California Injury Blog
An elderly man was injured in a Riverside pedestrian accident after he was struck by a vehicle while crossing a street in Desert Hot Springs, The Desert Sun reports. The car versus pedestrian accident occurred on May 18, 2009 as the man was crossing Hacienda Avenue near Tamar Drive, police officials said. The man was hit by a speeding vehicle driven by Michael Madrid, who had crossed over double yellow lines to pass another vehicle in front. Madrid has been cited for driving with a suspended driver’s license. The victim suffered a broken leg.
I’m extremely relieved this car-pedestrian accident, serious as it is, didn’t involve any loss of life or cause catastrophic injuries. The driver was apparently speeding and driving recklessly, not to mention, without a valid license. I wish the injured victim the very best for a quick and complete recovery.
According to California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 43 Riverside pedestrian accident fatalities and 393 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in 2007 in Riverside County.
If this newspaper report is accurate, Madrid should be responsible for the personal injuries caused to the elderly victim, who has not been identified. Madrid would have been in more serious trouble with the law had the man been more seriously or fatally injured. He has been cited and his vehicle has been impounded, which is essential. Driving without a license is against California law.
California Vehicle Code Section 12500 (a) states: “A person may not drive a motor vehicle upon a highway, unless the person then holds a valid driver’s license issued under this code, except those persons who are expressly exempted under this code.”
If it is determined that Madrid was driving without car insurance or if he did not have sufficient coverage, then the injured victim may be covered under the uninsured/underinsured motorist clause of his own car insurance policy or that of anyone else in his household. California personal injury attorneys, who have a thorough knowledge of how car insurance policies apply to pedestrian accidents, will be able to help this victim get the compensation he rightfully deserves.