There are serious dangers inherent when an auto-pedestrian accident occurs. Pedestrians are certainly more vulnerable road users than drivers. Pedestrians, without the steel protection of a vehicle, can sustain serious injury from the impact of a car. Some potential injuries include head injuries, spinal cord injuries and broken bones, among others. A head injury and spinal injury however have the propensity to be the most debilitating in many circumstances. As many Connecticut readers know, bad head injuries can cause brain injuries and spinal cord damage can result in paralysis.
Recently, a 16-year-old boy caused some serious spinal cord injuries to a security officer. The boy was allegedly high on inhalants at the time of the incident. While driving in his school parking lot, he hit a security offi cer. The security officer, a 53-year-old woman, sustained harmful spine and head injuries from the collision. The impact of the vehicle crushed her spine and left her in a neck brace for three months.
The boy pleaded guilty to charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and harming another individual. He was recently sentenced to 10 days in juvenile custody and probation. He is additionally ordered to complete 200 hours of community service. The high school also expelled him.
The boy was tried as a juvenile which means that the consequences to his crime were likely not as harsh as they would have been had he been tried as an adult when the unfortunate event occurred. This juvenile status however does not prevent the injured woman from bringing a civil suit against the boy. The woman deserves to be monetarily compensated for her injuries, time spent off from work and future wage loss. She will likely be permitted to use the conviction from criminal court in the civil trial to establish negligence. This would likely make her case very strong.
Source: Connecticut Post, “Teen gets ten days for crash injuring school worker,” Nov. 19, 2012
