California Injury Blog
Los Angeles County Pedestrian Accident Injures Teenager
A 16-year-old boy was injured in a Duarte pedestrian accident after he was struck by a car while crossing the street on his way to school, the Pasadena Star News reports. The boy was walking through the intersection of Central and Duncannon avenues near Duarte High School the morning of March 27, 2009 when he was struck by a motorist who said he was blinded by the sun’s glare. The boy suffered injuries to his hands and legs, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said. The driver of the car, who has not been cited pending an investigation, told officials that the glare from the sun blocked his vision and that he did not see the boy until it was too late.
I’m glad that the teenager did not suffer fatal injuries in this auto accident. I hope that his head injuries are not serious. I wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery. He will be in my prayers.
According to the California Highway Patrol’s 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were 210 pedestrian accident fatalities and 5,095 injuries relating to pedestrian accidents in Los Angeles County. In Duarte, there were no fatalities and three injuries reported in connection with pedestrian accidents in 2007.
In this Duarte pedestrian versus vehicle accident, it is clear that the accident was the motorist’s fault. The boy was crossing the street, apparently with his parents, at an intersection. California Vehicle Code section 21950 states: “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.” The same section also requires the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk to slow down and proceed only after the pedestrians have safely crossed the street.
The boy’s family would be well-advised to contact a reputed California pedestrian accident lawyer, who can help determine the facts of the case and whether there was negligence on the part of the driver. A skilled California personal injury lawyer should also look into whether there was a dangerous condition at that Duarte intersection that caused or contributed to this pedestrian accident. At Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, we have successfully represented clients in injury accident cases where a government entity had known about a dangerous condition on their roadways, but did nothing to fix the problem.