Damian Kevitt and Bobby Saadian
Wilshire Law Firm is proud to announce that we have been given the “Guardian of the Streets” award by Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE), a highly esteemed non-profit organization dedicated to preventing hit-and-run crimes.
This award commends our efforts to make the city streets safe for all users – pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists alike – through our legal work with accident victims throughout California and long-standing support of accident prevention advocacy organizations such as SAFE.
Recent crash data suggests that hit-and-run crashes are, disturbingly, on the rise. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of fatal hit-and-run accidents rose from 1,274 in 2009 to 1,449 in 2011. Perhaps more significantly, this is the case even though traffic deaths overall fell 4.5% over the same period.
What makes hit-and-run fatalities especially upsetting is that they’re preventable for the most part – in many cases, the victim could’ve survived if only the driver stopped and called for help. Being averse to the carelessness and callousness of hit-and-run drivers, our attorneys fight hard each and every day to help bring these criminals to justice, and also to help find solace for the families whose lives they shatter.
In the course of our duties, we work with world-changing visionaries like SAFE Executive Director Damian Kevitt, who is actually a hit-and-run survivor himself.
On the morning of February 17, 2013, Damian and his wife were bicycling in a Los Angeles park when he was struck by a mini-van. The driver didn’t stop and dragged him for nearly a quarter mile. As a result, Damian sustained serious injuries to his right leg, which later had to be amputated, and broke over 20 bones. He underwent a total of 11 surgeries, essentially being put back together by a team of doctors.
Although he sustained major injuries in a horrific accident that would sink the spirits of any average person, this didn’t stop Damian from doing great things. He not only started Finish the Ride – a large cycling movement that has captured the attention of multiple legislators as well as millions of people around the world – but also went on to find SAFE, which has changed the face of traffic safety in the short time since establishment. We are honored to be acknowledged as a partner by a truly inspiring individual such as Damian.
“Together with Damian, I vow to support victims of hit-and-run crimes, raise awareness of this serious issue, and work with like-minded individuals and organizations to coordinate a multifaceted attack on a problem that continues to take the lives of innocent people on an almost daily basis,” said Bobby Saadian, Founding President and Managing Attorney of Wilshire Law Firm.
