sf pedestrian accident liability | Northern California Personal Injury Blog

San Francisco Residents Pay a High Price for Pedestrian Accident Injuries

By Kelly Balamuth on April 21, 2011

San Francisco’s Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) recently advised that the high rate of pedestrian-car accidents in the city was costing residents millions of dollars in medical costs. The PSAC estimates that 800 pedestrians are hit by vehicles in San Francisco each year, which averages to two or three pedestrians each day. In a year, these injured pedestrians rack up over $76 million in costs, with medical bills alone accounting to $15 million.

The PSAC notes that the cost of admitting just one injured pedestrian to the hospital for treatment can be as much as $80,000. When the injured person is very young, old, poor, or disabled, the public ends up paying for up to three-quarters of the injured person’s medical care. Even among city residents who have health insurance or the means to pay their bills, the high risk of severe injuries resulting from a San Francisco pedestrian accident put many families on financially uncertain ground, as one unfortunate mistake could change their lives forever.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) estimates that improvements to make roads safer for pedestrians range from $10,000 to improve crosswalks to $1 million to overhaul an entire street. Although these numbers are small compared to the costs of the injuries they would prevent, the MTA’s low budget makes it difficult for the agency to carry out these projects.

Motorists have a responsibility to be on the lookout for pedestrians, but unfortunately many drive distracted or are not paying adequate attention when behind the wheel and do not see a person on foot until it’s too late, leaving the pedestrian to pay the price. If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident in San Francisco, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced Northern California pedestrian accident attorneys at Balamuth Harrington today at 888-254-1234.