Every time an individual in Pennsylvania gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, a duty of reasonable care is owed to others in or near the roadway. Whether that duty was breached in Beaver County on April 29 may have to await the results of the county police department investigation into an unusual car accident. Two 13-year-old girls apparently fell asleep while sunbathing on a rural road on a Sunday afternoon. A 19-year-old cousin of one of the girls then ran over them, causing serious injuries to each young girl.

The girls were rushed to a Pittsburgh area hospital where they were listed in fair condition on the night of the car accident. Two of one of the girls’ cousins explained that their brother had stopped at a stop sign and then turned onto the road where the girls were lying. The injured girls were conscious after the collision and apparently acknowledged they had fallen asleep while trying to get a tan.

What started out as an afternoon enjoying the good weather ended up with two girls suffering serious injuries in a car accident. While there are number of legal doctrines that may apply to this case, the first hope is for the quick and complete recovery of both injured victims.

Unfortunately, people injured in car accidents often incur substantial medical expenses as a result of a collision and may face long periods of recovery. Pennsylvania law provides for the right of accident victims to pursue personal injury claims against those parties whose negligence is deemed to have caused or contributed to a collision. While it remains to be seen what the cause of this incident will be determined as, it underscores the need for drivers to pay careful attention while operating a motor vehicle in our state.

Source: Yahoo! News, “2 teen girls sunbathing on Pa. road struck by car,” April 29, 2012