Sidewalks have been a wonderful benefit of modern times. They allow pedestrians to safely travel on busy roadways without disrupting the flow of traffic. However, dangerous car accidents can still result when drivers fail to stay on the roadway. For example, four people were recently injured while walking on a California sidewalk in an incident that could lead to civil litigation.
The victims included three special needs high school students and a student teacher. They were walking with a class around 10:30 one morning in early September. For reasons that are unclear at this time, a man allegedly swerved off the road and struck the group. Witnesses indicated that the student teacher struck the windshield.
All four victims and the driver of the car were transferred to an area hospital for treatment. While three of the victims suffered serious injurious, everyone is expected to survive. Police are unclear at this time what caused the accident, which remains under investigation. It is unclear at this time if police expect to file charges against the driver.
Injuries such as the ones likely suffered in this accident can cause a significant economic impact for the injured or their family members. In addition to medical bills, those injured may have to miss work to heal, or — in this case — parents may have to miss work to provide care for their child. Many victims of car accidents have sought legal recourse in a California civil court. Some of those who were able to successfully document that their injuries resulted from someone else’s negligence were awarded damages to cover lost wages, medical bills and other expenses.
Source: NBC Bay Area, “San Mateo: Car Hits 3 Special Needs Students, Woman“, Monte Francis, Sept. 10, 2014