Two children sustained injuries in a Ventura car accident while they tried to walk across a street in Saticoy the afternoon of November 29, 2009. The Ventura County Star reports that the girls – aged 11 and 12 – were crossing Saticoy Avenue when a car driven by 43-year-old Esaul Alamillo struck them. Police have not found anything to suggest the involvement of drugs or alcohol. Both girls were hospitalized with injuries and one of them was listed in critical condition. Ventura police are investigating the cause of this injury pedestrian accident.

I hope that neither of these girls sustained catastrophic injuries. One of the most heartbreaking consequences of a car accident is when a young child is left with a lifelong disability. I hope that has not happened here. Please keep these injured victims in your prayers. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Ventura Pedestrian Accident Statistics

CHP's 2007 traffic accident statistics report that there were three deaths and 27 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Ventura, California. Countywide, eight deaths and 186 injuries were reported due to pedestrian accidents in 2007. Also, in Los Angeles County as a whole, car accidents claimed 71 lives and injured 3,993 people in 2007.

There are still many unanswered questions here. Where exactly were the girls walking at the time of the collision? Were they in a marked or unmarked crosswalk or at the intersection? Did Alamillo have the green light at the time of the crash? Was Alamillo impaired, speeding or driving in a reckless or negligent manner?

California Car Accident Laws

California law states that drivers should yield right-of-way to pedestrians who are walking in a marked or unmarked crosswalk or at intersections. According to California Vehicle Code section 21950: "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."

When drivers are found to be negligent in a pedestrian accident case, they could be held liable for the accident and injuries caused. Victims can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and even long-term care if they have suffered catastrophic injuries. An experienced California personal injury lawyer will be able to advise accident victims and their families about their legal rights and options. A knowledgeable car accident lawyer will also be able to tell victims and their families how their own car insurance policy will apply to a pedestrian accident or an accident involving an uninsured or underinsured motorist.

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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