With school back in session for Baltimore children, the morning and afternoon commutes have become much more hectic for many area drivers. The roads are now full of school buses, parents bringing their children to school and children walking to school, which can not only add traffic to area roads, but cause safety concerns if drivers are not cautious.
Unfortunately, children are injured each year when drivers do not exercise the care they should on the road. A car accident can seriously injure a child, even if the child is properly restrained in a safe vehicle.
Even worse, children can be severely injured when they are struck by vehicles while walking. It was estimated that 70,000 pedestrians were injured in 2010 around the country, with 4,280 individuals killed in such accidents. This means that every two hours, a pedestrian was killed on the road.
Children accounted for a significant percentage of the individuals injured or killed in pedestrian accidents. The number of accidents was also worse in urban settings.
Accordingly, whether they are going to school or simply walking at any random time, children are at risk of being struck by a vehicle. In these incidents, the child and his family may have a cause of action against the negligent driver who caused the accident.
A negligence action can provide compensation to injured persons if it can be shown that the other person owed a duty of care and violated that duty by causing injury to another. For example, if a driver fails to see a child crossing the road and strikes that child, a court may find the driver was negligent and liable for medical expenses and other damages to the child’s family. Baltimore attorneys with experience in personal injury lawsuits can help the injured or their families to understand how the process works and how the law may apply to their circumstances.