A teenage boy crossing a Santa Monica street on Thursday suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a car.
The accident happened at about 12:15 p.m. at the intersection of Ocean Park Blvd. and 14th St. in the Sunset Park section of Santa Monica. The teenager was crossing Ocean Park Blvd., walking southbound in a crosswalk at 14th St. The driver was westbound on Ocean Park Blvd.
According to witnesses, the pedestrian was wearing headphones and may have been texting while crossing the street.
Nationally, there is a growing concern about pedestrians distracted by technology, including cell phones and ipods. Distracted pedestrians are at an increased risk of being hit by a car, truck or motorcyclist. Since 2004 and 2005, the injury and death rate of pedestrians wearing headphones who are struck by vehicles has tripled in the United States.
Contact a Santa Monica pedestrian accident lawyer if you or someone you care about has been injured in an accident that was someone else's fault. Do not talk to the other party's insurance adjuster. It's important that you speak to an attorney first, or you will be taken advantage of by the insurance company and could seriously compromise your personal injury claim. An attorney at our personal injury law firm is available 24/7 to provide a free consultation.