An SUV crashed into a Starbucks in Sammamish, Washington, on Monday afternoon injuring three people.
According to the Seattle Times, a woman in her late 50s was behind the wheel of a Nissan Pathfinder when the SUV slammed into the coffee shop, injuring several customers. The car accident may have been caused by a medical boot that the driver was wearing, authorities said.
The injured customers were transported to an area hospital and their conditions have not been released.
The Sammamish Police Department said that the driver uses some sort of medical boot on her foot and that the boot got stuck between the brake and the gas pedal when the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated.
It is not clear whether the driver was supposed to be driving while she wore this boot. If not, she may be held liable for this accident. On the contrary, it may be the boot manufacturer or a particular doctor who were negligent for stating that the boot can be used while driving when in fact it is not safe.
These are areas that police will likely look into when deciding whether the driver should face any criminal charges in the aftermath of this accident.
Regardless of whether she is charged, the victims of this accident as well as Starbucks may choose to work with a car accident attorney to learn whose negligence caused this accident and how they can be held accountable.
When negligence leads to a car accident, the negligent party can be held accountable for property damage, medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering, among other things.
Source: The Seattle Times, “Car crashes into Starbucks in Sammamish, injuring 3,” Katherine Long, July 9, 2012