Alex Galindo with Curd Galindo Smith, LLP Has Filed A Dangerous Road Lawsuit on Behalf of His Client Against the City of Santa Fe Springs

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Alex Galindo with Curd Galindo & Smith, LLP, Long Beach Trial Lawyers, has filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court Case No.:21STCV44437.

The lawsuit alleges that on July 3, 2021 Nick Alvarez age 30, a union pipe fitter, was traveling north bound on Carmelita Road on his Yamaha motorcycle in the City of Santa Fe Springs. The court documents allege that Jessica Torres was traveling south bound in her Chevy Traverse along Carmenita Road and entered the left turn lane with the intent to turn left and travel east on to Foster Road.

The Lawsuit alleges Carmenita Road runs north and south and Foster Road runs east and west. The intersection is located in an industrial/commercial area with significant commercial truck with trailer traffic. The two roadways are within the City of Santa Fe Springs, California. This portion of Carmenita Road and Foster Road, an intersection, was controlled by a three light "Permissive" phased traffic signal. The three light phased traffic light did not have a "Protected" left turn arrow signal. The failure to phase the lights allegedly led Jessica Torres to make contact with Alvarez's motorcycle. The lawsuit alleges that years prior to the incident Carmenita Road, south of Foster Road had a railroad track that crossed over Carmenita Road. Twenty years prior to the incident the rail line was re-built onto a bridge that now crosses over Carmenita Road. Carmenita Road was excavated to allow for a bridge to run over Carmenita Road. The excavation created an extensive drop in the roadway with a rise which completely changed the design of the roadway. The drop and rise along Carmenita Road allowed for the railroad bridge; however, the drop and the rise created a different and peculiar configuration to the roadway.

The lawsuit goes on to allege that after Carmenita Road was changed and the drop and rise was added to allow for the rail bridge, the subject intersection began to experience a rise in left turn type collisions. The accident history shows a significant increase in the ten (10) years before the subject incident.

The court document alleges that on July 3, 2021, and before that time, the City of Santa Fe Springs so negligently and carelessly failed to prevent the creation of a dangerous and defective condition by not adequately taking safety measures, not installing a "Protected" left turn signal for motorist traveling southbound Carmenita Road turning eastbound on to Foster Road. The lack of such a signal created a dangerous condition due to the drop and rise along Carmenita Road south of Foster Road associated with the railroad bridge which created a peculiar roadway configuration and a "Hidden Trap".

The lawsuit alleges that the City of Santa Fe Springs allegedly failed to properly maintain the intersection of Carmenita Road and Foster Road considering the increased commercial truck activity, along with the high level of collisions at the intersection coupled with the drop and rise in Carmenita Road. The drop and rise along Carmenita Road south of Foster Road created a peculiar configuration. The alleged failure to properly maintain Carmenita Road for the benefit of motorist and specifically a motorcyclist created a dangerous condition for the motoring public.

The lawsuit goes on to allege that on that July 3, 2021 Nicholas Alvarez was traveling with due care northbound Carmenita Road, on his 2012 Yamaha motorcycle in the number two lane approaching Foster Road. As Alvarez was driving northbound Carmenita Road he was in the dip area caused by the aforementioned drop and rise along Carmenita Road just south of Foster Road. Jessica Torres entered the left turn lane from southbound Carmenita Road and intended to turn left on to eastbound Foster Road. Court records allege Jessica Torres saw that northbound traffic for Carmenita Road was clear and she attempted to turn left but then suddenly saw Alvarez on the motorcycle emerge from the dip area. The lawsuit alleges that Jessica Torres could not properly determine the time and distance, she hesitated and stopped and proceeded believing it was safe to proceed and Alvarez struck the 2021 Traverse driven by Torres. The court records allege that Alvarez, while in the dip area, due to the drop and rise on Carmenita Road, could not see Torres in the Chevy Traverse making the left turn, thus he could not anticipate the danger. The Lawsuit alleges the rise created a surprise for any motorist reaching the top with due care. The failure to have a "Protected" left turn signal coupled with the drop and rise along Carmenita Road and failure to warn created a "Hidden-Trap". As Torres made the left turn, Alvarez came out of the rise and attempted to brake but impacted with the Chevy Traverse. The lawsuit alleges that a motorist turning left from Carmenita Road on to eastbound Foster Road during the permissive phase has difficulty seeing an oncoming motorcycle and perceiving its speed because a motorcycle is a low target vehicle.

The court records allege that as a result of the collision Nick Alvarez suffered the loss of his left leg below the knee.

Mr. Galindo is a founding member of Curd, Galindo & Smith, LLP which is a full service law firm that represents both corporate and professional clients and those who have been seriously injured or have lost a family member due to an accident, defective product, police misconduct or negligence. The law firm has recovered millions of dollars for its thousands of clients since 1995 by winning complex and challenging business disputes, death and injury cases involving police misconduct, traffic collisions, work place injuries and defective products, including defective automobiles, against some of the world's largest companies and governmental agencies.

Mr. Galindo received his business degree from University of Southern California in 1982 and his law degree in 1985 from the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Galindo has been a lawyer and real estate broker for over 30 years. He has won numerous jury verdicts and settlements in the area of personal injury, products liability and civil rights/police misconduct cases. Mr. Galindo is a member of ABOTA which is an organization of attorneys representing both plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases. All of the attorneys who belong to ABOTA have earned great distinction at trial. Mr. Galindo is a member of Los Angeles County Bar Association, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, NPAP (National Police Accountability Project), National Lawyers Guild, National Association of Realtors and California Association of Realtors.

Media Contact

Alexis Galindo, CURD, GALINDO & SMITH, LLP, 562-624-1177, [email protected]

SOURCE Curd, Galindo & Smith, LLP

Related Links

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