Car accident with scooter sends 11-year-old to hospital

Knoxville, Tennessee, residents who are on the road know that they assume the risk of potential injury or accident when driving. Scooter drivers also assume this risk, though their risk of personal injury is much higher given their lack of surrounding protection. Even with this risk, personal injury claims can result when someone is injured in a scooter-related car accident as a result of someone else negligence. Such may be the case for the family of an 11-year-old boy who was taken to a hospital after just such an accident.

The accident occurred in Knoxville in the afternoon in mid-November. The accident occurred on Crest Hill Drive, according to police reports. The 11-year-old boy was riding his scooter in a residential driveway of a home he did not live in. The resident of the home pulled into the driveway and struck the boy, briefly pinning him under her Honda Accord. The boy was not wearing a helmet.

The 11-year-old was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Honda told police that as she pulled into her driveway she was “blinded by the sun” and was unable to see the child. While no charges have been filed against her, Knoxville police have said the investigation is ongoing.

Not every accident results in a valid personal injury claim, but if an investigation reveals the Honda driver was at fault or negligent in causing injury to the boy, the boy’s family may have cause to seek personal injury compensation. Consulting with a personal injury attorney in the area could be a good first step in determining if there is a case.

Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel, “Boy on scooter-11-struck by motorist blinded by sun,” Nov. 18, 2011