A violent rollover crash involving a Dodge Charger on Rancho Lilac Road near Adelanto in San Bernardino County claimed the life of a teenager and injured six others. At Habbas & Associates, our personal injury attorneys have seen how a single reckless driving decision can destroy multiple lives in an instant. If you or your loved one was injured as a passenger in this crash — or if your family member was killed — California law gives you specific legal rights to pursue full compensation.
According to CBS News Los Angeles, a Dodge Charger was traveling on Rancho Lilac Road near Adelanto in San Bernardino County when the vehicle left the roadway and rolled over. A teenage occupant was killed, and six other passengers sustained injuries. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies and the California Highway Patrol responded to the scene.
High-speed rollover crashes involving performance vehicles like the Dodge Charger are rarely accidents in the legal sense. They are typically the result of excessive speed for road conditions, distracted driving, driving under the influence, or driver error on a curve. According to the NHTSA, rollovers account for only 2.1% of crashes but 35% of all passenger vehicle occupant fatalities — making them among the deadliest crash types on American roads.
When a single car crash injures six or more people, the legal situation becomes complex quickly. California’s minimum auto liability insurance requirements — currently $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident under California Vehicle Code § 16056 — are almost always insufficient to compensate all injured victims in a crash of this magnitude. Multiple additional sources of compensation may be available.
If the driver was negligent — speeding, driving under the influence, street racing, or distracted — they are personally liable for all injuries. If the driver was impaired, see our DUI accident injury attorneys page for additional remedies. If the driver is a minor, California Vehicle Code § 17707 imposes joint and several liability on the parent or legal guardian who signed the minor’s original driving application.
California Vehicle Code § 17150 provides that a vehicle owner is jointly and severally liable for injury and death caused by the negligent operation of the vehicle — even when someone else was driving — as long as the owner gave express or implied permission for the vehicle’s use. This is critical in cases where a parent’s car was driven by a teenager.
When the at-fault driver’s insurance is exhausted across multiple injured claimants, each injured passenger may make a claim against their own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) policy. Our attorneys aggressively pursue every available insurance policy to ensure injured passengers receive the full compensation they deserve.
Rollover crashes generate extreme forces that cause severe injuries. Passengers without seatbelts are often ejected from the vehicle entirely. Even belted occupants sustain catastrophic trauma including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, internal organ injuries, and severe head and skull fractures. According to the CDC, rollover crashes have the highest fatality rate per crash type of any single-vehicle accident.
The family of the teenager killed in the Adelanto rollover has the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60. Recoverable damages include loss of financial support, loss of companionship, funeral and burial expenses, and — through a survival action under CCP § 377.30 — any pain and suffering the victim experienced before death.
The San Bernardino County personal injury lawyers at Habbas & Associates know this community and have fought for families across the Inland Empire. We handle wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis — no cost to the family unless we recover.
Wrongful death and personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the accident date under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. For minors who were injured (not killed), the two-year clock typically begins when they turn 18. Do not wait — evidence from this crash will degrade rapidly, and the sooner our attorneys can investigate, the stronger your case will be.
A: Yes. As a passenger, you did not cause the crash and have the right to pursue full compensation from the at-fault driver and any other negligent parties, including the vehicle owner. Being a passenger typically means you have the clearest path to recovery of anyone involved in the crash.
A: In practice, your claim is paid by the driver’s auto insurance company, not out of your friend’s pocket. Auto liability insurance exists for exactly this situation. Your friend’s insurance carrier defends and pays the claim. Filing a claim is a business transaction, not a personal attack on your friend.
A: California’s minimum coverage of $30,000 per accident under CVC § 16056 is grossly inadequate in a crash with seven victims. Our attorneys identify every available insurance policy — driver’s liability, vehicle owner’s policy, umbrella coverage, UM/UIM from each passenger’s own insurer — to maximize recovery for all injured parties.
A: Under California Vehicle Code § 17707, the parent or guardian who signed the minor’s driver’s license application is jointly and severally liable for any injuries or death caused by that minor’s negligent driving. Additionally, under CVC § 17150, the vehicle’s registered owner is liable if they gave permission for its use.
A: Our investigators examine physical evidence from the crash site, obtain any available dashcam or surveillance footage, review cell phone records for distracted driving, subpoena toxicology reports from law enforcement, and retain accident reconstruction experts who can calculate the vehicle’s speed from debris patterns and impact force.
A: Medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and costs of long-term care for catastrophic injuries such as brain damage or spinal cord injury. Our attorneys evaluate the full lifetime impact of each client’s injuries to calculate true damages.
If you were injured in the Adelanto Dodge Charger rollover — or if your family lost someone — the San Bernardino County personal injury attorneys at Habbas & Associates are ready to fight for you. We handle all personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis.
Call (888) 848-5048 now for a free consultation — available 24/7, no fee unless we win.
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