Utah Law Talk

A Salt Lake City woman is in serious condition after being hit by a car while walking in a crosswalk in Salt Lake City, Utah. This Utah pedestrian accident happened near 200 South and 1300 East at around 6:40 p.m. on Thursday, December 4, 2009. Salt Lake City police Detective Dennis McGowan said the victim, a 38-year old woman, had just stepped into the crosswalk when she was hit by a Cadillac driven by a 68-year-old man. The woman’s name has not been released.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the woman was several feet into the crosswalk. She had stepped off the northeast corner, when the Cadillac that was headed northbound hit her. She had cuts on the back of her head and is listed in critical condition.

I wish this woman best and a full recovery from her accident.

As Utah motorists we have the responsibility to yield to pedestrians. This woman was crossing in a crosswalk, and although the article does not mention whether or not the woman had the okay to cross, drivers need to be especially careful around crosswalks. Whatever the situation, drivers should take all precautions necessary to avoid a pedestrian collision. In the cases where drivers do not do their part the prevent the accident, I offer these pedestrian safety tips:

Pedestrian Safety Tips

* Never assume drivers see you. Make eye contact with the driver before you walk in front of his or her vehicle.
* Look out for turning vehicles and don’t step out in front of vehicles that are to close or to heavy to stop in time. You may have the right of way, but remember that in a collision with 2,000 lb. plus automobile- the pedestrian always loses.
* Use the pedestrian push crosswalk button when one is provided.
* Wear reflective clothing or reflective shoes when you are out at night.
(courtesy of slcgov.com)

Ron Kramer is an injury an accident lawyer who has helped many Utah residents involved in pedestrian accidents.

I blogged a few days ago about 3-year-old Lucas Grilli who was critically injured on Halloween night after being hit by a car in Orem, Utah. Happily I report that the child has been released from the hospital. Police have yet to find the driver and continue to ask for help from the public. They are looking into one anonymous tip but have no leads at this point. The boy suffered a broken jaw, broken leg, and some cuts and bruises.

As I mentioned earlier, the parents of young Lucas may be able to make a “hit and run” claim on their auto policy to help defray the costs of the treatment and possible aftermath of his terrible injury. I wish Lucas and his family the best.

A woman was crossing the street on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 when she was hit by a school bus. According to KSL news, Paulene Hansen and another woman were crossing the street at the crosswalk at 1700 South at around 7 a.m. when the bus hit the woman. The walk signal was lit and the bus started to make a left turn and hit the woman.

The woman was taken to the hospital with head and other injuries. Salt Lake City School District Transportation Supervisor Sean Tucker said the bus was not carrying any students. Tucker said the bus driver did not see the woman, who was wearing dark clothing.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

2008 saw a decrease of 1.4% in number of pedestrian accidents compared to 2007 data. There were 69,000 pedestrian accidents in 2008 down from 70,000 the year previous. Also, the number of pedestrian fatalities dropped 6.8% in 2008.

I wish the woman a speedy recovery as she recovers from this Utah pedestrian accident.

Unfortunately, it seems in the past 8-10 months, there have been a rash of persons hit in a crosswalk while crossing the street. And a good number of these have been caused by so-called “professional” drivers, those that drive busses or trucks. These types of drivers are considered to be “commercial” drivers and are held to higher standards than your average motorist. The training is more intense and the rules that they must follow are more numerous. A big reason for this is the damage and injury that these commercial vehicles can inflict when the driver is negligent.

We’ve talked about this before, but Utah motorists, when confronted with a pedestrians crossing the street, are required to look for and yield to that pedestrian. I think an issue in this case will the amount of light available to see Paulene Hansen and the woman who ended up getting hit by the bus. However, in this case, there were two people that were in the crosswalk that the bus driver failed to yield to.

Since the bus in this case is owned by the Salt Lake City School District, then a notice called a “Notice of Claim” needs to be appropriately filed with the proper city and government officials no later than one year from the date of the collision. (Ideally, the notice should not be filed later than 6 months from the crash date.) I expect in this case that the Salt Lake City school district is going to maintain that it was the pedestrian at fault in this Utah bus accident because she was wearing darker clothing. I would recommend that the victim contact a Utah accident and injury lawyer experienced in these bus-pedestrian cases to counter these expected excuses by the school district and to investigate the case and advise her as to the remedies that are available to her.

On August 26th, 2009 a toddler was hit by a mail truck in Layton, Utah. The 3-year-old girl was flown to Primary Children’s Medical Center. It all started around 12:45 in the afternoon when the toddler wandered into the street and was hit by the mail truck. Luckily, the truck was traveling at a slower speed, between 5 and 10 miles per hour, and the girl suffered only minor injuries.

According to KSL news, once the carrier felt a bump, he stopped his car and found the toddler. The mailman brought the girl to nearby Stephanie Anderson and ran to find the toddler’s family. Anderson called 911 as family members were located by the mailman A medical helicopter landed at Central Davis Junior High School and took the girl to hospital.

Fortunately, the mail truck caused only minor injuries because this Utah pedestrian accident certainly could have been worse. I wish the little girl the very best as she recovers from her injuries

A West Jordan, Utah mother and her children are grateful to be alive after being struck by car as they attempted to cross the street on Thursday, August, 13th, 2009. The Salt Lake Tribune that Connie Robinson, her 4-year-old boy, 18-month-old tolder and cousin’s 2-year old entered the crosswalk at the intersection of Grizzle Way (5420 West) and Bridle Creek Drive (7400 South) at 8:35 a.m. when a Nissan Altima hit them.

The Altima was driven by 24-year-old cody Ray McCormick. Police say the 4-year-old boy was thrown several feet and taken to Primary Children’s Medical Center. He suffered the most serious injuries and had to stay at the hospital for a several days. The mother, Connie Robinson suffered minor injuries and made sure her kids were stable before she was taken to the hospital.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

West Jordan police say that Cody McCormick was driving under the influence of either alcohol or a prescription drug. He was arrested on suspicion of a third-degree felony DUI, driving on a suspended license, and improper lane travel. It appears that McCormick has been in trouble for drinking and driving in the past. In 2003 he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of intoxication and also has a separate charge of operating a motor vehicle without insurance and without license.

This Utah pedestrian accident could have been a lot worse. I wish the Robinson family well as they recover from the injuries and terror of this accident. No mother should have to experience something as horrific as this. A crosswalk should be a safe haven for pedestrians and drivers should be extra cautious when passing crosswalks and areas dense with pedestrians.

I recommend that the Robinson family contact an experienced Utah pedestrian accident attorney who can help recover losses and receive fair compensation.