Tag: personal injury

Ontario pedestrian accident kills 1

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Auto-Pedestrian Accidents on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.

An Ontario accident resulted in the death of one pedestrian on July 5. Police suspected the driver involved was impaired at the time of the auto-pedestrian accident. They arrested the man and charged him with impaired driving causing death, criminal negligence causing death, flight from police and failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

The accident occurred at about 4:10 a.m. in St. Catharines. Police responded to a call describing a pickup truck driving erratically and travelling at a very high rate of speed on the Queen Elizabeth Way highway. The pursuing officer suspected the driver was impaired but stopped chasing the truck when it sped away and exited the highway onto eastbound Welland Ave. for safety reasons.

Police said that the driver of the truck apparently lost control of the vehicle at the intersection of Welland Ave. and Queen St. while attempting a right turn. The truck struck a 67-year-old woman, seriously injuring her. The man drove off and struck a tree before fleeing on foot. An emergency crew transported the woman to a St. Catharines hospital. She later needed to be airlifted to Hamilton Health Sciences General Hospital, where she died as a result of her injuries. Officers later found the driver hiding in a nearby backyard. The 30-year-old Brampton man was arrested and charged.

Many families lose loved ones in impaired driving accidents each year, forcing them to cope with funerary expenses and other damages while grieving their losses. Personal injury lawyers could provide help to families who might be considering filing for compensation from impaired drivers through legal action.

Source: The Toronto Star, ‘Brampton man charged in death of woman killed by pickup truck in St. Catharines,” Katelyn Verstraten, July 5, 2014

Source: Black Burn News, “Man charged after pedestrian killed in Niagara”, July 05, 2014

Roadway design measures to improve pedestrian safety

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Auto-Pedestrian Accidents on Friday, January 2, 2015.

Ontario pedestrian accident cases can be especially catastrophic, as pedestrians are unprotected and thus not easily able to avoid serious injury. There are several different engineering applications that can be implemented in order to lessen the risk to pedestrians with the design of roadways.

Roadway design measures can be as simple as installing improved lighting so pedestrians are easier to see and establishing signs that alert drivers to upcoming crosswalks. Other measures may be implemented to separate pedestrians and traffic, to reduce simultaneous movements of people and vehicles and to lower speed limits through known pedestrian areas.

Roundabouts can help reduce vehicle speeds and thus help lower the risk of pedestrian-involved injury accidents. Studies in Europe have demonstrated a reduction of between 73 to 75 percent of pedestrian accidents following the installation of roundabouts. Installation of raised medians and crossing islands have been demonstrated to significantly lower the risk of pedestrian accidents. A common problem causing pedestrian accidents is obstructed views of drivers due to parked cars. For this reason, vehicle parking near intersections should be restricted to improve visibility. Signalized crosswalks may be helpful as well.

The implementation of engineering-informed roadway design measures is expensive, but the resultant savings in terms of cost of life and other financial losses may far outweigh the initial expense. Even with improved roadway design features, however, it is impossible to avoid all auto-pedestrian accidents. In some instances, a pedestrian will dart across a road. In others, a motorist will be at fault due to negligence, distracted driving or another problem. When a pedestrian has been seriously injured in an accident, he or she may want to have the facts of his or her case evaluated by a personal injury lawyer. A lawyer can provide a fair assessment and may then help file a personal injury lawsuit if warranted.

Source: Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, “Countermeasures to Improve Pedestrian Safetyin Canada”, December 30, 2014

Man charged after hit-and-run accident in Toronto

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Auto-Pedestrian Accidents on Thursday, September 11, 2014.

A 33-year-old man appeared in an Ontario court on Sept. 2 after he was accused of striking and killing a Toronto pedestrian and then fleeing the scene in the early morning hours of Aug. 30. The auto-pedestrian accident took place on St. Clair Avenue West in the vicinity of Weston Road at approximately 5 a.m. Prior to taking the man into custody, Toronto police had been confident of making an arrest. They had recovered debris from the minivan involved, and they had publically called for the hit-and-run driver to come forward. The man has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death.

According to a Toronto police report, a 31-year-old man was walking on St. Clair Avenue West when he was struck by a vehicle in the westbound lane. Witnesses told responding police officers that a gray minivan had struck the man and then left the scene.

Responding emergency medical services personnel initially pronounced the pedestrian dead at the scene, but he was revived on three occasions while being transported to an area hospital. However, the man subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

To suddenly lose a loved one in a motor vehicle accident can sometimes lead to serious financial challenges in addition to the grief and anguish associated with the loss. In many cases, monthly bills can become unmanageable when a relied upon source of income is no longer coming in. Additional expenses, such a funeral bills and burial costs, can compound this situation. A personal injury lawyer may seek to assist families in this position by bringing a wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf when their suffering and loss is due to the negligent actions of others.

Source: Global Toronto, “Man charged after fatal hit and run on St. Clair Avenue”, James Armstrong, Sept. 2, 2014

Source: Global Toronto, “Toronto police anticipate arrest in hit and run that killed 31-year-old man”, August 31, 2014

Driver may have been impaired in fatal Ontario accident

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Auto-Pedestrian Accidents on Wednesday, June 25, 2014.

A fatal auto-pedestrian accident may have been the result of impaired driving, according to Ontario Provincial Police. The accident happened in Alliston around 3 a.m. June 20 on Victoria Street between King and Church streets. Reports say a 32-year-old man was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck in a westerly direction on Victoria Street in the vicinity of where a New Tecumseh public works crew was painting lines on the shoulder of the road.

According to police, the driver of the pickup failed to maintain his lane, crossed over into a lane reserved for parked vehicles and struck a male and female member of the road crew. He then left the scene of the accident. A 41-year-old male member of the road crew suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken by air to a Toronto hospital, but he later succumbed to his injuries. The female road crew member suffered injuries described as serious but non-life-threatening, and she was transported to a local hospital.

OPP found a vehicle nearby and took the driver into custody on suspicion of impaired driving and leaving the scene. He was taken to a nearby station where he was tested. OPP officials issued a statement asking anyone who witnesses a person driving or about to drive while impaired to report the situation by calling 911.

Because of their lack of protection, victims of auto-pedestrian accidents often suffer severe injuries or can even die. A person injured in an auto-pedestrian accident may be left with long-term, chronic pain. Physical therapy is often required, and long-term care is sometimes needed. In order to seek compensation for injuries, a victim could file a personal injury claim if the accident resulted from another’s negligence.

Source: CTV News, “One dead, one injured after being hit by truck “, Kendra Mangione, June 20, 2014

Courts agree to auto recall settlement

On behalf of Rooz Law posted in Product Liability on Monday, March 24, 2014.

Ontario residents who have been following the news concerning the Toyota recalls may be interested to know that four provincial courts have agreed to a proposed settlement with the company. According to the terms of the agreement in this product liability case, Toyota has agreed to provide $600,000 in scholarship funds to five engineering schools and reimburse plaintiffs for a number of the costs they incurred throughout the course of litigation. In addition, many affected Toyota owners can expect to receive up to 10 years of coverage for some vehicular component maintenance and repair procedures as well as a complementary brake system upgrade.