February 6, 2020
JML Law

In 1977, the name Mark Hamill became famous in the United States. Hamill is the actor who plays Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. Overnight, he became a pop culture icon. From adults to children, Hamill was a hero. However, his career almost ended before the first Star Wars movie was even released. Los Angeles Car accident attorneys at JML Law want to discuss this case in detail.

Mark Hamill’s Horrific Car Accident

Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977. However, the main star of the movie was involved in a terrible car accident in January of that year. On the evening of Jan. 11, 1977, Mark Hamill was driving his new BMW on a freeway in Southern California. Mark Hamill admits that he was driving much too fast when he realized that he was about to miss his exit. When he swerved hard to get across four lanes of traffic, he lost control of his vehicle, which flipped onto its side and rolled off the roadway. 

According to Hamill, “I just woke up, and I was in the hospital, and I knew that I had hurt myself very, very badly. And then someone held a mirror up to my face, and I just felt that my career was over.”

Thankfully for all of the Star Wars fans out there, his career was not over. In fact, he was just in the latest Star Wars film (his last) released in 2019. 

However, his recovery had to be written into the second Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back because the crash did change his appearance. Mark Hamill looked vastly different from one film to the next. His once youthful look was now changed. He fractured his nose and left cheekbone. Cartilage from his ear was needed to rebuild his nose. 

Car Accidents Can Change People’s Lives

Car accidents can have dramatic impacts on a person’s life. Mark Hamill’s career was seemingly in jeopardy. However, we know that crashes affect everyone, not just famous movie stars.

When we look at statistics from the latest reporting year in California’s Office of Traffic Safety, we can see that there were more than 273,000 total crash injuries. Many of these were severe. It is not uncommon for an accident to cause the following injuries:

These injuries can dramatically affect a person’s life. Victims could end up with short- or long-term disabilities, incur major medical bills, lose their jobs, and more. 

We Are Here To Help

If you or someone you care about has been injured in a car accident caused by another person’s negligence, let the team at JML Law help. We will investigate all aspects of your crash and work to secure the compensation you are entitled to. This includes coverage of medical expenses, lost income, as well as pain and suffering damages. When you need a car accident attorney in Los Angeles, you can contact us by clicking here or calling us at 818-610-8800 for a free consultation today.

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