Mar 19, 2015 in News Accident Benefits Claims

Accident Benefits Claims: 4 unrelated pedestrian collisions in a day leaves 3 dead

Toronto drivers and pedestrians need to be more aware while sharing the road, especially after four pedestrian collisions within 24 hours in Toronto.

On March 4, police responded to an accident late Wednesday afternoon at Finch Ave. E. and Markham Rd. in Scarborough. A tractor trailer had attempted to make a right turn at the intersection, but struck a 61-year-old woman. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Later that evening, police responded to a collision between two vehicles at Finch Ave. E. and Seneca Hill Dr. in North York. One vehicle was making a left hand turn when it collided with another car at the intersection, which then spun out and struck a 25-year-old pedestrian. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital for life-threatening injuries and one of the drivers abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.

Another pedestrian collision took place around the same time at Millwick Dr. and Plunkett Rd. in North York. A vehicle attempted to make a right turn and struck an 81-year-old man crossing the intersection. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries, where he later died.

Early March 5, there was another pedestrian collision at East Gwillimbury in the York region. The 47-year-old Windsor man died on the scene after he was hit by a vehicle on Highway 11. He was thrown after the initial impact and struck again by another vehicle.

Crossing the roads is expected to be safer for pedestrians with the recent time change to Daylight Savings Time thanks to improved visibility for drivers, a traffic services constable told the Toronto Star. On average, there are about 41 pedestrian collisions a week in Toronto, but after the day time change last spring, there were 29 pedestrian collisions during the week after, according to the Star. It’s expected that there will be fewer pedestrian collisions until September, which is when days begin to have less daylight; affecting peoples level of alertness.

Last year, 23 pedestrians died from pedestrian-vehicle collisions, which accounted for about two thirds of all traffic fatalities in the city, according to the Star.

While drivers need to be on the lookout while driving, pedestrians also need to do their part to safely cross the road. Distracted pedestrians face a greater risk of injury since their walking gait is altered due to their cellphone’s distraction, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics. This altered gait and lack of awareness of their surroundings increases the chances of tripping, stepping on unstable surfaces or running into nearby objects, says the study.

If you are involved in a pedestrian-vehicle accident, the personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have handled personal injury claims for clients throughout Ontario for more than 45 years. Accident benefits are available to anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident. We know how to get you the compensation you need. Call us at 416-920-4242 to set up a free consultation. Come chat with us!