Each day residents throughout Western Pennsylvania are injured in incidents that are caused by the negligent or wrongful acts of other people. These incidents take many different forms but often involve motor vehicles. Earlier this week a 75-year-old woman was injured when she was dragged by a car as she tried to hold on to her purse.

The woman was trying to get her purse back from the occupants of a car that were attempting to steal it from her. At the time, she was returning, on foot, to her home from a convenience store. As she walked along, the vehicle reportedly pulled up alongside her and an occupant snatched her purse. When the car continued to move, the woman was pulled several feet, face-first upon gravel, before she let go. The episode took place in a community located just south of Pittsburgh in the early evening.

When the woman let go, the car presumably continued on, leaving the scene with the woman's purse.

Though the nature and extent of the woman's injuries is not known, she was hurt seriously enough to warrant a trip to a hospital in Pittsburgh.

Should the occupants of the vehicle, reportedly a man and a woman, be found, it is likely they will face criminal charges. In addition, the injured woman could also decide to file a personal injury lawsuit against the two seeking monetary damages for the injuries she sustained as a result of their actions. Among other things, any money recovered could be used to cover medical bills.

Source: WHTM, "Pa. woman, 75, dragged by car in purse-snatching," Associated Press, May, 29, 2012