Hit by a Car? Get a Free Consultation With a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
What You Need to Know About Pedestrian Injuries
Getting injured as a pedestrian happens more often than you may realize. It’s estimated that 15 injured pedestrians per day die nationwide.
Victims of crosswalk injuries are usually unsure of what to do, their rights, and the cause of the accident.
No worries. After receiving medical treatment, The Brown Firm can answer your questions and help you file a pedestrian accident claim.
Our team has over 30 years of combined experience with personal injury accidents, including pedestrian accidents and hit-and-run incidents. Contact one of our Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Georgia or South Carolina today for a free case review.
I met with Harry Brown personally and he sat with me for 20 minutes at our initial consultation to explain everything. He even called after my surgery to see how I was doing. I met with him several more times after that and was kept informed about my case throughout. I highly recommend Harry Brown as an attorney.
Types Of Pedestrian Accidents
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that pedestrians are likely to suffer a severe or fatal injury due to a pedestrian crash.
Depending on the way the pedestrian lands, even a crash that occurs when a vehicle is moving at eight miles per hour can result in paralysis or death.
All car, truck, or motorcycle accidents involving a pedestrian are dangerous, but the most common pedestrian accidents we’ve seen are:
- Dart-Out Accidents – These accidents can occur if a pedestrian darts out onto the road without giving drivers sufficient time to react. Sometimes these accidents aren’t the fault of the pedestrian, though. For example, if pedestrians use marked crosswalks but a driver’s view is blocked, it may look like the pedestrian darted out onto the road.
- Intersection Accidents – Sometimes, pedestrian accident victims quickly try to cross an intersection, giving drivers little time to react.
- Passing Accidents – Passing accidents can occur if a negligent driver can’t see pedestrians because a vehicle, like a bus, has stopped to allow pedestrians to cross. When this happens, the negligent driver may strike a pedestrian while trying to (often illegally) pass the stopped vehicle.
- Vehicle Turns and Merging Accidents – These accidents happen when the driver is focused on making a turn or merging into traffic. Drivers look both ways for other cars but don’t see pedestrians until after they’ve started to make the turn or merge.
- Vendor Accidents – Vendor accidents occur on neighborhood streets when people cross traffic to get to a food truck.
- Back-Up Accidents – A back-up accident is when a driver hits a pedestrian while backing up without looking behind the car.
Common Reasons Crosswalk Accidents Occur
Crosswalk accidents are unfortunately widespread, even on marked crosswalks. These traffic accidents often result in catastrophic injuries.
Here are the most common reasons crosswalk accidents occur:
- Distracted Driving: Many pedestrian accident lawsuits are due to distracted driving. Drivers could be on cell phones, eating, or looking at something else around them and never see the pedestrian or miss a traffic signal.
- Drunk driving: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can cause a delay in reaction time and blurred vision and lead to an accident. Of crashes that resulted in pedestrian deaths, 48% involved a drunk driver or pedestrian. In addition, these accidents often result in significant financial compensation.
- Engineering Issues: If an intersection was not well thought out, there is more room for error on the driver’s end.
- Drivers Not Following Laws: Speeding is a common traffic law people overlook that has serious side effects.
- Pedestrians Not Following Crosswalk Signs: If the crosswalk symbol says “no walking,” do not walk.
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Using Crosswalks Safely
Jaywalking isn’t always mentioned in a state’s pedestrian laws.
In those states, crossing anywhere is legal in most cases, and those on foot have the right of way.
Pedestrians must yield to traffic before crossing and follow signals at intersections and crosswalks.
They should also never cross at an intersection diagonally.
If the symbol is blinking, you can continue crossing, much like a yellow light when driving. Cars must wait for you to finish crossing.
If the signal is already blinking, you should not start walking.
Serious Pedestrian Injuries
Pedestrian accidents are often traumatic because your body cannot take the impact of a motor vehicle.
The accident injuries are usually serious, if not fatal, resulting in significant medical expenses or even wrongful death.
Here are typical injuries of someone hit by a car while walking:
- Paralysis or other spinal cord injuries that cause loss of function
- Broken bones or damage to other parts of the musculoskeletal system
- Lacerations and bruises that cause damage to organs
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Dental damages
- Vision loss
- Disfigurement
- Pedestrian fatalities
Pedestrian accident victims that experience catastrophic injuries and because the negligent driver was found to be reckless, may be entitled to punitive damages beyond your compensation. Your pedestrian accident attorney can discuss this with you further.
Who Is Liable for Pedestrian Accidents?
Liability is the legal term for responsibility.
In personal injury law, liability is legal and financial responsibility for a pedestrian victim’s damages.
Damages in a pedestrian accident are economic and non-economic financial losses a victim suffers.
After a pedestrian collision, the injured party should contact an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer and seek financial recovery from the at-fault party.
The at-fault driver that struck the pedestrian will most likely absorb fault for damages.
Your pedestrian accident lawyer can help you build a case against the driver or another party based on the facts at hand, so you receive fair compensation.
Here’s who can be held liable in personal injury claims after a pedestrian accident:
- The Driver- Texting and driving, failing to yield the right-of-way, speeding, and driving drunk are common causes of motor vehicle accidents. The driver that caused the accident and their auto insurance company will be liable for damages.
- The City- The city the accident occurred in may be accountable for defective sidewalks, an unmarked crosswalk, or street signals. If the city government should have recognized the hazard and remedied it before the crash, they would be liable.
- A Company- If an on-duty driver for UPS, USPS, Uber, Lyft, or another establishment hits a pedestrian, their company could be liable. Employers can be vicariously responsible for the mistakes of their employees.
Holding a driver or another party responsible may take a full investigation from an experienced legal team. A pedestrian accident law firm can help you gather evidence and obtain copies of police reports to build a case in pursuit of fair recovery for your damages.
Determining Fault in a Pedestrian Accident Case
Emergency personnel on the scene to compile the report, including collected evidence.
The pedestrian accident attorneys will determine who is at fault.
This is why you need to know what to do if you have been injured as a pedestrian.
Follow these four steps:
- Get Medical Treatment: Many pedestrian accidents involve on-scene ambulance care. Do not refuse treatment. If you don’t need immediate treatment, visit an accident doctor as soon as possible.
- Get Information On Everyone Involved: Gather insurance information and contact information from the responsible parties to help your case.
- Take Photos: Having visual evidence of your injuries, damages, and the accident scene can help your case.
- Contact The Brown Firm: Do not share your side of the story before contacting a pedestrian accident lawyer. Unfortunately, people will try to twist your words because they do not want to be responsible for monetary damages. You especially have to watch out for insurance companies trying to deny your pedestrian accident claim.
Preventing Common Injuries
Even though drivers are usually at fault for pedestrian-involved vehicle accidents, there are preventative measures you can take as a pedestrian.
- Increase visibility by wearing reflective gear and carrying a flashlight at night.
- If available, walk on sidewalks or paths and use shoulder-facing traffic when there is no safe walking space.
- Cross at designated areas if possible. Even though you can cross in most places, the marked area is where cars are more mindful of pedestrians.
- Only cross when you can clearly see both ways to ensure no car is coming. If you cannot see them, they most likely won’t be able to see you.
Our Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Can Help
Set up a free consultation with The Brown Firm’s experienced pedestrian injury attorneys if you or a loved one have been injured as a pedestrian.
Remember, anyone involved in an automobile accident while on foot is a pedestrian.
Know your rights and get the best representation for pedestrian injuries.
Our experienced pedestrian accident attorneys work to help pedestrian accident victims get the care they need after a personal injury accident.
From your case evaluation to sorting through medical bills to answering questions about property damage, we’re here for you.
Don’t hesitate to call our pedestrian accident lawyers so you can receive maximum compensation.
If you or a loved one were injured and need help, our skilled personal injury attorneys will be at your side every step of the way.
Fill out our simple online contact form or give our law firm a call at (800) 529-1441.
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