With school back in session, both students and drivers need to be cautious of one another. Over the past two days, two Connecticut students have been hit by vehicles while on foot, which suggests that the proper precautions are not being taken.

One of the accidents occurred early Sunday when a 21-year-old student was hit on Quinnipiac campus. The driver of the vehicle was a 39-year-old New Haven man. A second accident occurred on Monday morning when a 14-year-old was hit as he walked to class at New Canaan High School. The student sustained leg injuries and was said to be outside of the crosswalk when the accident occurred.

Luckily, neither of the recent accidents appears to be life-threatening, but that is often not the case with accidents involving motor vehicles and pedestrians. As the summer came to a close, three fatal pedestrian accidents took place in the city of Bridgeport.

One of the accidents claimed the life of a 20-year-old Sacred Heart University student on August 22, the day many students were moving into the dorms and apartments on campus.

Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents are common in cities like New Haven that boast a large student population. For that reason, students need to stay alert and avoid “distracted walking” if possible. Drivers, of course, need to be watchful of pedestrians, especially in areas with heavy foot traffic.

When a serious pedestrian accident occurs, the pedestrian may be able to pursue a personal injury claim against the driver of the vehicle for damages if negligence was involved. Damage awards can help cover the medical bills and other expenses relating to the accident.

Examples of driver negligence in pedestrian accidents include: distracted driving, not stopping for pedestrians in a crosswalk, speeding, ignoring a stop sign or traffic light or simply not paying close enough attention to the road.

Source: Connecticut Post, “Three student-pedestrian accidents in three months,” Oct. 6, 2014