Student Pedestrian Killed By Bus Driver in North Carolina

A Charlotte, North Carolina, the bus driver is facing charges connected to an accident that caused the death of a pedestrian on Sunday. The accident between the bus and a pedestrian occurred on South Cedar Street and West 4th Street. When the police officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim pinned underneath the commuter coach bus. After firefighters freed the pedestrian, she was rushed to the hospital. Tragically, she died at the hospital and was later identified as a local 19-year-old.

According to the police department, the pedestrian was in the crosswalk and had the legal right of way. The driver of the bus, a 35-year-old, took off at the green light and tried to turn onto West 4th Street. At that point, he struck the victim in the crosswalk and pinned her underneath the bus. Intoxication is not a factor in the accident, and the bus driver was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure to yield the right of way.

According to BikeWalkNC, people are seven times more likely to be seriously injured or killed as pedestrians than drivers or passengers in Mecklenburg County—the area where the teenager was killed in a high crash area with a high volume of pedestrians. Many students from the nearby university walk around that intersection, which is close to a dorm hall. Students who use the dorm have to cross the street nearly every day. Advocates for pedestrians are calling for the city of Charlotte to take steps to make the intersection safer. Better traffic signals, no turn-on red sign indicators, and better intersections and crosswalks could all help prevent deaths.

Sometimes people assume that pedestrians, including bicyclists, do not have the same types of rights that drivers in North Carolina do. On the contrary, pedestrians are required to obey the rules and traffic regulations of the road just like drivers. Similarly, when a pedestrian suffers injuries and other financial losses because of another party's negligence or intentionally wrongful conduct, they have a right to pursue a legal claim against the negligent party. The avenue for legal recourse is the same for pedestrians as for any other wrongfully injured person. Pedestrian accident victims can pursue compensation through a claim with the at-fault driver's insurance policy. They can also pursue a personal injury lawsuit.

The first step in recovering compensation is to receive medical treatment for your injuries. It is crucial that you keep all of your medical documentation and follow your doctor's orders. Doing so will help you prove the severity of your injuries. After you have received medical treatment, you should reach out to a personal injury attorney. The at-fault party's insurance company might begin contacting you and asking you to settle with them immediately after the pedestrian accident. Please do not accept a settlement agreement without discussing it with your personal injury attorney. Insurance companies are for-profit companies that will try to deny you the total and fair compensation you deserve.

To obtain compensation, you will need to approve several elements. First, you will need to prove that the at-fault party breached their duty of reasonable care by causing the accident. For example, if a van turns into an intersection and strikes a pedestrian with the right of way, that driver has acted negligently. Drivers have a duty of reasonable care to check crosswalks before they turn into an intersection. When they fail to do so, they're acting negligently and breaching their duty of care.

Your attorney can help you gather evidence demonstrating how the accident occurred. Once you have determined which party or parties are at fault, your attorney can begin trying to negotiate a full and fair settlement. If you have suffered severe injuries, you may need to work with medical and financial experts who can help you estimate your current and future expenses fairly. If a settlement agreement isn't possible, your attorney may need to take your case to trial.

The attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, have helped many victims and their loved ones recover the compensation they deserve. You will benefit from working with a skilled and effective legal advocate if you have become injured or lost your loved one because of a negligent driver. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC, as soon as possible to schedule your free case evaluation and learn more about your legal rights.