California Injury Blog
Three people suffered personal injuries in two separate May 4, 2009 Los Angeles pedestrian accidents. According to an article in the Glendale News Press, the first pedestrian accident occurred in the 600 block of Colorado Street when a man was struck by a driver as he was walking to his car, which was parked on the street. The motorist did not stop to help the injured man and fled the scene. Police later apprehended the hit-and-run suspect whom they identified as Esther Zapeda-Ortiz. She was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence of alcohol. The victim was taken to the hospital with personal injuries.
The second Los Angeles pedestrian accident occurred the same afternoon when two pedestrians sitting on a bus bench were injured as a result of a pedestrian-car collision at Brand Boulevard and Los Feliz Road. A motorist driving a Honda Fit was making a left turn from Los Feliz to Brand when she pulled out in front of a Toyota minivan. The Toyota driver swerved to avoid a head-on collision, but instead hit a curb and struck the bus bench injuring the two pedestrians. The two pedestrians and the driver of the Honda were taken to the hospital with injuries.
My heart goes out to all three victims who were injured in these Los Angeles county pedestrian accidents. I wish them all the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were seven fatal pedestrian accidents and 124 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Glendale. In Los Angeles County, 210 deaths and 5,095 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of pedestrian accidents.
In the first incident, the hit-and-run driver must be held accountable both civilly and criminally for her actions. Hit-and-run is both a violation of California Vehicle Code 20001 and a criminal offense under the California Penal Code. If the arrested driver does not have car insurance or has insufficient insurance coverage, the uninsured/underinsured clause of the victim’s own car insurance could help compensate for his injuries and loss. Injured pedestrians in such car collisions would be well-advised to consult experienced California personal injury lawyers who will fight for their rights and make sure they get fair compensation from the negligent parties or their insurance companies.