Bus Cameras Provide Unexpected Perspective on Pedestrian's Death

A 56-year-old research scientist was killed crossing the street in New Haven. At first glance, the incident appeared to be the fault of the pedestrian.

2010-09-19

September 19, 2010 (Press-News.org) A recent Connecticut Law Tribune article highlighted the case of a 56-year-old research scientist who was killed crossing the street in New Haven. He was well known and respected in his field of biomedical research.

As a molecular biologist, he was particularly interested in developing new treatments for heart disease and the underlying causes. He was struck by a bus making a left turn. At first glance, the incident appeared to be the fault of the pedestrian.

It seemed obvious; he was speaking on a cell phone, distracted and crossing against the light. The bus had a green light. The State Police investigation concluded he was at fault and under Connecticut comparative negligence law, unless the bus company was at least 51% liable for the accident, the pedestrian's family would be barred from any recovery in a negligence lawsuit.

Clearly at fault?

Because of this, it did not appear to be a very promising lawsuit. The police report did include a list of passengers, so there were potential witnesses. The bus also had an innovative technology installed that used cameras to record six images within the bus, with one camera aimed straight ahead, two recording the left and right rear view mirrors, one on the driver, and one recording the passengers in the front of the bus.

While the State Police had reviewed the camera images and still concluded the pedestrian was at fault, the attorney for the family wasn't so sure. One problem with the images was the way they were displayed. The video plays in a confusing sequence, with each camera's point of view shown for one second. This disjointed flow made it practically impossible to sequence with precision the chain of events.

To make the replay intelligible, they hired a video expert to reassemble the views in a meaningful sequence, allow one to obtain a clear view of the accident.

What Really Happened

What became clear was that the bus driver was watching the other side of the bus when he drove into the pedestrian. The camera aimed on the driver showed he was concerned about another vehicle coming up behind the bus as it made the wide left turn.

The bus driver's head was turned far to the left and he was completely unaware of the pedestrian walking in the front of the bus. The cameras captured the impact of the bus and the shattering of the front window. The cameras also demonstrated the driver was not watching the front of the bus, as the passenger camera shows the frightened face of a passenger watching the pedestrian being struck.

When the attorney showed the replay to the State's claims agents, they immediately began discussions to settle the case.

The facts of this case demonstrate the value of an experienced attorney working for a client. The State Police have experienced investigators who work dozens of cases each year. They probably should have noticed the bus driver wasn't watching the front of the bus.

However, they have dozens of cases on their desk and State Governments have been hit hard by the recession, limiting their time and resources that they can commit to a case. They also may not have had the resources to take the video images apart and make them coherent.

The Value an Attorney Brings to a Case

An experienced trial attorney may be your most powerful asset if you have suffered a personal injury. They are your advocates, working on your behalf, protecting your rights. A great deal of the value in hiring attorneys is their ability to look at the facts of an "obvious" case, to be able to see the things that don't add up and to develop a strong theory of the case that is supported by evidence.

Article provided by The Pickel Law Firm LLC
Visit us at www.alanpickel.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Cybercrime -- Easier Than Ever To Be Accused

2010-09-19

Broadly, illegal activity involving a computer may be called a cybercrime. With the advent of the Internet, cybercrime has exploded -- not surprising with over one billion people using the Internet worldwide. There is no shortage of potential targets, and victims and perpetrators can be separated by oceans. The anonymity of the Internet allows for low costs and leaves few traces, and cybercriminals may be either solo operators or parts of larger schemes, possibly even affiliated with organized crime. Ironically, technology makes it easy to create fraudulent online material ...

Arizonans' Options When Facing Foreclosure

2010-09-19

The current economic crisis has affected individuals and families across the county. The residents of Arizona are no different than the rest of America, as many of us, our friends, or our neighbors face foreclosure on our homes. Foreclosure Statistics for July 2010 According to numbers released by Arizona State University (ASU) Realty Studies, 43 percent of existing homes sold in the Phoenix area in July were foreclosures. This number is up from 36 percent and 33 percent respectively in the prior two months. While the number of foreclosures sold in the existing ...

Considering Divorce? There Are Many Ways To Get There

2010-09-19

The subject of divorce has seen many changes over the last half-century. In addition to becoming more common, there are now many more ways of going about the process. What used to be exclusively adversarial and dependent on courtroom proceedings for its outcome is now increasingly cooperative, and much of it can take place out of the public eye. Couples or individuals contemplating divorce can choose from four predominant means of resolving their differences and ending their marriage. In addition to traditional litigation, three forms of ADR (alternative dispute resolution) ...

New Initiative Designed to Reduce Large Truck Accidents

2010-09-19

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, there were 104 fatal accidents involving large trucks in Louisiana in 2008. During that same year, over 4,000 people died nationwide in truck accidents, down from over 4,600 in 2007. Despite the recent decline in truck accidents, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) notes that over the last several years, the rate of crash reduction has slowed. This has prompted the FMCSA to review its procedures and policies, revising the way the agency evaluates carriers and drivers. As a result, the ...

Ohio Supreme Court Puts the Brakes on Criminal Statutes of Limitations

2010-09-19

In a July decision, the Supreme Court of Ohio held that a state law that stops criminal statutes of limitations from running during a period when the accused has purposely avoided prosecution must be applied to all other crimes allegedly committed by that person. This is true regardless of whether the defendant had been indicted for the other crimes or the alleged activity had been discovered at the time of the defendant's flight from justice. The case in question, State v. Bess, involved a Cuyahoga County man who learned in 1989 that he was being investigated for allegations ...

Ex-NFL Player Faces Arizona Domestic Violence Charge, Other Consequences

2010-09-19

Former NFL linebacker Mark Fields was arrested in August after a confrontation with the mother of his daughter outside a Goodyear, Arizona, day care facility. The woman told police that Fields was prohibited from having contact with the child, and witnesses stated that he threw her to the ground after choking her and threatened to kill her. Fields was arrested later that day in his Litchfield Park home and taken to a Phoenix jail. The Arizona Republic reported that booking documents indicated a history of escalating domestic violence behavior. He faces felony counts ...

Bigmouthmedia Calls for New Rules Governing Sale of Financial Products Online

2010-09-19

Bigmouthmedia has published a white paper calling for the Financial Services Authority to introduce specific guidelines governing the sale of financial products and services online. While almost a quarter of all UK-based marketing spend is now online, there are still no specific guidelines for how financial marketers should engage in online marketing. Bigmouthmedia's white paper demonstrates growing cause for concern amongst marketers that while the Internet has created a unique set of conditions; the FSA has yet to provide specific guidelines for marketers using the ...

House of Fraser Launches Bespoke Men's Shirt Service Online

2010-09-19

House of Fraser, premium department store, has introduced its first bespoke men's shirt service in association with Bivolino. Customers can shop online and buy tailor-made shirts from Bivolino, a brand renowned for its cut shirts made from the fine materials. Bivolino worked closely with William Morris wallpaper designs, famous for their innovations in printing and weaving technology, to create fine fabric contrasts for collar and cuffs, exclusively for House of Fraser customers. A patented biometric sizing technology, Linosoft, calculates a customer's height, weight ...

M&S Money Goes Back to the Future to Compare Student Bedrooms

2010-09-19

M&S Money has announced the results of a new survey that reveal the average student bedroom contains a massive GBP1620 worth of gear. The average student crams into their room almost GBP699 worth of electrical gadgets and appliances, GBP444 worth of clothes, sports equipment valued at GBP246 and textbooks worth GBP231, according to the poll by M&S Money*. The huge value of a student's bedroom is not surprising, with over half of students (55%) owning a laptop, 48% possessing a MP3 player and 20% a widescreen television. But students' expensive tastes are nothing ...

The Cumberland Hotel Opens Hendrix Suite to Commemorate Guitar Hero

2010-09-19

Guoman's The Cumberland hotel, which was the last known address of Jimi Hendrix, has announced that on September 18th, the 40th anniversary of the death of the guitar legend, it will be marking the occasion with a new Hendrix-inspired suite and mini-photography exhibition. Hendrix was a regular guest at the hotel near Hyde Park, during the 1960s and conducted what was to be his last ever interview, with music journalist and press agent Keith Altham, in one of the hotel's fifth-floor Suites just days before his untimely death in 1970. The suite is designed to inspire ...

Bus Cameras Provide Unexpected Perspective on Pedestrian's Death

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: