Pedestrian Accident

School Is In Session — Slow Down And Watch For Children

August 25, 2016 | Tapalian Law

AAA is reminding drivers that school is open so drive carefully. Each fall, thousands of children return to school. This results in increased traffic and additional responsibility for drivers. Drivers must take extra precautions when driving in school zones and other areas where children are present (i.e. playgrounds and neighborhoods). According to Safe Kids Worldwide, 444 children under the age of 19 years died in pedestrian accidents involving a vehicle in 2013. During 2012, roughly 19,100 children were injured in pedestrian accidents involving vehicles.

Even though there has been a decline in pedestrian deaths for children over the past decade, even one life lost is one child too many.

Drivers must accept the responsibility of keeping children safe because most children do not have the maturity level to understand the risks and dangers associated with traffic accidents. The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions parents about allowing their children to be unsupervised pedestrians, especially under the age of 10 years. A child lacks the maturity to understand the risks and dangers associated with crossing the street. Therefore, a child is incapable of making safe decisions as a pedestrian.

Providence Police Investigate Pedestrian Death

July 15, 2016 | Tapalian Law

The police in Providence are still evaluating the circumstances of an accident that led to a pedestrian fatality. It’s not yet clear whether the incident was a vehicle accident or a potential assault. According to witnesses, the individual was killed when he was struck near the edge of the road. He was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital.

Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents are an all too common cause of severe injuries and even fatalities in Rhode Island. In some cases, a driver may not be paying the appropriate amount of attention in order to prevent an accident or see the pedestrian standing there at all. With no protective gear, a pedestrian is exposed to life-threatening injuries if he or she is struck by a car and thrown into the roadway or into other objects.

Pedestrians who have been injured and survived the accident may have grounds to file a personal injury claim against the responsible party. The elements of your case will depend largely on whether or not the driver involved was reckless or negligent and the severity of your injuries.

Construction Sign Pierces a Windshield During Distracted Driving Accident in Rhode Island

July 8, 2016 | Tapalian Law

A Rhode Island teenager was traveling on I-495 mid-June when he slammed into a highway sign which ultimately pierced the windshield of his vehicle. The Toyota Corolla driver was not paying attention when traffic stopped ahead of him as a result of a lane closure for a construction project. When the driver attempted to stop his vehicle, he lost control of the car and slid off the road, slamming into a construction sign warning him about that lane closure. The man was hit in the head when that sign came through his windshield and he was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with a head laceration.

If you have been injured in a distracted-driving accident because someone else was not paying attention or otherwise driving recklessly, you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim with the help of a Rhode Island car accident attorney. Although many studies have pointed out the dangers of distracted driving and more police officers have taken an active role in stopping this behavior, it still persists.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that more people are aware of the dangers of distracted driving, this practice is still extremely common. This is especially true among teenagers who are more likely to be on the roads during the summer and are more likely to engage in texting and driving or other forms of distracted driving to begin with. In fact, this is why the summer is known as the 100 deadliest days. During this period, fatalities in accidents involving teenagers are at a year-round high.