Police are still looking for the hit-and-run driver involved in a horrifying pedestrian accident
An unusual pedestrian accident took place in the central Los Angeles neighborhood of Arlington Heights on March 5.
The victim was in the process of getting into his vehicle, which was parked on the curb near the intersection of 4th Avenue and West Washington Boulevard, when he was struck by another car. Trapped in this car’s wheel well, the man was dragged about a quarter of a mile. The driver turned on 2nd Avenue, then made a U-turn to escape the dead end street, at which point the victim finally got loose. He then crawled to a house and asked for help.
According to police, the victim suffered extreme road rash and what they described as “dragging injuries.” He is expected to survive.
Unfortunately, the vehicle that hit him fled the scene and has yet to be identified. However, there were witnesses to the accident. Two passengers who were in the victim’s vehicle at the time of the accident described the hit-and-run vehicle as a gray Nissan Versa. It can be identified by damage to the front passenger side. Judging by photographs of the victim’s vehicle, which show the front driver’s side door completely flattened back against the front of the car, the damage to the hit-and-run driver’s vehicle could be extensive.
If the hit-and-run driver is ever identified, this incident could become the subject of a personal injury lawsuit. If that happens, there would be many questions to answer that could affect the victim’s compensation.
First of all, there is the issue of liability. It is important to remember that not all pedestrian accidents are caused by drivers. It is also possible for pedestrians to cause accidents—or at least be partially liable for them—through their own negligence. In this situation, the defense would probably question whether the victim may have opened his door into traffic when trying to get into his vehicle, so that the hit-and-run driver did not have time to avoid hitting him. However, by failing to stop immediately after the accident and instead dragging the victim along for a quarter of a mile, the hit-and-run driver would at least be liable for the nature and extent of the victim’s dragging injuries. In other words, regardless of who caused the initial impact, the hit-and-run driver definitely made the victim’s injuries more severe by failing to stop.
The next important issue to consider is compensation. Naturally the victim would deserve compensation for all medical bills related to the accident. The terrifying nature of this accident would likely mean the victim deserves an especially large amount of compensation for pain and suffering.
Have You Been Injured in a Pedestrian Accident?
If you or a loved one have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you can trust the experienced attorneys at The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker to help establish liability and secure full and fair compensation. For a free consultation, call us at 800-333-0000 now.
