SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – The California Personal Injury Lawyers at Berman & Riedel, LLP have received word that a San Diego man whose vehicle was rear-ended by a police cruiser in October of 2006 has settled with the City. 31-year-old Christian Bejarano claimed that, since the accident, he has had lasting back and neck pain and has been unable to work. The City Counsel unanimously approved a $655,000 settlement on Tuesday. Bejarano’s son, Jesus Abad was a passenger in the car at the time of the accident and he was awarded a separate settlement of $20,000.
According to the San Diego Police and court records, Bejarano’s Nissan Altima was stopped behind another vehicle at a stop sign near Adams Avenue and East Mountain View Drive in Normal Heights at the time of the accident. Bejarano was still stopped when a police car driven by Officer Michael Miranda rear-ended him at a speed somewhere between 20 and 40 miles per hour. The Altima then slammed into the car in front of it, making the accident a three car crash.
After the accident, Miranda said that his brakes had failed and he was unable to stop. According to accident witnesses, there was no sound of screeching brakes prior to the collision. In addition, police said an inspection of the patrol car found nothing wrong with the brakes. A second police officer who responded to the scene issued Bejarano a ticket for driving without a license and impounded his car. Bejarano contacted a San Diego auto accidents attorney and filed a lawsuit against the city in November 2007. Monica Munoz, spokeswoman for the San Diego Police Department said that the department does not divulge disciplinary actions to the public. However, she could confirm that Officer Miranda is still on the police force.
Bejarano and his son, with the help of a San Diego personal injury attorney, decided to pursue legal action when they were seriously injured in this accident. Sometimes victims of serious personal injury accidents feel that they have nowhere to turn. Like Bejarano, many of those people who are injured are unable to work as a result of the injuries they suffered. If you or a loved one has suffered this kind of pain and inability to live a normal life because of an accident, contact an experienced California auto accidents lawyer at Berman & Riedel, LLP.
The San Diego injury attorneys at Berman & Riedel, LLP have a long history of success in complicated accident and personal injury cases. Each lawyer is dedicated to providing the best possible representation to each of our clients. You can learn more about personal injury law by visiting www.sandiego-personalinjurylaw.com. In addition, the California injury lawyers at Berman & Riedel, LLP are available to schedule a case consultation free of charge.
