Ventura County Pedestrian Accident Injures Girl
A 7-year-old girl was injured in an Oxnard pedestrian accident the afternoon of March 21, 2009, the Ventura County Star reports. The girl was hit in the 4400 block of Terrace Avenue. She was transported to an area hospital for treatment of her injuries, but her condition has not yet been reported or updated. The driver of the vehicle that hit the girl stopped, Oxnard police officials say. The neighborhood where the girl was hit is west of Oxnard College in South Oxnard.
I’m relieved that this little girl survived this pedestrian versus auto accident. I hope she did not suffer catastrophic injuries. Please keep this child in your prayers. I hope and pray that she has a quick and complete recovery.
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2006 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there was one pedestrian accident fatality and 64 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Oxnard. In Ventura County as a whole, eight deaths and 186 injuries were reported in connection with pedestrian accidents.
In this particular case, the newspaper report provides very few details about how and why this pedestrian accident occurred. Was the girl crossing at an intersection or in a crosswalk? Did the driver of the vehicle fail to see her? Was the motorist distracted or impaired at the time of the crash? Was there a dangerous condition on the roadway that prevented the motorist from seeing the girl on the roadway? I trust traffic investigators are exploring most of not all these angles.
However, it would be in the best interest of the girl and her family to consult an experienced California pedestrian accident lawyer, who will thoroughly examine accident reports and determine the facts of the case. If the motorist struck the girl when she was in a marked/unmarked crosswalk or at an intersection, then he or she could be held liable for the accident and injuries. A skilled California personal injury lawyer will also be able to determine whether the accident was caused by a dangerous condition on the roadway or intersection. If that was the case, then the city of Oxnard or the governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable. Please remember that a claim against a governmental agency in California must be filed within six months of the accident.