SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. — Jerome Perry, a 62-year-old San Luis Obispo resident, was killed Dec. 31 after turning left on Highway 1 at San Luisito Creek Road and colliding with another vehicle.
Perry reportedly made a left turn from the left turning lane of southbound Highway 1 directly in front of a Hyundai Sonata in the northbound outer lane of the state highway. The right side of his Chevrolet pickup truck collided with the front of the Hyundai, driven by 38-year-old Geraldo Aldama.
Aldama applied his brakes, but he did not manage to avoid the collision, authorities said.
The Chevrolet pickup caught fire immediately after the collision, and Perry was pronounced deceased at the scene of the accident. Aldama did not suffer injuries.
Local law enforcement has not released any additional information about their ongoing investigation into the accident.
Commentary on the fatal vehicle accident near San Luis Obispo
I am saddened to learn of the untimely death of Mr. Jerome Perry this past Friday. I extend my condolences to the family and friends left behind as they move through this time of grief and mourning.
My firm focuses primarily on product liability claims against auto manufacturers. When a victim is seriously injured or killed due to a product defect, my firm gets involved. Little information has been released at this time, but several alleged facts in this accident raise questions in my mind.
Under the law of many states, a plaintiff’s focus of recovery is not the cause of the accident but the cause of the injury. While these two concepts are often one-in-the-same, they are not necessarily the same. In product defect claims, the plaintiff alleges the harm sustained in the accident is exasperated by something the manufacturer failed to do. Had the manufacturer supplied the vehicle with an airbag, the plaintiff’s nose would not have hit the steering column and shattered.
From the outside, some may jump to the conclusion Mr. Perry was at fault for impeding another driver’s lane of travel. While this is difficult to refute without further information, it is important to focus on what happened after the vehicle was struck. I wonder if the car suitably protected the occupant. Was the vehicle designed to withstand such accidents, or was safety an afterthought to profit?
A detailed investigation must be conducted before we have answers to the relevant questions. Until that time, I again extend my condolences to all involved.
Disclaimer: All information contained within this post was compiled from public sources or constitutes the author’s opinion. Please inform us immediately if you identify any false or misleading information.
