California Injury Blog
A man sustained serious personal injuries in a Palm Springs pedestrian accident, The Desert News reports. The car versus pedestrian accident apparently occurred at about 8:20 p.m. on May 5, 2009 in the 2300 block of North Palm Canyon Drive. The injured victim was taken to an area hospital with injuries. The extent of his personal injuries is not known. The driver fled the scene of the accident. A description of the suspect vehicle is not available, but officials say the car should have major front-end damage. If you saw this pedestrian accident or have information about it, please call Palm Springs Police at 760-323-8115.
My heart goes out to this injured pedestrian and his family. I hope and pray that his personal injuries were not major and wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. I trust the driver who struck this pedestrian and left him injured on the roadway will soon be apprehended and brought to justice. Leaving the scene of a car-pedestrian accident where a victim has been injured and rendered helpless is an inhumane and despicable act!
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were three pedestrian accident deaths and 20 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Palm Springs. In Riverside County, 43 deaths and 393 injuries involving pedestrian accidents were reported in 2007.
The details in this newspaper report are insufficient to determine who was at fault for this pedestrian-car accident. However, the driver made a huge mistake and broke the law by leaving the scene of the accident. California Vehicle Code section 20001 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.” The driver is required to stop, exchange information and render aid to the injured victim – whether or not the accident was his or her fault.
The injured pedestrian would be well advised to contact a reputed California personal injury lawyer, who is particularly knowledgeable about uninsured/uninsured motorist insurance coverage issues. In this case, if the hit-and-run driver is apprehended and he or she does not have car insurance or has insufficient insurance, then the uninsured/underinsured motorist provision in the victim’s own car insurance policy (or any other policy that he has benefits under) should be able to step in and compensate the victim.
In California, if one person in the household has car insurance with uninsured/uninsured motorist insurance coverage, the others in the household are automatically covered, whether their names are specifically listed on the policy or not. However, insurance companies can decide to be difficult about such coverage. A skilled personal injury lawyer will be able to help accident victims by handling these complicated issues so the victims can focus on resting and recovering from their injuries and on taking care of their medical needs.