No one wants their child to be hit by a car or bus. No one wants their child to suffer through a traumatic brain injury. However, these accidents happen all the time. In California, Safety Month just ended but that doesn’t mean that it’s no longer essential to be diligent about keeping our kids safe.
According to stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one in five children who die in car accidents, and are between the ages of five and nine, are involved in pedestrian accidents. One case that was resolved in San Bernardino shows just how it important it is to keep children safe on their walk to school and their walk home from school. Read on to learn more and if you or your child has suffered due to an accident, please call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free case evaluation.
A recent case involves a tragic experience
In the case we’re discussing today, a 6-year-old was hit by a car when she was crossing the street. She was at her bus stop when it happened. Her injuries were severe. In fact, she ended up in a coma for more than two months, broke her leg, arm, neck, and pelvis. She also sustained a traumatic brain injury. This case was seen before a jury and the results were positive.
The girl and her family were awarded $36 million by the jury. The case was against the company that oversees the school bus that hit her. They were found at fault because they didn’t report how dangerous the bus stop was. Despite the fact that parents and their kids had to cross this busy street in the middle of the block every time they were dropped off or picked up there, they did not change the location of the stop to a safer area of the same block.
No court case can heal all wounds
The truth is that while this jury award can help the family pay for their daughter’s medical needs, it can’t undo the accident or remove the pain they all dealt with. At Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we work to hold negligent parties accountable for what they’ve done, but we also want to educate people about how they can drive more safely, and how they can walk more safely, to prevent these accidents. Following are three of the most important safety tips that parents of accident victims want you to know:
- Don’t let your child walk to or from school by themselves until they’re at least ten years old.
- Once they’re old enough, work to map out a safe route. Practice it together numerous times before sending your child off on their own. The route should not include busy or higher-traffic roads if you can avoid them. It should have sidewalks and crosswalks that are clearly marked, when possible.
- Make sure your children look left, then right, then left again before they cross the street.
If you or your child has been injured in any type of accident then it may be worth your while to talk to a personal injury attorney. Reach out to Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 today to get started.
