Seven year old Tabitha Cope was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being run over by a hit-and-run driver while skateboarding with friends. Tabitha suffered multiple broken bones, a lacerated liver, and lost most of her teeth in the accident, which took place near Silver Lantern Street and La Paz Avenue in Dana Point California.
According to the girl’s family, the child regained consciousness briefly and told them that she had “looked both ways” before attempting to cross the street. The truck that hit Tabitha has been described by witnesses as a “light colored, raised pickup truck or military-style vehicle with a blue stripe.” According to authorities, a man driving a truck matching that description stopped near the area of the crash to enquire about Tabitha’s condition, but left the scene again.
Tabitha’s family has put out a plea to the driver to turn himself in. Her father describes her as a real fighter, and says it is a miracle that she survived the accident. Tabitha’s own thirteen year old sister carried the injured girl back to their Dana Point home in the minutes following the crash. Anyone with information about this tragic accident is asked to contact investigators at 949-425-1860 or 949-770-6011.
This case is tragically similar to a case Callahan & Blaine successfully settled in Orange County, California. In that case two Dana Point joggers were hit and paralyzed by a hit-and-run driver in the early morning hours. Attorney Daniel J. Callahan knew from previous experience that the intersection was dangerous and that the city of Dana Point, California knew it and had failed to do anything about it. In that case, Callahan & Blaine achieved a record-breaking $50 million settlement for the injured joggers, and convinced the city of Dana Point to make the highway safer for pedestrians.
At Callahan & Blaine, California’s premier litigation firm, we believe our success in litigating and negotiating personal injury cases comes from our uncommon approach; we handle each personal injury case as though it were a complex business litigation case, attacking it from every angle possible; our approach is persistent, thorough and relentless.
If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury or died as the result of an accident, please contact our Orange County, California law firm for expert legal counsel.