An accident involving a driver in Hartford around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 12 resulted in a school crossing guard being sent to a local hospital for treatment, according to a Hartford Police representative. Her condition was not disclosed in a news report updated on the evening following the accident.
The 24-year-old female driver stated that the glare from the sun caused her inability to see the crossing guard. The driver remained at the scene after the accident and received misdemeaor summons for operating an unregistered motor vehicle, no license and failure to stop for a school crossing guard, among other charges.
While drivers are generally held to a duty of care in ensuring that they drive cautiously enough to not harm pedestrians, the law’s emphasis on this duty can be amplified in cases where children are likely to be present. Factors such as drastically reduced speed limits and police presence where children are exiting buses and crossing roads to school are expected to act as deterrents against negligent driver behavior. By extension, crossing guards must often stand in the roadway as part of their job duties, and the expected heightening of responsibility while children may be present should extend to protecting these public servants.
Injuries suffered in a pedestrian accident could significantly impede a person’s ability to reliably perform job duties and incur expenses that an individual’s insurance or workers’ compensation plan may not fully cover. To adequately cover lost wages and overwhelming medical expenses, an injured party may look to reach a settlement with a driver. In the event that liability is contested following the accident, an attorney may be able to make use of witness accounts, traffic light camera footage and police reports to help hold the other party accountable.
Source: Findlaw, “Pedestrian Accidents Overview,” Accessed Sept. 12, 2014
Source: FOX CT, “Crossing Guard Struck on New Park Ave In Hartford”, Katie Harris, September 12, 2014
