Trucking Company Admits Fault After Jeep Driver Injured on I-215

What Happened Before the Truck Collision

This collision occurred on October 19, 2020, on northbound Interstate 215 at its interchange with westbound Highway 60 in Riverside, California. At approximately 5:30 a.m., in heavy stop-and-go traffic, my client was operating a Jeep Patriot in the No. 2 lane, having just passed the merge point where I-215 expands from two lanes to four after joining with westbound Highway 60. She was traveling behind an Amazon delivery truck when she came to a complete stop.

Behind her was Defendant ORTEGA, who was operating a Freightliner tractor-trailer towing two heavy-duty bottom-dump containers. Defendant was driving in the course and scope of her employment with MONTANO TRUCKING. As my client came to a stop, Defendant ORTEGA violently rear-ended her at approximately 20–25 miles per hour, pushing her Jeep forward into the rear of the Amazon truck. The force of the impact caused all three vehicles to become entangled, trapping my client in her vehicle until the fire department arrived to extricate her.

According to the California Highway Patrol’s Traffic Collision Report, my client reported being stopped 5–7 feet behind the Amazon truck when she was suddenly struck from behind. Due to the damage and positioning of the vehicles, she was physically unable to exit until emergency personnel arrived.

Defendant ORTEGA told CHP that she had been traveling in the No. 2 lane at 25–30 miles per hour and was approximately 3–4 car lengths behind the Amazon truck. She stated she looked briefly to her right in her mirror to assess a lane change and, upon looking forward again, suddenly noticed Plaintiff’s vehicle stopped ahead. She claimed not to know where Plaintiff’s vehicle had come from. Although she attempted to brake, the trailers she was towing jackknifed, blocking lanes No. 2, 3, and 4.

The Defendant Was Determined To Be At Fault For The Collision

At deposition, Defendant ORTEGA testified that she believed Plaintiff’s vehicle had merged in front of her from westbound Highway 60 and left insufficient space to brake. However, this claim was proven inaccurate. Defendant admitted she never actually saw from where Plaintiff’s vehicle came. In addition, she acknowledged that she had been traveling exclusively on I-215 northbound in the No. 2 lane for at least ten miles prior to the collision and was never in the westbound Highway 60 lanes.

Ultimately, the investigating CHP officer determined that Defendant ORTEGA was at fault for the collision due to driving at an unsafe speed for the traffic conditions.

Defense counsel for both Defendant ORTEGA and MONTANO TRUCKING has since stipulated to liability. Therefore, fault is no longer at issue in this case.

Ultimately, we successfully resolved this three-vehicle entanglement case through a favorable settlement, just months before it was set to proceed to jury trial.

If you or someone you know needs an experienced personal injury trial lawyer, please feel free to contact me, Mark C. Blane, at (619) 813-7955. You may also download one of my free Injury Guide eBooks directly from my website.