A pedestrian hit at a crosswalk isn't always right. This was established by the Court of Cassation in an order dated July 4th.
The ruling stems from a specific incident: a surveyor was hit by a bus while he was actually at a pedestrian crossing. The bus driver was fined, while the pedestrian ended up in the hospital. The general consensus was that the former was responsible, while the latter was entitled to compensation.
Instead, no.
Because the bus's cameras helped determine the details of the accident. They revealed that the surveyor had "thrown himself" into the middle of the road, ignoring any approaching vehicles, so much so that his view to the left was obscured by an umbrella he was holding. The driver had braked, but had not avoided the collision.
The Court of Cassation, in light of this reconstruction, established equal responsibility: 50% to the driver, 50% to the pedestrian.
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)
