Nobody wants to see or hear of a child run over by a truck. As consistent warm weather arrives, children typically spend more time out of doors. This makes it vital that everyone keep an eye out for the safety of their children and other children nearby.
One Virginia personal injury case resolved in October 2017 concerned a child who was run over by a truck in the parking lot of an apartment complex. In this case a 2-and-a-half-year-old girl was following a friend to the dumpster at some distance. Her mother was following with a box of trash. The friend was not aware that the little girl was following her.
Upon reaching the dumpster, the friend saw a truck approaching at a high rate of speed. Almost simultaneously, the child’s mother saw and heard the same truck racing through the parking lot. The mother saw her daughter in the parking lot between the friend and her. The mother dropped her box of trash and shouted to the little girl and started running toward the child. She was not able to reach the child before the child was run over by the truck.
The truck’s front tire had run over the child. When the driver of the truck stopped, the back tire on the driver’s side was still on the child. Upon realizing what had happened, he had to back up to get the truck off of the child’s leg.
The driver of the truck stated that he did not see the little girl before he hit her. He said he felt a bump and stopped. Thus, liability for the accident was clear.
The child’s injuries included
- Multiple skull fractures
- Traumatic neuropathy of the left optic nerve
- Optic nerve avulsion of the left eye
- Non-reactive left pupil
- Left optic nerve atrophy and palsy
- Ptosis of the left upper eyelid
- Left eye strabismus
- Essential blindness of the left eye.
Past and future medical costs were assessed at $386,757.51. The case was settled out of court and the child received a $3 million settlement.
Children enjoy being out of doors in warm weather. It is good for them to play outside. But often, when engaged in play, children are not attentive to their surroundings and not aware of potential dangers around them. They need “grown-ups” looking out for them.
Children are among the most vulnerable of our citizens. They often do not understand dangers around them and do not habitually look for danger until they learn to do so. Whether the children we see are our own or someone else’s, we have a responsibility within our society to protect our most vulnerable citizens.
As we move into spring and summer, please have a talk with children old enough to understand about the importance of awareness of their surroundings. Above all, let’s all recognize the dangers children face and accept the responsibility of looking out for them. No one wants to hear about another child run over by a truck. None of us wants to see a child come to any harm.
If you or a loved one (of any age) has been harmed by the irresponsibility or wrongdoing of another person, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your hurts and harms. Call Altizer Law, P.C., for help understanding your rights and evaluating your injury case. Attorneys practice personal injury law because they care about people. When you are injured, you need an attorney who fights fiercely and relentlessly until you receive justice and full compensation for your hurts and harms. Bettina C. Altizer is that kind of attorney.
