A 58-year-old man suffered major injuries in a San Diego car accident after a postal truck hit him as he was crossing the road. According to a 10News report, the injury collision occurred the afternoon of January 9, 2012 at the intersection of Gramercy Drive and Sandrock Road in San Diego. Officials say the westbound vehicle struck the man who was not walking in a marked crosswalk. The man was transported to an area hospital with bleeding in the brain, a leg fracture and shoulder injuries. The driver of the postal vehicle told officials that his vision had been blocked by a pickup truck turning into the driveway right before the crash. An investigation is ongoing.

My thoughts and prayers are with the pedestrian who has apparently suffered a traumatic brain injury in this accident. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

San Diego Pedestrian Accidents

According to California Highway Patrol's 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 18 fatalities and 494 injuries involving San Diego pedestrian accidents. Countywide, 57 fatalities and 937 injuries were reported as a result of pedestrian accidents, during that same year.

Laws Relating to Pedestrians

Based on this news report, it appears that the pedestrian was crossing at an intersection. Officials, however, suspect that he was not walking in a crosswalk at the time. California Vehicle Code Section 21954 states: "Every pedestrian upon a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway so near as to constitute an immediate hazard." The same section also states: "The provisions of this section shall not relieve the driver of a vehicle from the duty to exercise due care for the safety of any pedestrian upon a roadway."

Fault and Liability

In this particular case, if the driver of the postal truck is determined to have been at fault, he and his employer can be held liable for the pedestrian's injuries and damages. In such cases, injured victims can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.

An experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer will be able to determine whether a dangerous roadway condition caused or contributed to the accident. If that was the case, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway can also be held liable. Please remember that any personal injury claim against a California governmental agency must be properly filed within 180 days of the incident.

Officials in Riverside County are investigating a swimming pool accident in Hemet, California, which killed 2-year-old Aden Sanborn the afternoon of August 3, 2009. According to a CBS news report, Aden was found in a backyard pool at a home in the 30000 block of Apricot Avenue. He was found to be not breathing. Emergency personnel performed CPR on the boy and rushed him to the hospital, but could not save him.

My heart goes out to the parents, family and friends of Aden Sanborn for their tragic, heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved this little boy.

Swimming Pool Accident Statistics

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in 2005, there were 3,582 unintentional fatal drownings in the United States. About 25 percent of these fatalities involved young children--14 or younger. Four times as many children get emergency care for nonfatal injuries for every child who dies. In 2005, of all children aged 1 to 4 who died in the United States, 30 percent died from drowning. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention, in 2006, drowning was only second to car accidents as the most common cause of death in children aged 1 to 14.

This summer has been disastrous as far as swimming pool accidents are concerned in Southern California. There have been several near drowning incidents reported in Orange and Los Angeles counties that involved severe brain injury and other critical injuries. Most of these incidents involve young children, many of them toddlers.

Swimming Pool Accidents are Preventable

The tragic aspect of these swimming pool accidents is that they are entirely preventable. Swimming pool accidents can pose serious liability issues for a homeowner. If a neighbor's child or acquaintance's child is visiting or if you are caring for a child and he or she drowns in your swimming pool because there was no gate or the gate was unlocked, you could be held liable. If your child has been injured or has drowned in a swimming pool accident in a day camp, club or a neighbor's backyard pool, please understand that you have rights. Please contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer who has a successful track record handling swimming pool accident cases. If you have a backyard pool, please make sure it is fenced or gated and locked all the time. If you invite children to your home, please make sure they are under constant supervision while in the water. Please be safe this summer.

A 9-year-old girl has died in a Los Angeles County swimming pool accident after she drowned in a backyard pool in Arcadia, California. According to a news report in the Pasadena Star-News, the swimming pool accident occurred the afternoon of July 20, 2009 when she and other children were playing in the backyard pool. Officials say the girl, who has not been identified, was a visitor at the home. She was found underwater in the deep end. One of the children tried to rescue her before a homeowner jumped in to pull her out, Arcadia police said. The homeowners had initiated CPR when police arrived. The girl was transported to an area hospital, but was taken off life support and died a day after the accident.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of this little girl for their tragic, heartbreaking and untimely loss. I offer my deepest condolences. They will certainly be in my prayers.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2005, there were 3,582 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States averaging 10 deaths per day. More than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another four received emergency department medical care for nonfatal submersion injuries. Nonfatal drownings or near-drownings must not be taken lightly because they can cause serious brain injury and even permanent brain damage that could result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities and permanent loss of basic functioning.

Based on this news report, it appears to me that there was a complete lack of adult supervision in this backyard pool. This could have resulted in another tragedy if something had happened to the other child who ventured to rescue the girl! It's indeed fortunate that it did not happen. Lack of supervision or inattention on the part of adults is the leading cause of child drownings in the United States. In this case, the girl was a visitor at the home. However, it's not clear whether the adults in charge were family members, friends, acquaintances or caregivers.

If a child drowns in your home, in your swimming pool, under your watch, then you could be held liable for the drowning or fatality. The Los Angeles personal injury lawyers at Bisnar | Chase handle many such cases each summer caused by negligence and inattention. It's extremely important that you follow safety measures if you are having a pool party, a gathering or even a play date by the pool. The most important safety measure you can take when children are playing in the water is non-stop supervision.