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Deadly Pedestrian and Cyclist Accidents Rise in Sacramento County

Posted on behalf of Arnold Law Firm in
distraced driver vs. pedestrianLast year, 44 pedestrians and cyclists were killed in vehicle collisions last year, up from 38 fatalities reported in 2014. Data indicates the most dangerous time of day for pedestrians is from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and for cyclists it is between 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. A recent California traffic safety study revealed that pedestrian and cyclist fatal accident sites are not at anticipated locations in the Sacramento area. The collisions are occurring mainly around community peripheries, not in centralized downtown locations, as expected. The number of fatal collisions is high enough that Sacramento County is participating in the “Vision Zero” program endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This program espouses a philosophy that one fatality is too many and strives to zero out deadly crashes through prevention initiatives, such as lowering speed limits and creating safer bike lanes. According to government officials, the number of deadly bicyclist and pedestrian accidents throughout California have increased by three percent. Although this figure is not higher than the nation’s average, any rise in fatal accidents is alarming.

Fatal Accident Hotspots

For bicyclists and pedestrians, the deadliest intersections in Sacramento include:
  • Stockton Boulevard and Fruitridge Road
  • Feature Drive and Howe Avenue
  • 65th Street and Fruitridge Road
  • 47th Street and Franklin Boulevard
  • Broadway and Martin Luther King Boulevard
  • Watt Avenue and Arden Way
KCRA 3 investigated the intersections where these deadly accidents were prominent and found that distracted drivers, along with pedestrians, were prevalent. While it is dangerous for pedestrians to jaywalk and not look up from their phones, distracted drivers can cause severe injuries and fatalities, according to a California Office of Traffic Safety representative. If a distracted driver was not paying attention to the road when they hurt you, call a reputable personal injury lawyer in Sacramento today. At the Arnold Law Firm, we can immediately to schedule your free legal consultation. You could be entitled to compensation for property damage, pain and suffering and loss of wages.

Call (916) 777-7777 to get started.

Settlement - $3,767,000

Truck Accident

A 20-year-old man who had been married for just 12 days left home on his way to work. He was driving on Pleasant Grove Road in Sutter County in the early morning when he came upon a slow-moving truck. As he pulled out to pass the truck, the truck driver turned left in front of him. The young man attempted to steer back into his lane but his vehicle struck an un-flagged piece of metal extending from the back of the truck. He died in the resulting crash.

Expert witnesses brought in by the Arnold Law Firm proved that the truck, owned and operated by a hauling firm, should never have been on the highway that morning. Specifically, the rear and side turn signals did not work and the rear-view mirror was in a poor state of adjustment at the time of the collision. As a result, the driver, who had failed to properly inspect the vehicle before setting out that morning, couldn’t see the young man’s vehicle as it attempted to pass.

The poor condition of the truck, its lack of maintenance and the manner in which it was operated were found to be substantial factors in causing the collision that killed the young man. The testimony also established that the man had been making a lawful pass at the lawful speed limit and acted reasonably when he attempted to avoid the collision.

The man’s 20-year-old widow was awarded $3,767,000.77, his parents were awarded $185,131 and the family was reimbursed $11,899 in funeral expenses. Though money is a poor substitute for a young man’s life, this verdict demonstrates that drivers who endanger the lives of others will be held accountable for their actions.