A single vehicle accident on highway 101 left a 1-year-old boy seriously injured. The early morning accident, which occurred at 12:01 am in Carpinteria, was the result of the driver, Jose Rosales of Long Beach, falling asleep at the wheel of the vehicle. The vehicle drifted into the shoulder of the road, alerting Rosales who attempted to steer back into the road but lost control. The vehicle then skidded off the highway, flipping over onto its roof after hitting a traffic sign.

The 1-year-old seated in a child seat was the only severely injured victim of the accident, as each of the remaining 4 occupants were fastened in seatbelts when the accident occurred. The other occupants, a 2-year-old, 35-year-old and 37-year-old parents, and Rosales, each suffered minor injuries during the accident, according to officials.  The five occupants, all family members, were escorted to a Santa Barbara hospital for treatment of their injuries. The highway closed for a short period as investigation of the rollover accident took place.

There appears to be a legal basis for the passengers injured in this accident. In many cases, passenger’s rights can come into play in the unfortunate event that an accident such as this one occurs, which injured 4 passengers. If you have also been injured as the passenger in a car accident, you may want to consider speaking with a lawyer about your passenger’s rights. For more information, or to schedule a free consultation with a Los Angeles car accident lawyer, call 310.882.6810.