Montgomery County Public School Bus Hits Pedestrian in Derwood, Maryland

          Around 9 am this morning, near the Redland Road and Crabbs Branch Way intersection, a school bus struck a woman, seriously injuring her.  The woman’s injuries are life threatening and considered to be a priority one.  Montgomery County police are still investigating the cause of the accident.  It is not clear as of right now whether the pedestrian was crossing the street with a walk signal or if she was in a crosswalk when she was hit.  There were no children on board the school bus and no other people were injured in the crash.

Sadly, pedestrian accidents occur every day across the country.  And unfortunately, thousands of pedestrians are killed each year in accidents, and actually the numbers have been increasing nationwide in recent years.  According to the NHTSA, nearly 3 out of 4 pedestrian deaths occur in urban environments, at intersections, during the nighttime.  In addition, more than one-third of pedestrian deaths involve alcohol.

Determining who the negligent party/ies is/are in a pedestrian accident is crucial.  For example, Portner & Shure investigators will examine the scene, talk with witnesses, and interview police officers handling the case in order to develop an understanding of the facts.  Our attorneys then use the facts to create a legal plan of action to help the client recover monetary damages for their medical expenses, injuries, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

In a Maryland pedestrian accident case, it must be determined whether the pedestrian was lawfully crossing the street at the time of the crash.  In other words, was the pedestrian crossing the street against the “walk” signal, crossing outside the crosswalk, or texting while crossing, or was the pedestrian crossing with the “walk” signal and inside the crosswalk.  Because Maryland is a contributory negligence state, if the victim pedestrian is negligent in any way, they cannot recover in a civil lawsuit.  Since we do not know the facts in this case yet, we do not know if the pedestrian was contributorily negligent in the accident.

If you or a family member have been injured or killed in a pedestrian accident and would like to consult an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney for free, contact our office at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at one of our office locations in Gaithersburg or throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/