Personal Injury Law

Pedestrian Safety News Roundup Continues ...

By Steve Lombardi

Today we continue with the pedestrian-car-truck-bus-train collision news items that have been sitting around in my box for months on end. There are so many of them just since the first of the year. You can tell its spring. Today we'll look at three news items that each provide a theme or reason (cause) as to why pedestrians get struck so much.

Salt Lake City, Utah, April 2009 - In this instance a motorist was charged with striking a pedestrian who was walking her dog in a crosswalk. She was propelled 50 feet from the initial point of impact. The driver was charged with driving while under the influence (a 3^rd degree felony in Utah), leaving the scene of the accident, failing to yield the right of way of a pedestrian in a crosswalk and not having insurance.

Vacaville, California, April 2009 – This day was not the day for a transient pedestrian who was seriously injured while attempting to cross outside a crosswalk. After being struck by a car driving 35-mph his body remained lodged under the pickup truck and firefighters were summoned to get him free. Clothing may have been a factor in this instance. The accident happened just after midnight. Being after dark, darker clothing doesn't help a pedestrian stand out. This report comes to us from the law firm of Estey and Bomberger.

Joliet, Illinois, April 2009 - In this case Levin & Peconti report on a 19-year-old woman who was struck and killed after walking along a busy street. Chicago has more than 1,000 pedestrian collisions each and every year.

The key elements today include a crosswalk, driving while under the influence of alcohol, pet distractions, darkness or after sun down, street lighting issues, wearing dark clothing and busy streets. All characteristics controllable or noticable by both pedestrians and drivers of cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles sharing the road. Pedestrian deaths are too numerous to ignore. Too many lawsuits? No, too many injuries.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on June 04, 2009 (boomark / email).