California Injury Blog
Three men in their 20s were seriously injured while trying to cross a Northridge street on December 10, 2008, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The three men were struck by a car at Louise Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard while trying to cross the street. They all suffered major injuries, but are said to be recovering. Apparently, this is the third serious pedestrian versus auto accident in Northridge since September.
It is indeed fortunate that no one was catastrophically or fatally injured in this pedestrian versus car accident. I wish all three injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
There is no information in this news article about how or why this collision occurred, but it does state that they were crossing the street at an intersection. As the law states, any time a pedestrian is walking across the street in a crosswalk or at an intersection, the motorist must yield right-of-way. California Vehicle Code Section 21950 (a): “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.”
If the driver of the vehicle is determined to have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of this pedestrian accident then he or she will most likely face criminal felony drunk driving charges. If the driver of the car was at fault, whether or not intoxicated, then he or she will be financially responsible for the injuries caused to these three young men.
I’d urge the injured victims in this case to contact a reputed Southern California pedestrian accident attorney, who will help protect their legal rights and make sure they get the compensation they rightfully deserve. Such compensation could very well cover the medical and related expenses they incurred as a result of this accident.
A skilled personal injury lawyer will also look into any dangerous condition on this Northridge roadway or intersection that may have contributed to this collision. If that turns out to be the case, the city or the agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable for this accident as well. Please remember that any claim against a public entity or government agency must be properly filed within six months of the incident.
I would also urge the city of Northridge to perform a detailed traffic study and analysis, especially of the area around Cal State, Northridge, where the newspaper reports three recent pedestrian versus auto accidents took place. I hope they can install some safety features in these areas where foot traffic is high.