A pedestrian accident in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Hayward caused serious injuries to two pedestrians the afternoon of September 7, 2010. The Oakland Tribune reports that the collision, caused by a female driver who fell asleep at the wheel, injured a 53-year-old woman and her 22-year-old son. The Lexus went over a curb and struck the pedestrians. Officials do not believe drugs or alcohol were involved. An investigation is ongoing.
It is indeed fortunate that there were no catastrophic or fatal injuries in this case. I pray for the quick and complete recovery of the two victims.
Car Accidents
In Hayward, six fatalities and 732 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents according to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In Alameda County, 82 people died and 6,935 were injured as a result of car accidents in 2008.
Fatigued Drivers
Sleepy drivers cause thousands of car crashes that result in serious injury or death in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2007, fatigue was involved in at least 18 percent of fatal accidents and accounts for about 7 percent of all accidents. The agency's report titled "Tomorrow's Roads: Safer for Everyone," also identifies driver fatigue as one of the main areas of driver behavior that needs to be addressed if the target for reducing the number of serious car accidents by 40 percent, by the year 2010, is to be achieved.
This accident is yet another reminder for all of us to never get behind the wheel when we are tired or drowsy. Fatigued drivers put not only themselves but also others at serious risk.
Liability Issues
In cases where negligence or wrongdoing is concerned, injured victims and their families would be well-advised to contact a reputed San Francisco personal injury lawyer who will stay on top of the official investigation and make sure that their legal rights and best interests are preserved.
What steps do you take to make sure that you do not fall asleep at the wheel while driving?
The law firm that sponsors this blog has agreed to provide a free, confidential consultation to any of our readers who were injured in this or a similar accident. The offer applies to the family of the accident victims as well. Call 866-456-5235 for assistance.
At the time this article was posted, none of the parties mentioned in this article were represented by any of our sponsoring law firms. The source of our information is cited in the article. No independent investigation was conducted unless specifically mentioned in the article. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein; get a comprehensive consultation with a reputable law firm.
