Actress Anne Heche was involved in multiple car accidents on Friday, August 5, in the Mar Vista neighborhood west of Los Angeles. Heche was critically injured in the conflagration that destroyed both her vehicle and the tenant’s home into which she crashed her car in the final accident of a trio of collisions.
Prior to the final crash, Heche allegedly backed into a garage in a nearby apartment complex, almost struck a pedestrian and slammed into a sportscar as she careened at a high rate of speed through the residential area.
Woman loses all in fire
At the time of the single-car accident, the tenant was home with her two dogs and pet tortoise. They escaped the burning structure unscathed, but the tenant lost all her possessions. Friends of the woman established a GoFundMe account to help with her immediate needs after the accident.
2 paths to justice after car accidents
It is not known whether Heche was impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time of the wrecks. Police obtained a warrant for a blood draw, and the results are still pending. The actress may face criminal penalties for her negligence behind the wheel regardless of intoxication.
But victims of auto accidents can pursue a path to civil justice for any injuries, losses and damages they experience as a result of a motorist’s negligent driving – not just physical harm. It can be difficult to calculate the full value of a claim for damages against the liable party’s insurance company. Learning all that you can about the personal injury laws here in California is prudent so that you never settle for less than you deserve.