California Injury Blog
A 15-year-old female student sustained serious injuries in a San Diego car accident after she was struck by an SUV driven by another student at the Torrey Pines High School parking lot. According to a news report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, a 16-year-old student was driving a 1994 Chevy Blazer in the parking lot the morning of January 14, 2010 and had made a stop at a stop sign. When he started to drive again, he felt something strike the SUV. The young driver then stopped and found the teen pedestrian lying on the ground. She was transported to a local hospital with serious head injuries, but is expected to survive. An investigation is ongoing.
My heart goes out to this young victim and her family for what they are going through right now. I hope and pray that this teenager makes a quick and complete recovery. Please keep her in your prayers.
Pedestrian Accidents
There were 25 deaths and 575 injuries in San Diego involving pedestrian accidents, according to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In San Diego County as a whole, 51 fatalities and 1,068 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of pedestrian accidents. Also in San Diego County, car accidents claimed 268 lives and injured 14,641 people during the same year.
Causes and Liability Issues
Based on this news report, it is not clear how or why this horrific accident occurred. Was the teen driver distracted at the time of the accident? Was he using a hand-held phone or texting at the time? Was there a dangerous condition in the school’s parking lot which may have caused or contributed to this accident? For example, was there a visual obstruction at the stop sign, which may have prevented the driver from seeing the teenager who was walking across the roadway?
If this accident was caused by a dangerous roadway, the school district could be held liable for the injuries caused. Any claim against a governmental agency in California must be properly filed within 180 days of the accident or injury. If the accident is determined to have been caused by the driver’s own negligence or recklessness, he could be held liable. In such cases, injured victims could seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost earnings, cost of hospitalization, physical therapy, rehabilitation and even long-term care if the victim has suffered catastrophic injuries. The best California personal injury lawyers will always offer a free and comprehensive claim evaluation to injured victims and their families.
The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.