Pedestrian Accidents Attorney in Seattle, Washington
Pedestrian Accidents: The Case of the Dangerous Crosswalk
Pedestrian Accidents: The Case of the Dangerous Crosswalk
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In Washington we are an outdoor state. Everybody like being outdoors and going for bike rides and walking, and so we got a real problem with vehicles hitting pedestrians or bikers. They got the same problem in San Francisco. And so we represent a lot of people getting hit by these cars. I had a situation where a mom was just simply walking across the road innocently with her four-year-old child and a vehicle came along and struck and killed the child, literally almost snatched her right from her arms.
It wasn’t so much of the driver, because the driver says okay, I made a mistake and the insurance company say, well you can have our insurance limits, but we only have X dollars. And so as I dug into the case deeper and deeper I found out that there is a history of that crosswalk. There was near misses where other people tried crossing and they wrote to the city council over and over, this crosswalk is too dangerous. You need to put in a light or do something to make it safer. Somebody is going to get killed there. That was a memo showing that the county knew that this crosswalk was so dangerous, but they was putting budget ahead of human safety, and caused this family such horrible misery.
We prevailed on the case. I was able to get well into seven figures, but more important than that, they was able to agree that they would name a park after the child, which would help the family recover some of their grief and everything. So those are a couple of example of pedestrian cases.
Seattle, WA personal injury attorney James Buckley talks about a pedestrian accident case involving a dangerous crosswalk. He explains that Washington is renowned for its outdoor activities, with many residents enjoying biking and walking. However, this has led to a significant issue of vehicle-pedestrian accidents, similar to the situation in San Francisco. As attorneys, we frequently represent individuals who have been struck by cars. One heartbreaking case involved a mother innocently crossing the road with her four-year-old child when a vehicle tragically collided with them, snatching the child from her arms and causing a fatal injury.
Initially, the driver acknowledged their mistake, and their insurance company offered their policy limits as compensation. However, as I delved deeper into the case, I discovered a troubling history surrounding the crosswalk. Numerous near misses had occurred, prompting concerned individuals to repeatedly contact the city council, urging them to enhance the safety of the crosswalk. Requests were made for a traffic light or other measures to address the dangerous conditions, as it was clear that a tragic incident was bound to happen. Documentation revealed that the county was aware of the perilous nature of this crosswalk but prioritized budgetary concerns over human safety, resulting in immense suffering for this grieving family.
Through our diligent efforts, we achieved a successful outcome for the case. Not only were we able to secure substantial compensation in the seven-figure range, but we also negotiated an agreement for the county to name a park in honor of the deceased child. This gesture provided some solace to the family as they navigated their path towards healing and recovery. These examples serve as poignant illustrations of the pedestrian cases we handle, where our commitment to justice and our clients’ well-being drives our tireless advocacy.
