A woman sustained injuries in an Orange County car accident after she was struck by a vehicle while she was crossing a Fullerton street. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the woman was crossing Yorba Linda Boulevard the morning of March 5, 2010 at the northbound 57 off-ramp, when a Ford Edge struck her. She was hospitalized with injuries, but they were not life-threatening. The driver was not cited or arrested pending an investigation.

I hope the woman's injuries were not serious. I wish her the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there was one fatality and 45 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Fullerton. In Orange County as a whole, 31 deaths and 735 injuries were reported as a result of pedestrian accidents during the same year.

Accident Causes

Based on this news report, it is not entirely clear how or why this pedestrian accident occurred. There are several questions here that need to be answered. Where was the woman crossing the street at the time? Did she have the light? Was she in a crosswalk? Was the driver of the vehicle impaired, distracted, or negligent in any other way at the time of the collision?

Laws and Liability Issues

California Vehicle Code Section 21950 states: “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.” The same section also states that the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk “shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.”

If this accident is determined to have been the driver's fault, then he or she could be held liable for the accident and injuries caused. If a dangerous or defective roadway caused or contributed to this accident, then the governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable. Please remember that any claim against a California governmental agency must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injury. An experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer will stay on top of the official investigation and make sure that the victim's legal rights and best interests are protected.

We are 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 a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.

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