Be Careful When Backing Out!
A North Houston toddler is listed in critical condition after being struck by a car on Thursday, April 25th. The accident happened at approximately 11:00 pm near O’Donnell Drive and Rittenhouse Street. The 19 year-old driver was leaving a family dwelling and struck the 2 year old while backing out of the home’s driveway. The young woman told the police at the scene that she did not see the 2 year-old girl who had been walking with her father that evening. The teen was tested for both alcohol and drug use but was released without being charged.
According to a recent survey by the National Transportation Safety Board, in all types of automobile accidents, children are most often among the injured, or worse, fatalities of accidents. Nearly 250,000 children are injured each year in automobile accidents and almost 20% of those die each year as a result of their injuries. In children ages 2 -14, more children die as a result of an automobile accident than for any other reason.
Even in the best of circumstances, when a driver is involved in an accident and strikes a pedestrian, they could still face liabilities and potential lawsuits from the victims, their insurance companies or both. If the driver is a teen, and on their parents’ insurance this can be even more serious since teen drivers are considered to be a higher risk than older, more experienced drivers. Insurance companies are well armed with attorneys and millions of dollars in order to go after claims for their clients. They are in business to reduce the risk of their clients and will seek to get the most damages. If successful, it can mean a great deal of cost in time, frustration and also in terms of money and valuable assets and you can also lose your own insurance.
If you or someone in your family has been in an automobile accident involving a pedestrian you need to have the best legal representation possible. You need to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your own personal assets as much as possible in the event of an unfortunate accident. Take a moment to give our offices a call and speak to one of our attorneys. We can help you navigate through all of the legal and insurance hurdles and find the best resources and courses of action to protect you and your loved ones.