Two breaking news stories today highlights the the danger and frequency of deadly motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians and large vehicles, including vans and buses. One story involves a male pedestrian who was struck by a car (a Ford Escape SUV) in Chicago at 980 N. Michigan Avenue on the evening of September 20, and was pronounced dead yesterday. The second story discusses who six people were injured, and one passenger was killed, when a van, which bore the markings of an adult day care center, crashed into a CTA bus, which had 13 passengers on-board at the time.
The first story involving a pedestrian killed in a car accident occurs all to frequently. According to the NHTSA’s statistics from 2007, there were 70,000 pedestrians injured in motor vehicle crashes that year, of which 4,654 pedestrians were killed. In other words, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident every 113 minutes and injured in a car crash every 8 minutes. Where the pedestrian accident was caused by the negligence or recklessness of a driver, it is critical to contact an experienced injury attorney to protect your rights.
The second story involving a crash between a passenger van and a CTA bus highlights the risk of public transportation accidents. Drivers and operators of public transportation, including the CTA, Metra, Pace or other public transportation company owe their passengers (the public) a higher duty of care to exercise safety in the operation of their buses, trains and vans.
Furthermore, the employer of the driver of the van may be liable for this accident. Indeed, the story states that the driver of the van, which bore the markings of an adult day care center, received multiple citations as a result of the accident. The injured passengers or pedestrians may have a viable negligence lawsuit against the driver’s employer, the adult day care center, under a “respondeat superior” theory of liability. There may also be a viable negligent hiring or negligent entrustment action.
To speak with a top Chicago car accident and motor vehicle injury lawyer, call Passen & Powell at (312) 527-4500 for a free consultation.
