A 53-year-old woman and a 4-year-old boy were injured in an Orange County car accident the morning of February 22, 2010 after an elderly woman crashed her car into a Michaels craft store located at 25310 Marguerite Parkway, in Mission Viejo. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the 78-year-old woman left the store, got into her Infiniti and drove it over the sidewalk, and through the front of the store. The car then hit a 53-year-old female shopper throwing her a distance of 10 to 15 feet. The woman was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. A 4-year-old boy, who was in the store with his mother and 2-year-old brother, was injured by the flying glass. The elderly driver has not yet been arrested pending a police investigation.

My heart goes out to the injured victims in this case as well as the store owner whose store was considerably damaged and had to be shut down. I wish the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep these injured victims in your thoughts and prayers.

Car Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records Systems (SWITRS), there were three fatalities and 235 injuries involving car accidents in Mission Viejo. In Orange County as a whole, 152 deaths and 13414 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents during the same year.

Liability Issues

Based on this news report, it appears that the elderly driver got confused between the brake and the gas pedal. It is indeed fortunate that this accident did not result in any catastrophic injuries or death. There are several questions here. Was the woman behind the wheel capable of driving? Did she have a valid driver's license? Did she have some type of medical condition that may have led to the confusion? I trust officials will thoroughly investigate this case and need be, prevent this woman from driving in the future.

In such cases, injured victims would be well-advised to contact an experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the incident and make sure that the negligent parties are held accountable. In this case, if the woman is found to be at-fault, then she could be held liable. If an at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, injured victims may seek compensation through the uninsured/underinsured clause of their own car insurance policy. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free and comprehensive consultation to injured victims and their families.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.