticipation of a claim by the young girl's family.
Witnesses may have captured the accident or the events leading up to the accident on cell phone video. Any such video needs to identified and preserved immediately.
If you or a family member has suffered serious injury or wrongful death as the result of another party's negligence, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer about your right to compensation for your losses. McGee, Lerer & Associates is a personal injury law firm that specializes in serious injury and wrongful death claims. We are a husband and wife team of attorneys who handle exclusively injury and accident claims.
We have five office locations to serve our clients: Long Beach, Pasadena, Los Angeles and Santa Monica. A lawyer at our firm is available 24/7 for a free consultation. Let our family help yours.