A 38-year-old pedestrian was killed last weekend in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district by a taxi that ran a red light. This is one of many deadly pedestrian accidents which we have covered recently. San Francisco is known as a very pedestrian friendly city, but the growing numbers of pedestrians, cyclists and cars sharing local roads make fatal pedestrian accidents like this increasingly common.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Tenderloin district taxi blew through a red light around 7 p.m. on Saturday at the intersection of Eddy and Larkin streets. The taxi was hit by car and spun out of control, hitting the pedestrian.
Emergency crews rushed the injured pedestrian to the San Francisco General Hospital, but he ultimately died of his personal injuries. Local news sources have indicated that the taxi driver has not been cited or arrested yet.
It is unclear whether a wrongful death lawsuit will be filed in this particular case. If a wrongful death action is filed, it is possible that the taxi company may be exposed to liability for the pedestrian’s death. Employers can be exposed to civil liability for the car accident injuries that their employees cause during the course of their employment. An employer’s level of liability can vary depending on the facts of a particular accident.
Source: The San Francisco Chronicle, “Tenderloin pedestrian killed by SF taxi,” Ellen Huet, Aug. 13, 2012
