Kentucky parents do their best to teach their children how to be safe. One of the biggest lessons that they try to impart to their kids is how to safely cross the street. However, even when a child has been well coached on stopping, looking both ways and listening for traffic, tragic incidents can occur. This post will discuss the responsibility of drivers to avoid dangerous pedestrian accidents with children.
Even when young children have some knowledge of how to stay safe, they are still subject to their own whims and impulses. Kids, particularly those between the ages of 5 and 9, are at risk for suffering accidents with moving cars because they are mobile, active and lack the capacity to regulate their own safety. Anyone can become the victim of a vehicle-pedestrian crash, but this population of youths is especially at risk.
Because of this phenomenon, drivers are held to a higher standard of care when they are in areas where children may be present. This can include, but is not limited to, school zones, parks and other recreational areas frequented by kids and families. When a driver is in such a location, they are expected to use extra vigilance to avoid a devastating incident with an active child.
An accident between a child and a car can be a life-changing event for the child’s entire family. While some kids may fully recover from their traumatic incidents, others may require ongoing care to lead productive lives. Families that have been affected by pedestrian accidents of this nature are encouraged to learn more about how the negligence and personal injury laws of Kentucky may enable them to seek compensation for the losses suffered by their children. Speak with a Lexington personal injury lawyer today.