2009 December Archive
San Francisco Ranks Second in Number of Pedestrian Accidents
The Sacramento Bee recently ran an article that revealed that the streets of San Francisco are the second most dangerous place for pedestrians. Reportedly, San Francisco ranks solely behind New York City as the nation’s leader in pedestrian fatalities. According to Transportation for America and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, the two groups that created the report, San Francisco ranks No. 40 overall on the “Pedestrian Danger Index.”
Claims made by Walk San Francisco, a pedestrian advocacy group situated in San Francisco, state that the fatality rate per 100,000 people in the city is 2.6 percent. This figure is 70 percent higher than the national average. The report also speculates that most pedestrian deaths are in fact preventable, with the primary causes of such accidents being a lack of safe sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian signals, and other preventative measures put into place to protect pedestrians. And San Francisco isn’t the only area in Northern California that failed to rank well for pedestrian safety. The Sacramento-Arden-Roseville metropolitan area ranks No. 22 nationally, while the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area comes in at No. 26.
Pedestrian safety should be of the utmost concern to state departments of transportation and county and municipal transit agencies. In the event that negligent action on the part of some governing party leads to pedestrian injury, then that party may be held liable for damages associated with the injury. In fact, in any type of accident, the negligent party who contributes towards causing the accident can often be held liable for monetary compensation to assist injured individuals in recovering from their accident.
At Van Der Walde & Associates, our experienced San Francisco pedestrian accident attorneys will examine every detail surrounding your accident, and will hold negligent parties responsible for contributing to your accident. We will seek monetary compensation on your behalf while ensuring that your rights as an injured pedestrian are protected. If you have been injured, please don’t hesitate to contact our personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation of your case. Call us at 877-862-6288.
Santa Clara to Pay Settlement for Fatal Bike Accident
A California bike accident that consisted of three deaths, and has already resulted in millions of dollars being paid out to the victims’ families, has again resulted in monetary compensation awarded to the family of one of the victims. That is, the Associated Press reports that the father of the 30-year-old female victim of the accident will receive $800,000 in compensatory damages from Santa Clara County. The accident (first discussed in our November 4th post entitled “Families of Bike Accident Victims Collect Settlement from Santa Clara County”) occurred when a Santa Clara County deputy fell asleep while behind the wheel of his patrol car.
This settlement comes at the heels of a previous monetary award of $1.2 million to the girl’s mother. The county also previously settled for an amount of $2.3 million with the parents of one of the other victims in the accident. A third lawsuit filed by the family of the third victim is still pending, although if previous settlement amounts are any indication, the victim’s family should receive a significant settlement as well.
This case is emblematic of the accountability that must be accepted by a negligent party that is deemed to have somehow contributed towards causing an accident. In all cases of personal injury, accident victims have the right to seek compensatory damages from individuals that may have played a role in causing their injuries. Regardless of the circumstances, the best course of action an accident victim can take is retaining the services of an experienced personal injury attorney that will fight to ensure that the victim’s rights are not infringed upon in a court of law.
At Van Der Walde & Associates, our skilled Northern California personal injury lawyers will hold negligent parties accountable for their actions. If you have been injured in a bike, pedestrian, auto, or any other type of accident, please don’t hesitate to contact our San Jose personal injury attorneys today for more information. Call us today at 877-862-6288 for a free evaluation of your case.
Student Involved in Santa Clara Car Crash Awarded Damages
An auto accident in Santa Clara that involved multiple vehicles has resulted in a $49 million jury award for a college student who was injured while on his way home from a camping trip. The injury accident took place on State Route 152, better known as the Pacheco Pass. Two trucks collided at or near the center line, and the vehicle that the injured college student was riding in was struck by one of the trucks. After a five week trial, it was determined that the driver of one truck was 60% at fault, the driver of the other truck was 35% at fault, and the state of California was 5% at fault.
The jury awarded the injured college student the multi-million dollar verdict to compensate him for a variety of costs associated with his accident and the resulting brain injury he sustained. That is, $3.4 million was allocated for his past medical expenses, $27.6 million was allocated towards his future medical expenses, $4.5 million was attributed for future lost wages, and another $13.5 million was awarded for general damages. In the end, the rights of the injured were protected, and the student’s future well-being has been at least partially safeguarded.
In all California auto accidents, accountability is attributed to at least one party whose actions are deemed negligent. In the above case, accountability was attributed to multiple parties, with each party being deemed a certain percentage responsible for the accident’s result. In order to ensure that the rights of the injured are not infringed upon in a court of law, all details and circumstances of an accident need to be thoroughly examined to determine exactly where negligent action may have led to injury.
At Van Der Walde & Associates, our experienced Northern California personal injury attorneys understand the many challenges - on a physical, emotional, and financial level - that auto accident victims often have to endure. If you have been injured in a Northern California auto accident, please don’t hesitate to contact our skilled injury attorneys today for a free consultation of your case. We will fight to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Call us today at 877-862-6288.
Road Conditions May Have Played Factor in Santa Cruz Accident
Injuries sustained during car accidents can range from minor scrapes and bruises to life-altering, catastrophic injuries. In 2007, a graduate of San Lorenzo Valley High School lost control of her vehicle, spun into oncoming traffic, and was struck by a pickup truck being driven by a Santa Cruz County worker. The accident resulted in catastrophic injury, and left the young woman a quadriplegic. According to a pressbanner.com article, the family of the Santa Cruz accident victim is seeking to file suit against the county after informal investigation of the circumstances surrounding the accident showed that road conditions may have played a contributing factor in causing the accident.
According to the claim, the safety of the road, including its drainage and current signage, is being labeled as dangerous. Furthermore, the speed of the vehicle being driven by the county worker has also been labeled a factor that may have caused the accident. If in fact these conditions are deemed to have played a role in causing the accident, then the injured party may be able to seek compensatory damages. Such recompense can assist with the costs associated with the accident, namely medical bills and physical therapy fees, if applicable.
Dangerous road conditions are not the fault of motorists. It is the responsibility of local governing authorities to ensure that roads and highways are safe to be traveled on. In the event that dangerous road conditions contribute to a San Jose car accident, the best course of action for an accident victim to take is retaining the services of an experienced Santa Cruz personal injury attorney. At Van Der Walde & Associates, our skilled injury attorneys will seek compensatory damages on your behalf and will hold those responsible for your accident accountable for their actions. Call us today at 877-862-6288 for a free case consultation.
