California Injury Blog
A woman and her young daughter sustained injuries in a Los Angeles car accident after an elderly driver hit them and then crashed her car through the storefront of a business in the Woodland Hills area the afternoon of November 7, 2009. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News, both the woman and the girl, said to be 4 or 5 years old, were airlifted to an area hospital. The girl was more seriously injured than her mother, but has been listed in stable condition. Los Angeles police officials said elderly woman mistook her car’s gas pedal for the brakes.
My heart goes out to the mother and her little girl who apparently sustained serious injuries. I’m relieved to hear that the girl survived her injuries and wish her and her mother the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep these injured victims in your prayers.
Pedestrian Accidents in Los Angeles
In the city of Los Angeles, 90 deaths and 2,690 injuries were attributed to dangerous pedestrian accidents in 2007, according to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Countywide, 210 deaths and 5,095 injuries were reported as a result of pedestrian injuries in 2007. Also, car accidents in Los Angeles County claimed 712 lives and injured 56,475 people during the same year.
Based on this news report, it seems that the elderly driver made a dangerous mistake. It is indeed fortunate that this accident did not result in fatal injuries. The question here is whether the senior driver was capable of driving. Should she have been driving in the first place? Recently, we have seen a spate of accidents in Los Angeles involving elderly drivers where they have crashed their cars into storefronts and buildings.
Driving Ability Of The Elderly
In almost every case, the elderly driver made the same error – hit the gas pedal by mistake. Many of these incidents resulted in serious personal injuries to multiple victims.
I understand the need of our seniors to be independent and mobile. However, it is important for them and their family members to realize that an individual’s independence is not as important as another person’s life. If it’s time for grandma or grandpa to hand over the keys, so be it. It is simply not worth taking a chance and ending up in a situation where they cause serious injury or harm to themselves or to others. There are many good Web sites that serve as valuable resources for senior drivers and their families. I found that Keeping Us Safe is an excellent resource that educates elderly drivers and their families by providing a comprehensive self-assessment tool to help them make an informed decision.
The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.