An 8-year-old boy was injured in a San Francisco car accident after he was struck by a vehicle while walking in a marked crosswalk, the afternoon of October 7, 2011. According to a Bay City News Service, the injury collision occurred at the intersection of Laguna and Turk streets in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. Officials say the boy was walking north in the crosswalk on Laguna Street on a green light when a 2006 Toyota Camry hit him. He was transported to a city hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

My heart goes out to the young victim of this pedestrian accident. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol's 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 21 fatalities and 699 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in San Francisco. Also, car accidents in San Francisco claimed 39 lives and injured 3,405 people, during the same year.

Crosswalk Laws

Based on this news report, the boy was in a crosswalk at the time of the incident. It is unclear why the motorist failed to yield right-of-way to the boy who was legally crossing in a crosswalk on a green light.

California Vehicle Code Section 21950 states: "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."

Liability Issues

If the driver is determined to have been at fault, he or she could be held liable for the boy's injuries. Injured victims and their families in such cases can seek compensation from the at-fault driver to cover medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related damages.

An experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer will also be able to determine whether a dangerous roadway condition caused or contributed to the incident. If that was the case, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining the roadway can also be held liable. Under California Government Code Section 911.2, any personal injury claim against a governmental agency must be filed within 180 days of the incident.