Earlier this week, yet another serious car accident took place in the Portland area. According to Hillsboro police, an elderly woman was driving down Baseline Ave when she attempted to turn left onto 185th Street. However, it is illegal to make that left turn.
Unfortunately, two people were injured as a result of her illegal action. As the 78-year-old woman turned left, she crashed into another vehicle, driven by a 23-year-old man. The collision caused the car she hit to spin out of control and onto the median, where a 64-year-old pedestrian was standing. He was hit by the second car. According to reports, the pedestrian sustained a broken pelvis in the collision. The 23-year-old driver was bruised in the crash.
Police cited the driver who caused the crash for making an illegal turn. She was not injured in the accident.
As this case so clearly illustrates, disobeying traffic laws can have serious consequences. A broken pelvis is no minor injury, and the man who suffered it will likely be stuck with expensive hospital bills and potentially need rehabilitation to fully recover. However, many people do not have extra money readily available to pay for such expenses.
In cases like this, it may be possible to hold a negligent driver accountable for his or her actions. An experienced personal injury attorney may be able to provide more details, but if a victim was hurt because of another driver’s negligence, it may be possible to obtain compensation for medical bills and other damages.
Source: OregonLive.com, “Illegal turn at 185th causes crash injuring driver, pedestrian,” Jan. 26, 2012
