Teaching your teenager how to drive is scary. So many scenarios run through your mind– so many what if’s. What if they get t-boned by a drunk driver? What if they get hit by someone swerving into their lane? What if they hit someone because they were distracted by the cell phone? What if their music is too loud and they can’t hear what is happening around them? The worries go on and on. When your teen decides to walk instead of drive you feel a sense of relief. The likelihood of something tragic happening isn’t as real as if they were driving. Unfortunately, our Riverside Pedestrian Accident Attorneys at JML Law have experienced the ugly truth of teens getting injured while walking.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Nearly 6,000 people died from walking in 2017. If you live in an urban area, pedestrian fatalities have increased by 46%. It makes sense. Urban areas are getting more populated and more people are driving. Pedestrians get hit for the same reason cars get hit. Drivers are distracted, drunk, aggressive, or drowsy. Almost 48% of all pedestrian fatalities involved the driver or the pedestrian under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Additional risk factors for walkers are the speed of which a car is driving and the age of the victims. Pedestrians who are over the age of 60 or under the age of 15 are more likely to succumb to severe injuries.
In the case of the 17-year-old in Riverside, the teenager died from getting struck by a car head-on. The driver stated that as she drove through the intersection she did not see the young teen. The teen landed on her hood before falling off onto the ground. The driver told investigators that she had the green light. The teenager was using the crosswalk properly, but investigators are unsure whether the teen had the crosswalk signal or not. The incident happened at night when it is hard to see pedestrians walking. Even though the driver stayed and cooperated with the police does not mean that they are not liable for the death of the teen.
What To Expect
Our Riverside Pedestrian Accident Attorneys understand that accidents happen, but we also know that negligence is negligence. If someone is struck not using a crosswalk, but the driver was speeding, the driver is still liable for part of the injury to the pedestrian. In the case of the young teen, we aren’t sure if the driver was speeding or not. We don’t know if she ran a red or if there was a yellow light. It is our job as your attorneys to get all the facts and information correct. Police reports are used as evidence, but they are not the final say.
If you or someone you love is suffering from a pedestrian accident then you need to seek legal assistance. Call 818-610-8800 or click here to start a free consultation to explore ways to protect yourself with JML Law today.
