Tragically, seven people were injured last week in San Francisco after a truck crashed into another car and two pedestrians. The box truck was driving near 21st Avenue and Geary Boulevard when the driver attempted to make an illegal turn before he crashed. The driver was taken into police custody. There were no signs that the crash was related to terrorism.
Among the victims were a family of five, who were riding in the car that the truck hit. In addition, two elderly pedestrians were also hit. The family of five sustained only minor injuries. One of the pedestrians is 79 years old and is in critical condition. He underwent surgery for internal bleeding. The other pedestrian is 66 years old, and suffered a punctured lung and a broken rib.
According to police, the driver of the box truck was an employee making deliveries when the wreck occurred. Police say he lost control when crossed Geary Boulevard, and he turned against a red light. Police are uncertain whether he was speeding at the time of the crash. Eyewitnesses say the driver did not appear to be drunk or on drugs at the time of the crash. The driver is said to be cooperating with the investigation. Police say that after the collision, the driver may have tried to flee the scene, but a good Samaritan stopped him.
Unfortunately, San Francisco can be a dangerous place for pedestrians. The large numbers of tourists, when combined with the city’s layout and the congestion, can prove to be a dangerous combination. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 150,000 pedestrians are treated in emergency rooms for injuries every year. Close to 5,000 of those pedestrians are killed.
The two biggest factors in how serious a pedestrian’s injuries are the speed at which the vehicle is traveling and the age of the pedestrian. If the vehicle is traveling at 20 miles an hour, the chance of a fatality is only five percent. If the vehicle is traveling at 30 miles an hour, the chance of death rises to 45 percent, and at 40 miles an hour, the chance of a fatal injury is 85 percent. In addition, young children and the elderly are most likely to suffer fatal injuries if they are hit by a vehicle.
Because of the nature of the crashes, pedestrians typically suffer some of the most serious injuries of any motor vehicle crash. Some of the most common injuries incurred by pedestrians include broken bones, brain injuries, internal organ damage, damage to the back and spinal cord, and fatalities.
In collisions between automobile drivers and pedestrians, studies have shown that the behavior of automobile drivers is most frequently the cause of the collisions. About half of all pedestrian-motor vehicle wrecks are due to drivers failing to yield. Turns are another big source of wrecks – over half of all vehicle-pedestrian wrecks involve a turning vehicle. Most of the collisions involve a vehicle turning left instead of right.
If you have been injured in a San Francisco pedestrian collision, you should speak with an attorney. It’s likely that you have serious injuries and large amounts of medical bills. The steps you take after an wreck can have a huge impact on your ability to recover from the driver who caused the wreck. As the injured party, you have the burden of proving that the driver’s negligent conduct resulted in the crash and your injuries.
An experienced San Francisco pedestrian collision attorney can prove invaluable to helping you to recover a fair amount of compensation. Your attorney can help build a strong case for you by consulting with medical experts, ordering medical bills and records, obtaining statements from eyewitnesses, communicating with insurance carriers, securing video footage of the collision scene, and more.
If you are a pedestrian in San Francisco who has suffered a serious injury in a wreck caused by a negligent driver, call Micha Star Liberty, San Francisco pedestrian collision attorney at 510-645-1000. She can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.
