Newport Beach Woman Files Claim Against City for Injuries in Pedestrian Accident
California personal injury lawyers frequently come across accidents that occur because of what can seem like a minor roadway defect. In fact, poorly illuminated streets, sidewalks, or crosswalks can be accident magnets, placing motorists, motorcyclists and pedestrians at a high risk for an accident. A Costa Mesa resident who was seriously injured in a pedestrian accident in Newport Beach is suing the city for her injuries. According to the Orange County Register, the victim has filed a legal claim against Newport Beach, alleging that her injuries resulted because of poor illumination on the street. The victim claims that she was crossing a street at about 2am in August last year when she was struck by a taxi. The woman suffered several injuries, including multiple bone fractures, knee back and elbow injuries and concussions. The woman claims that the accident was a result of what the claims calls “dangerous condition of public property.” According to the claim, there were several factors that contributed to her being struck by the taxi. These included faded paint on the crosswalk that prevented the taxi driver from seeing the crosswalk, and a malfunctioning streetlight. The claim has gotten complicated because police reports quote a witness as saying that the victim was not walking on the crosswalk at the time she was hit. Instead, the report quotes the witness as saying that she was “loitering” in the road. However, the report also mentions an eye witness account by the same witness that a street light at the intersection was switched off. Last week, Newport Beach city officials rejected the victim’s claim. She is now suing to win the $2.2 million that she was claming in damages. As California auto accident lawyers know, not all of the 45,000 or so traffic fatalities that occur every year in the country, are caused because of the negligence of motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists or pedestrians. Many times these occur because of dangerous road conditions that contribute to an accident. Poorly designed roads, badly constructed streets lack of barriers, lack of illumination, steep curves, sharp turns, lack of guardrails – all of these factors can cause an accident. Accidents can occur because the design of the road encourages dangerous driving behaviors. Hazards, especially at crowded intersections and busy crosswalks, can block visibility, leading to a crash. Steep drop offs like ravines are also serious accident risks. Pavement or streets with insufficient traction can cause motorists to lose control of the vehicle. Broken down signs and lack of signs can contribute to serious driving errors. Missing guardrails or weak guardrails can cause an accident to quickly turn serious. Besides design, poor construction practices like the use of low quality materials and poor workmanship can make roads dangerous for use. Besides, roads must also be maintained regularly to ensure motorist safety. This can include maintenance of street lights, traffic control lights, guardrails, signage, road surfaces and removal of potholes. Failure to perform road maintenance activities scan also be a factor in a crash. The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accident . Please visit our website at trlglaw.com . If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us . The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.
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Newport Beach Woman Files Claim Against City for Injuries in Pedestrian Accident