Pedestrians in Fresno probably feel they are placed in harm’s way much too often. The threats can be provided by careless drivers who travel local roads and also by poor city planning. Someone on foot may be forced to cross four and five lanes of traffic to get where they need to be. What’s more, the nearest crosswalk could be a half-a-mile or more away.
With few safe travel options around Fresno for pedestrians, terrible encounters between people and vehicles will continue to occur. Drivers are required by law to show due care to anyone they see on foot, even when they aren’t in a crosswalk. Distracted drivers may not be able to fulfill this duty as they play with a cellphone or unwrap a sandwich, all while failing to spot someone in the street in front of them.
Woman Suffers Broken Leg in Fresno Pedestrian Accident
A pedestrian was injured by a hit-and-run driver in Fresno on Monday night. ABC30-TV reports the tragic accident happened at West Shields Avenue and North Pleasant Avenue just past 6:30 p.m. on February 01, 2021.
Fresno police say a woman and a man were drunk while attempting to cross the street. While in the road a light-colored truck hit the woman and then sped away. Her leg was broken and she was taken to the hospital. She is expected to recover from her injury.
The search for the hit-and-run suspect continues. Police have not released any further description of the driver or the truck involved.
Support for Fresno Pedestrian Hit-And-Run Accident Victims
A pedestrian sent to the ground by a strike from a vehicle can, understandably, feel very helpless at that moment. They may be dealing with the shock of an impact and the pain of an injury only to watch as the driver responsible speeds away from the scene. This heartless act of leaving a victim to face the consequences of a driver’s mistake alone is hard to forgive.
Leaving the scene after hurting someone is a criminal act and can be charged as a felony and it makes you wonder why anyone would make such a stupid decision. If convicted of a felony hit-and-run drivers can face two to four years in state prison if the victim is killed or suffers a serious injury.
If the suspect is located and arrested, a victim may file a claim for damages to try to get hospital bills paid for and lost work hours covered.
A victim can file this civil lawsuit even if they must accept some blame in an accident. California is a pure comparative negligence state. That means victims can share some of the blame for their accident but still collect compensation for their injury. A victim may be assigned 25% of fault in an accident if they made a poor decision, while the driver may share the remaining 75% of liability. In this case, a pedestrian could get awarded compensation, but then have the 25% of their blame subtracted.
Contact a Fresno Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
If you were trying to cross a street when a vehicle struck you, talk to a Fresno Pedestrian Accident Attorney about your injuries. Whether a hit-and-run driver is found or if you must file a claim with your own insurance provider, you’ll need a local attorney guiding you to the best path to getting complete compensation for your physical and emotional pain.
After an accident involving a serious injury in the Central Valley, contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free consultation and case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to every case. He believes that every client should work directly with their lawyer, get honest advice and personalized attention to detail their case deserves.
