A University of Washington student was seriously injured recently when she was struck by a car while she was jogging, according to a news report.
The young woman was running around Green Lake when she was hit by the car, the report said. The driver allegedly jumped the curb before hitting the woman. Police said they found no indication the driver was drunk or on drugs. The jogger was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was being treated for injuries described as serious.
The Seattle area has struggled to keep pedestrians safe in recent years. According to preliminary findings from the Seattle Department of Transportation, 14 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the Seattle area last year, and another 170 were badly injured. These numbers represented a drop from the year before, when 19 people were killed, but activists and policymakers hoped for much greater reductions.
The Seattle Department of Transportation’s Project Zero program aims to reach zero traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. A series of new proposals are meant to help get the city to that goal, including lower speed limits and redesigned streets.
When a pedestrian is injured through the negligence of a driver, the injured can hold the driver liable for their damages through a personal injury lawsuit. These damages can include medical expenses, rehabilitative care, lost wages and more.
Any collision between a fast-moving, heavy car and a pedestrian is likely to lead to serious, permanent or catastrophic injury for the pedestrian. As a result, the damages in these cases can be very high. The injured and their families need all the help they can get, and should seek out counsel from an experienced personal injury attorney.