Acccoridng to a KSL Report, Man In Wheelchair Hit By Car, an elderly gentelman was crossing the street in his wheelchair near 6200 South and 5400 West when an oncoming car failed to keep a proper lookout and hit the man and wheelchair. The man was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition.
6:30pm on September 29, 2008 at 5400 South and 700 West a 7 year-old boy and a young girl were in a crosswalk when a Hummer turned right at the red traffic signal and hit the boy. According to KSL.com, the boy sustained serious head injuries and was life-flighted to Primary Children's Hospital.
I offer my condolences to this young boy and his family and wish him a full recovery. Please keep him in your prayers.
The driver of the Hummer stated that the sun was in her eyes, so she couldn't see the children. I have represented serveral people that were injured in a crosswalk when a car was turning right and although the sun can be a contributing factor, the most common reason for the accident is that the drivers are looking left to make sure the traffic is clear, but start their right-hand turn before checking to see if anyone is in the crosswalk.
Head trauma in pedesrian accidents are the primary cause of injury and death in these tragedies. Pedestrians are much more vulnerable to suffering head injuries in accidents because they are less stable, visible, and protected on the road.
Head injuries in car versus pedestrian accidents occur when a victims head makes sudden and violent contact with an unyielding object. This can result in a concussion or more serious head injuries when significant brain, spinal cord, and central nervous system damage is sustained.
Head injuries from pedestiran accidents are irreversible and can result in partial or permanent disability, serious neurological damage, and even death. This is estremely serous when a young child is involved. The family of the young boy involved in this accident may wish to contact a Utah pedestrian accident attorney who can help determine your rights and legal options. When another party is at fault for head injuries in motorcycle accidents, victims can seek restitution for medical expenses, future loss of income or earning potential, permanent disability, and damages for pain and suffering.
Two children, ages 8 and 9, were hit by a car as they crossed the street to go to school on August 28, 2008, near 2700 South and 800 East, not far from Nibley Park Elementary. The driver claims she could not see the children since the sun was in her eyes.
I offer my deepest condolence to these children and their families. This accident never should have happend. There is no doubt in my mind this careless driver is responsible for this accident, even if the sun was in her eyes.
Insurance companies are quick to settle claims with young children, but the parents of the two children would be well advised to contact a Utah Pedestrian Accident Attorney to learn their rights since the long term effects of these injuries are likely unknown at this point.
On Wednesday afternoon South Salt Lake Police conducted a sting to catch car drivers who don’t stop for pedestrians. An undercover police officer would walk in a crosswalk while other police officers watched nearby. KSL News reported that most of the motorists stopped but not all of them. A total of 16 drivers failed to stop, 15 of them receiving tickets.
Police said the reason for the sting was to raise awareness about crosswalk safety, and for good reason. On average, automobiles kill 40 pedestrians a year in Utah and injure another 1,080. We recently reported that a 65-year-old woman, Patricia Dawn Jordan, of Oxford, Maryland, died after she was hit by a vehicle while walking in a crosswalk at Salt Lake City International Airport. KSL News reported that Jordan was walking in a 10 mph zone, but it appears the driver was going much faster than the posted speed limit and clearly wasn’t paying attention.
According to the Department of Health, studies have shown that if a car strikes a person at 40 mph, there is an 80 percent chance that individual will die. At 30 mph the individual has a 50 percent chance of survival, and if the car is traveling 20 mph the chance of survival increases to 95 percent. For more information on pedestrian awareness in Utah visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to a KSL News article, “Woman hit in crosswalk, but no one is talking,” Patricia Dawn Jordan of Oxford, Maryland died from injuries she sustained while walking in a crosswalk at the Salt Lake International Airport. On July 22, the woman was walking in the crosswalk outside Terminal 2 when a car traveling in the 10 mph zone struck her. Three days later the woman died.
I express my sympathies to the victim’s family as they deal with this difficult situation.
What is strange about this case is that the airport refuses to talk about the accident – it only reached the news after an anonymous tip to KSL more than a week after the accident occurred. When KSL attempted to do a news piece on the accident, workers at the airport either told them that they did not see anything or that they are not allowed to talk about it. The airport is refusing to disclose information, but why? Clearly, this woman did not contribute to the accident as she was in a crosswalk when she was hit.
It is sad that this family has to deal with this tragic loss and at the same time fight with the airport officials for answers as to what happend. For this reason the family of the victim should find a Utah personal injury lawyer that will perform a complete investigation so as to bring to light those who are accountable.
KSL News reported that two men were seriously injured in an automobile accident that was caused by a driver texting on a cell phone. According to officers, the driver of an SUV, Elizabeth Bedke, was text messaging when she ran a red light at 800 S. and 200 East, colliding with a minivan. Bedke's SUV then spun out of control and stuck a man on the street corner, seriously injuring him. The driver of the minivan was also injured and transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Driving while using your cell phone is never safe. In fact, a 2006 University of Utah study found that talking on a cell phone while driving is comparable to driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent. Texting seems to be even more dangerous than talking on a phone, as most drivers will take their eyes off the road for more than six seconds while texting. Considering this, it is appropriate that the driver of the SUV will likely face reckless driving charges.
Another study at Clemson University found there is a 10 percent increase in the amount of time drivers spend outside their lane of travel when texting. California and Washington enacted laws last month that ban cell phone use while driving. Utah may want to consider creating a similar law as the number of car accidents resulting from cell phone use seems to be increasing.
The injured victims would benefit greatly by consulting with an expert Utah personal injury lawyer. An independent and immediate investigation is crucial to find the exact location of the victims at the moment of impact and document all available evidence at the accident site. An experienced accident attorney will also ensure all out pocket expenses and medical bills are completely taken care of and the injured parties receive all the medical treatment needed for their injuries. I have written a free book for accident victims, 7 Biggest Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Utah Accident Case, and How to Avoid Them, and encourage everyone to call our pre-recorded 24 hour message at (800) 851-3731 to order a book before talking to an insurance adjustor or even hiring a lawyer.
