Pedestrian Accident

The Mercury News recently reported in an article that a San Jose resident was struck and killed while crossing the street north of Downtown San Jose. The 51-year-old, whose name was not revealed, was struck between Hedding Street and Mission Avenue while crossing First Street. The man was taken to a local hospital after the pedestrian accident in San Jose, but medical personnel were unable to save him.

The man was struck by a white 2008 BMW, according to a Sergeant. The BMW was driven by a 33-year-old, San Jose woman. The woman was not determined to be under the influence of any substance, nor did she flee the scene of the accident. She has not been charged with a crime as of yet.

San Jose police report that this incident is the ninth involving pedestrian death in vehicle-related collisions in the city of San Jose in 2009. Though negligence may not have played as much of a role in this man’s death as it has in other pedestrian related deaths, negligence is still one of the leading causes for pedestrian injury in vehicle-related accidents.

If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a vehicle-pedestrian accident, please don’t hesitate to contact the personal injury attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates. Our knowledgeable lawyers will examine the details surrounding your accident, and will hold those responsible for their actions. Please contact a skilled San Jose pedestrian accident attorney today for a free consultation, and we’ll help restore the order that your accident took away.

San Francisco’s local CBS news affiliate, KPIX-TV (channel 5), recently reported in an account that a female motorist inadvertently caused harm to a female pedestrian and her 4-year-old son outside of Green Acres Elementary School at 966 Bostwick Lane. No parties involved were identified by name. The female pedestrian sustained major industries, while her son sustained minor injuries.

The pedestrian accident in Santa Cruz occurred around 8am, as the female pedestrian and her young son were walking through the school parking lot. At that same time, a female motorist accidentally hit her car’s gas pedal instead of the brake pedal as she attempted to pull into a parking space at the school. The motorist’s vehicle struck a nearby chain-link fence, which consequently dislodged from the ground. The end post of the fence struck the female pedestrian in the head. There was no report as to whether or not her son was struck by the post and/or fence. Both mother and son her were airlifted to a nearby trauma center for treatment.

It was determined that the female motorist was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and was not arrested by CHP officers who responded to the scene. The female motorist did not sustain any injuries and her child who was in the car with her also was not injured.

Thoughtless mistakes can lead to serious injuries. Under the law, you are entitled to compensation in the event of being injured in an accident caused by another person’s negligence. This compensation can include reimbursement for medical bills and lost wages as the result of the accident. The Santa Cruz personal injury attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates specialize in cases regarding pedestrian and automobile accidents, and are prepared to assist you with your case. Please call us today for a free consultation so that we may examine the details of your case.

The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported in an article that a 6-year-old girl and her mother were seriously injured in a Burlingame pedestrian accident.  Holly Rogers, 49, and her daughter, Caroline Schoustra (now age 7), were selling Girl Scout cookies outside of a Burlingame grocery store when a motor vehicle struck them, pinning the mother-daughter pair between the car and the building.  The motor vehicle, a Lexus belonging to Paul Glad, 59, of San Mateo, pinned Holly Rogers with such force that her left leg was beyond repair and needed to be amputated above the knee, leaving her disabled.  Her daughter suffered from multiple leg fractures.  There were also three other people who suffered injuries due to the automobile accident in Burlingame, two 6-year-old girls and a 53-year-old man, but they were all treated at a local hospital and promptly released.

Paul Glad told police that he inadvertently hit the gas pedal instead of the brake while attempting to park his vehicle.  However, Holly Rogers told authorities that Mr. Glad began to get out of his car even before it had come to a complete stop, and failed to shift the vehicle into park.  Paul Glad did not show any signs of intoxication or impairment, although he did inform police that he had taken Oxycontin, a prescription painkiller, earlier in the day as treatment for a previous spinal injury he had sustained.  Furthermore, Mr. Glad attempted to park his car in a space reserved for disabled drivers, although no mention of whether or not Mr. Glad legally qualified to park in that type of parking spot was made.

Negligence played a significant role in determining Holly Rodgers’s fate.  If you, like Holly, have suffered from a debilitating injury that has permanently changed your life, you need the help of a personal injury lawyer more than ever.  The Northern California personal injury attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates specialize in cases regarding pedestrian and automobile accidents, and are prepared to assist you with your case in every way possible.