The tragic death of a 11 year old girl in Glendale has lessons for us all. For those who are not aware of the accident, Meri Nalbandyan, a 6th grader from Glendale's Eleanor J. Toll Middle School, was struck by a Sports Utility Vehicle.  She was killed in front of her mother and classmates.

In today's fast-paced world of distractions, traffic congestion, and other pressures, we must do our best to take the time for safety.  In my personal injury practice I see so many cases of serious injuries and deaths that could have been prevented if we only took a little more time, in our day to day activities, to make sure that we do our best to prevent accidents from happening in the first place.

There is no doubt that all parties concerned in the Glendale crosswalk accident have been devastated by what happened. But I hope that it will be a reminder for all drivers to be extra careful in school zones.  And I hope that teachers and parents will take the time to remind their children to pay extra attention to traffic not only in crosswalks, but around traffic in general.

My prayers are with the Nalbandyan family. It is a heartbreaking story by all accounts.