Fairfield Pedestrian Accident
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield car accident lawyer. On Friday, January 20, 2016, two students who attend Armijo High School were injured when they were struck by a car while walking to class.
What Happened?
The incident took place at about 7 a.m. when both of the 17-year-old students had been using a crosswalk on California Street. While they were crossing, a 49-year-old female resident of Suisun who was traveling north on Washington Street, failed to recognize the students in the crosswalk. The woman’s car hit both of the pedestrians injuring them.
The victims were immediately rushed by ambulance to the hospital for treatment of traumatic injuries. Medical officials have reported that, while their injuries are serious, neither of the teenagers sustained injuries that were considered to be life-threatening.
Contributing Factors
The woman who struck the students stayed at the scene of the incident and cooperated with investigating officers from the Fairfield Police Department. She explained to officers that she did not see the students as they were crossing the street until it was too late for her to avoid colliding with them. She indicated it had been raining, that the students had been wearing dark-colored clothing, and that the sun had not yet fully risen as factors that contributed to her delayed recognition.
Although police officers are still investigating the incident, they have reported that, so far, it does not appear as if the use of alcohol and/or drugs was a factor in this collision.
Pedestrians and Accidents
Accidents that involve pedestrians are among the most serious car accidents that can happen. Pedestrians have virtually no protection from the force of an impact and are extremely vulnerable to serious injuries when struck by a car. Even accidents in which a vehicle is moving very slowly can have drastic consequences for a pedestrian.
The most common injuries that result from accidents involving pedestrians are leg fractures that are caused by the bumper of the car at the moment of impact. It is also common for pedestrians who are struck by vehicles to sustain internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries.
Staying Safe
A study on pedestrian accidents that was conducted in Austin, Texas showed that the most common way for pedestrian accidents to happen is, by far, for an errant driver to fail to yield to a pedestrian while they are crossing the street, both in and outside of crosswalks. It is critical that pedestrians take care when crossing roadways and never assume that being in a crosswalk automatically ensures one’s safety. One crossing a road should also never assume that drivers of oncoming cars can see them, especially at night or before dawn.
Fairfield Pedestrian & Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Fairfield car accident lawyer. If you or somebody close to you has sustained an injury in an auto accident because of the negligent actions of another driver, please give me a call at (707) 564-1900 for free, friendly advice. If you are not in the 707 area code, you can call me without toll at (800) 404-5400.
I have been helping individuals and families receive the compensation they are legally owed in claims involving wrongful death and personal injury for more than 34 years.
I’m a member of a forum for lawyers who’ve won million and multi-million verdicts and/or settlements for their clients, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
See my Past Verdicts and Settlements here.
Before calling, take a look at my client reviews on: Avvo, Google, and Yelp.
I founded AutoAccident.com, Northern California’s top website for information on personal injury and automobile accidents.
Image Attribution: Wikimedia Commons
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