A 6-year-old boy was injured in a Costa Mesa car accident the evening of March 17, 2010, after he was hit by an SUV on the roadway. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the pedestrian collision occurred in the 900 block of Mission Drive. The boy was apparently conscious and breathing, but was bleeding from the head and had sustained a broken leg. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment. It is not exactly clear what occurred, but officials say the boy was struck by a 1996 Chevy Tahoe whose driver remained at the scene.

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My heart goes out to this child who has apparently been seriously injured in this collision. I hope his head injuries are not catastrophic. Please keep this little boy in your prayers. I wish him the very best for a fast and complete recovery.

Pedestrian Accidents

According to California Highway Patrol's 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were no fatalities, but 60 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Costa Mesa. In Orange County as a whole, pedestrian accidents claimed 31 lives and injured 785 people during the same year.

What Caused the Accident?

This news article does not offer much information about how or why this serious injury crash occurred. There are still several unanswered questions here. Where exactly was the boy at the time of the collision? Did he dart across the street? Was he walking in a marked or unmarked crosswalk? Was he walking along the side of the road? Was the driver impaired, distracted, speeding or otherwise driving negligently at the time? Was there a dangerous condition on the roadway, which may have caused or contributed to this accident? I trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine precisely what happened here.

Liability Issues

In such cases, victims or their families would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Costa Mesa personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the case and make sure that the negligent parties are held accountable. Victims can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, hospitalization costs, rehabilitation expenses, and even the cost of long-term care if the injuries are catastrophic in nature. A skilled injury lawyer will also be able to determine if a dangerous or defective roadway caused the accident. If that was the case, the city can be held liable as well. Under California Government Code section 911.2, any claim against a governmental agency must be properly filed within six months of the accident or injury.

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 at fault" persons named in this article and their family members.