A seven year old boy was struck and killed in a pedestrian accident when he was walking across the street in a crosswalk near Princeton Elementary School in south DeKalb County on Monday. Cameron Dunmore was on his way to his first day in a gifted program at school, when he was struck and killed by an SUV driven by a parent of another student at the school. The driver, Shirley Ogilvie, is expected to be charged with vehicular homicide.
According to reports, the boy was crossing the street at the school crosswalk at 7.30 am. There was a crossing guard on duty holding a stop sign, but for unknown reasons, Ogilvie failed to stop. In the 24 hours since the pedestrian accident, we've also learned that there had been a traffic light in front of the school, but it was removed recently by County officials. Residents of the neighborhood, concerned about the high levels of traffic and the safety of students, had recently submitted a petition to the County authorities to install a traffic signal. County officials apparently conducted an "assessment" of the need for a light, but the light was never installed. Residents claim that the area can be a problem, especially when there are inattentive or speeding drivers.
Pursuing Pedestrian Accident Claims in Atlanta
Pedestrian accidents almost always result in severe and life threatening injuries and even fatalities. Liability in an Atlanta pedestrian accident can extend not just to the motorist who was driving the vehicle, but also any agencies that may have been responsible for defective design or negligent maintenance. An injured person can claim damages for both economic losses - medical bills, hospitalization - as well as non-economic losses like damages for pain and suffering, etc.
In the accident results in death, the family may file a wrongful death claim. These claims are involve both tangible (financial) losses, as well as intangible losses, like loss of the joy of living which may be harder to quantify. In addition, a jury may return a verdict for punitive damages, where there was conscious pain and suffering, to deter an exceedingly reckless driver.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you will need the counsel of an experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident attorney to recover damages for you. Contact an Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer at my office for a free evaluation of your case.