A student at Cal State Long Beach student was critically injured in a serious Long Beach car accident after he was hit by a car the night of November 8, 2009 while crossing the street in Long Beach, California. According to a news report in The Press Telegram, the young man, who has not yet been identified, was walking in a crosswalk at Seventh Street and West Campus Road when he was hit by a female driver. The woman has not yet been cited or arrested. Police are investigating this serious injury pedestrian-car accident.

I deeply sympathize with this injured student. I hope and pray that he makes it through his critical injuries and has a speedy and complete recovery. This young man and his family will certainly be in my prayers.

Pedestrian accidents in Long Beach

In Long Beach, pedestrian accidents caused 15 deaths and 274 injuries in 2007, according to California Highway Patrol's traffic accident statistics. In Los Angeles County, pedestrian accidents claimed 210 lives and caused 5,095 injuries during the same year.

If the details in this news report are accurate, the driver of the car seems to have been at fault here. California law states that drivers should stop and yield right-of-way to pedestrians at crosswalks (marked or unmarked) and intersections. According to California Vehicle Code section 21950: "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."

What Caused this Pedestrian Accident?

There are many questions here, which will hopefully be answered once police complete their investigation. I would be interested to know whether there was any negligence here on the part of the driver. Was she impaired, distracted, speeding or driving recklessly at the time? If that was the case she could be held liable for the injuries caused to this victim. In such cases victims would be well-advised to consult with a reputed Long Beach personal injury lawyer, who will help protect their legal rights. A knowledgeable car accident lawyer can also advise pedestrian accident victims about how their car insurance policy will apply to an uninsured/underinsured driver in such situations.

We are 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 a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.