In a busy city like Seattle, Washington pedestrians are everywhere. Many people rely on mass transit to get around or choose to walk to their destination. In either case, people are not using cars, but rely on the sidewalks and crosswalks to safely get from point A to point B.
All too often, drivers believe that people should be on the lookout for cars and stay out of the way of moving vehicles. While pedestrians always should stay alert, the drivers actually have a duty to yield to the right of way of pedestrians. Drivers need to be careful to avoid pedestrians who are in and around the streets around Seattle or else a failure to yield could cause an auto-pedestrian accident with devastating consequences.
Recently, a woman on an area sidewalk was seriously injured after being hit by a car. According to reports, the 62-year-old woman was on a sidewalk and crossed a driveway. In the driveway, a 48-year-old man was trying to turn right on to the roadway. As the man turned, he hit the woman with his van.
Following the accident, the woman was taken to a local hospital. She suffered life-threatening injuries.
Injuries from a pedestrian accident are likely to be severe. Pedestrians have no protection from the power of a moving car. These serious injuries can result in enormous medical expenses that can put a burden on auto-pedestrian accident victims.
However, victims do have a way to fight back against a driver. Through a personal injury suit, a pedestrian accident victim can hold a negligent driver financially responsible for the costs of the accident including medical expenses. This suit can hold a distracted, drunk or otherwise negligent driver responsible for that driver’s dangerous actions.
Source: The Seattle Times, “Kent pedestrian seriously injured after being hit by van,” Christine Willmsen, Jan. 25, 2014