Anytime a pedestrian is hit by a car there is a good chance that they are going to sustain an assortment of injuries. While some injuries might not be that serious, others could be life-threatening. Even if the person is doing nothing more than backing out of their driveway, there is a good chance that the injuries sustained are going to be significant. However, that chance of being severely injured is going to rise tremendously if the vehicle was traveling at a significant rate of speed.
According to the CDC, over 150,000 people were treated for injuries at the hospital for crossing the street in 2013. Close to 5,000 people were fatally wounded. That averages out to one death every 2 hours across the US.
According to the Hirsch & Lyon Accident Law team, an injury lawyer from Hirsch & Lyon Accident Law, Pedestrians that have been hit by a car can end up experiencing injuries to their abdomen, chest, extremities, and head. There are a number of factors that come into play when determining the severity of the injuries, such as how fast the driver was going, what type of vehicle they were driving, where they were hit and how old the pedestrian is. Some of the more common injuries sustained from pedestrian accidents are:
- Head trauma
- Internal bleeding
- Pelvic injury
- Spinal injury
- Fractures
- Death
- Internal injury
Recovery can often be a long and drawn-out process. The intense pain of recovery coupled with the rise of medical costs can leave the individual struggling just to make it through from one day to the next. When injured in a pedestrian accident, there is a chance that the individual is going to have to go through some type of physical therapy.
Understanding Driver Negligence
When injured in a pedestrian accident, you have to first establish that the individual who was driving the vehicle was supposed to provide you with a certain duty of care. What does this mean for you? It means that the individual was expected to drive their vehicle with a reasonable amount of care to prevent causing injury to someone else.
There are a number of different factors that could end up causing a car accident to occur that involved a pedestrian, such as:
- Being inattentive or distracted for any reason. Distractions can come in an assortment of different forms. It could be that the driver was messing with their cell phone or other electronic device.
- The driver was speeding. Not only is speeding dangerous for a pedestrian who might be walking along, but it is also dangerous for the driver. Injuries are far more severe when the driver is going at an increased speed
There is no way to determine what might be ahead. A patch of ice or an object in the road could cause the driver to lose control and end up crashing into someone else.
Pedestrians are often hit by a car when they are simply trying to get across the road. This could be because the driver did not yield when they were making a turn. Drivers are supposed to yield to the pedestrian. They need to make sure no one is walking across the crosswalk before speeding through.
If a driver disobeys a traffic sign or signal, there is a good chance an accident will occur. This is neglect on the fault of the driver. They know that when a light is red, they need to stop. If there is a stop sign present, it is up to them to follow the traffic laws properly. Drivers who do not use turn signals also end up causing accidents. There is no way for a pedestrian to know if that driver is going to be coming their way or not. They cannot predict what the driver’s intentions are. This can end up leading to a lot of accidents from negligence on the driver’s part.
If the traffic conditions are bad, the driver should take their time and slow down. They should not be driving at an accelerated rate of speed under snowy and icy conditions. Exercising caution can go a long way in preventing a pedestrian from being injured. Any driver not paying attention to driving conditions and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs could end up finding themselves in serious trouble with the law. These individuals have a duty to drive with care, especially when the weather outside is less than desirable.
Make Sure to Seek Legal Counsel if Hit By a Car
The best thing you can do when you are injured in any type of pedestrian accident is to speak with a Phoenix personal injury lawyer. They will go over what happened with you and determine whether they believe you have a valid case or not. You deserve to be compensated for your injuries. Do not assume that you have no other option than to try to handle it on your own. There is always someone out there who is willing to fight for your rights and investigate the specifics of the accident to determine what happened and what went wrong.