California Injury Blog
A grandmother was critically injured in an Anaheim pedestrian accident after a driver who was backing out of an apartment complex lost control of the vehicle and drove through a wrought iron gate. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the incident occurred afternoon of June 13, 2017 when the grandmother was pushing her 1-year-old grandchild in a stroller and walking on the sidewalk.
When the vehicle struck them, the woman was trapped underneath the car and rescued by firefighters who had to lift the damaged car off the woman before transporting her to the hospital. She suffered critical, life-threatening injuries. The child is expected to survive. The driver of the car remained at the scene and cooperated with police. No arrests or citations were reported. The investigation is ongoing.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the grandmother and the baby who were injured, particularly the woman who is apparently fighting for her life. We wish her the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
There were seven fatalities and 107 injuries reported in Anaheim as a result of pedestrian accidents in 2013, according to California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). During the same year, in Orange County as a whole, 52 fatalities and 784 injuries were reported due to pedestrian accidents.
Causes and Compensation Issues
Based on this news report, it appears that the woman lost control of the vehicle and struck the pedestrians. However, it is unclear as to how or why the driver lost control of the car. There are several unanswered questions here. Was the driver under the influence? Was there a vehicle defect or mechanical malfunction that caused this collision? Was the driver distracted or inattentive at the time? Did excessive speed or some other form of recklessness or negligence cause this collision? We trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely why this major injury accident occurred.
In such cases where negligence may have been involved, injured victims can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, rehabilitative treatment, pain and suffering and emotional distress. Injured victims in such cases would also be well advised to contact an experienced Anaheim pedestrian accident lawyer who will stay abreast of the official investigation and help ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected.