A 16-year-old sustained serious injuries in a Simi Valley car accident after she was struck by a car while jogging across a street, the Ventura County Star reports. The teen was jogging with a friend on Cochran Street near Kadota Street, the morning of June 28, 2010 when she was hit by a car that was going east on Cochran.


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The teenager sustained several injuries including a broken right arm and fractures to the pelvis and lower spine. The driver of the car, 47-year-old Deanna Sanchez, was uninjured. Based on preliminary reports, the girl crossed the street outside of a crosswalk and did not see the car coming. The driver has not been cited pending an investigation.

My heart goes out to this young girl who has apparently sustained severe injuries. I hope she has not suffered catastrophic injuries and pray that she recovers quickly and completely.

Pedestrian Accidents

There were no fatalities but 16 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Simi Valley in 2008, according to California Highway Patrol's traffic accident statistics. In Ventura County as a whole, eight people died and 224 were injured as a result of pedestrian accidents during the same year.

Crosswalk Laws

If the details of this news report are accurate, the girl was outside of a crosswalk. California law requires motorists to stop for pedestrians who are walking in marked or unmarked crosswalks.

California Vehicle Code section 21950 states: "The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection." The same section also states that the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk "shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian." Under this code, pedestrians have a responsibility to walk in areas that are designated only to pedestrians and should not jaywalk and run across the street where motorists do not expect them.

Claim for Compensation

In cases where pedestrians are injured as a result of a negligent driver or a dangerous roadway, injured victims or their families would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Ventura personal injury lawyer, who will explain their legal rights and options. If a dangerous or defective roadway caused the accident, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could also be held liable. Under California Government Code section 911.2, any claim against a public entity must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injury.

What are some of the most dangerous roadways for pedestrians in your city or neighborhood?

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

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