An elderly California resident was struck by a car while walking home from the grocery store. She was using the crosswalk at 7th Avenue and Judah Street in the Sunset District of San Francisco when a driver failed to yield the right-of-way and turned left.
California pedestrian accidents like this are all too common and often result in severe injuries. This older pedestrian suffered serious injuries including a left ankle and leg fracture, multiple rib fractures, a nasal bone fracture, a right occipital fracture, a wrist fracture, and a frontal subdural hematoma and hemorrhage.
Why the Client Hired Sally Morin
Due to the severity of her injuries, the elderly pedestrian knew she would need help getting the compensation she needed to help pay for her medical bills, so she hired Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers to handle the personal injury claim process.
The woman was having difficulty with her health insurance claim and was overwhelmed by all the paperwork and the entire personal injury claim process when all she wanted to do was focus on healing and getting the medical care she needed.
She had been admitted to in-patient rehab due to the severity of her injuries and did not have the time or the energy to handle the personal injury claim on her own. So, the Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyer team stepped in to help.
Best Thing Sally Morin Did for the Client
To assist the client, our team at Sally Morin handled all of the complex claims process and legal matters for her. We maximized the value of the case to increase the overall settlement, alleviating the woman’s stress and allowing her to focus on her rest and recovery. This also helped alleviate her family’s stress over trying to help manage the logistics of the case.
In the end, we were able to get the client’s full underinsured motorist policy tendered after some negotiations with State Farm and got her and her family more money than they were expecting. From the $500,000 settlement, we ended up getting the client over $300,000 in her pocket. Needless to say, the pedestrian was quite pleased with this result.
Left Turn California Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents are all too common in California, especially in major cities with heavy foot traffic, like San Francisco. While these incidents can happen for many reasons, left turns and failure to yield the right-of-way are often the issue.
Why Are Pedestrians More Prone to Being Hit in a Left Turn Accident?
The problem with left-turn pedestrian accidents is that it is often the case that both the pedestrian and the vehicle have the signal to proceed. More specifically, the pedestrian likely had a cross signal, while the car intending to make a left turn also had a green light.
However, just because the car had the green light does not mean they have the right of way to turn. According to California Vehicle Code, drivers must ALWAYS yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks, even if the driver has a green light.
Unfortunately, many drivers do not know this law, or they purposely disobey it, especially in California. It is not uncommon for drivers to feel entitled to the right of way, and if they have the green light, they often turn left without double-checking for pedestrians first.
Factors that Contribute to Left Turn Pedestrian Accidents
Aside from drivers that intentionally fail to yield the right of way, there are many other reasons why left-turn accidents happen so often.
- Limited visibility: Drivers often have less visibility to their left than their right. When looking right, they have the entire expanse of the windshield and the passenger side window. However, when turning left, they only have the edge of the windshield and their own window to see through, which is partially obstructed by the “left post” of the car that supports the windshield and the roof. They may also have an obstructed view from other cars and street signs.
- Traffic congestion: It’s not uncommon in California for some intersections to be quite busy and chaotic. There can be numerous things happening at once that make it hard for the driver to focus on their own driving and what is going on around them. There may even be drivers blocking the intersection that the driver making the turn has to maneuver around. When this happens, it’s all too easy for a pedestrian to step into the crosswalk unnoticed, leading to them being struck.
- Construction: When construction occurs at intersections, this can also confuse things, especially if the traffic lights and signals are not working. And many times, in these situations, flaggers might pay more attention to directing the flow of vehicle traffic rather than pedestrian traffic. This means pedestrians may start to cross when a driver was given the go-ahead to turn by a flagger.
Is the Driver Always at Fault for Left Turn Pedestrian Accidents?
While California Vehicle Code is quite strict about pedestrians almost always having the right of way, there are situations where the driver might not be the one at fault. And in some cases, there could be more than one party to blame, meaning the fault could be shared by two or more people.
Liable parties for left-turn pedestrian accidents can include:
- The driver making the turn: Of course, the driver who made the turn and struck the pedestrian could be to blame if they failed to yield the right of way.
- The pedestrian: Rarely is the pedestrian at fault, even if they didn’t have a cross signal. As long as they are crossing at a crosswalk, they almost always have the right of way. However, they could be found guilty if they purposely stepped out in front of a vehicle without giving that driver enough time to react and hit their brakes.
- Another driver: If another driver did something unexpected or reckless, which caused the turning driver to hit the pedestrian, then that driver might be the one at fault instead of the one that was turning.
- Construction company: If a construction worker is flagging traffic and they tell the driver they can turn when there is a pedestrian crossing, then the construction worker or the company that hired them could carry the blame.
We Handle Your Accident Claim So You Can Focus On Your Life
If you or a loved one are injured in a left turn pedestrian accident and need help filing your claim and proving fault, we can help. We understand how devastating and even tragic pedestrian accidents can be and are dedicated to helping injured victims and their loved ones navigate claims to ensure a full and fair settlement to help pay for the medical bills and other damages.
At Sally Morin, we truly care about the people of California. Call us at 877-380-8852 or contact us online today for a free case evaluation.
