LA Driver Kills Homeless Man

Authorities confirmed that a homeless man in his 50s was killed by a hit-and-run driver in West Adams.

LAPD investigators added that the man was riding a bicycle in the crosswalk at the intersection of Hauser and West Adams boulevards. Police have no witnesses and no leads. No other details were available.

Bicycle Crash Injuries

Bicyclists make up about 1 percent of vehicle traffic. Bicycle riders make up about 2 percent of roadway fatalities. This stark difference is because of the serious injuries bicyclists sustain in road wrecks.

Head injuries are a good example. Vehicle occupants often sustain fatal head injuries, although they have air bags, seat belts, and other advanced safety systems to protect them. Bicyclists are exposed to the same amount of force. However, at best, they only have thin bicycle helmets to protect themselves.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), most of which are collision related, kill over 64,000 Americans every year. The victims who survive usually sustain permanent injuries, like lost bodily functions, personality changes, and severe constant headaches.

Speaking of bicycle helmets, there’s evidence that wearing a helmet increases serious injury risk. Subconsciously, when drivers see bikers wearing helmets, the drivers believe the bikers could survive wrecks, so they take more chances and disregard biker safety even further.

Hit-and-Run Drivers

If they have little evidence to work with, police investigators often stop looking into hit-and-run accidents. But for a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, the work is just beginning in these situations. Lawyers, often while working with investigators, know how to find small seeds of evidence and water them until they grow.

The above story is a good example. As far as police officers are concerned, there were no witnesses and therefore no case. However, if a traffic or other camera took a picture of a vehicle with front-end damage near the scene of the crash, and near the time of the wreck, that might be enough evidence to hold up in court. It’s more likely than not that the damaged vehicle was also the hit-and-run vehicle.

Yes, we know that’s weak. However, it’s probably enough for a Los Angeles personal injury attorney to obtain some compensation. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. 

If the victim had no immediate family and no will, the economic damages, instead of our taxes, compensate the hospital or other provider. The noneconomic damages usually go to the decedent’s nearest kin. No one is ever completely alone in this world. Vehicle collisions usually cause serious injuries. For a free consultation with an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, contact the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. Lawyers can connect victims with doctors, even if they have no money or insurance.