A nine-year-old boy sustained serious injuries in a New Jersey pedestrian accident after he was struck by a car outside of a music school. According to a news report in the Courier-Post, the accident occurred on Union Street in Medford, New Jersey, when the boy was exiting his music school, ran in between stopped traffic on Union Street and into the path of an oncoming vehicle on the opposite side of the street. Police say the boy suffered arm, leg and head injuries and was transported to a local trauma center. The driver of the car has not been charged.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,378 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in the United States in 2008. On average, a pedestrian is killed in an accident with a vehicle every 2 hours and every eight minutes, a pedestrian is injured. In 2008 alone, 69,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic accidents. The NHTSA report also states that a majority of pedestrian accident deaths occurred in urban areas (72 percent) in 2008.
Some pedestrian accidents are the fault of the pedestrian and not the driver. However, there are a significant number of pedestrian accidents which are caused by distracted, impaired or negligent motorists. Hazardous sidewalk and roadway conditions may also contribute to such accidents (e.g., slick surfaces, poor, absent or malfunctioning traffic controls and signs). If such a hazard existed at the time of the accident, the city, municipality, and both private property owners or public/private entities responsible for maintaining that roadway may also be held accountable for the accident and resulting injuries.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families can seek compensation related to the cost of unpaid medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, disability and lost earnings. If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact the experienced New Jersey pedestrian accident injury lawyers at Blume Forte for a no-cost, comprehensive consultation. Call us at 973-845-4421 for a complimentary evaluation of your potential personal injury claim.