Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents between cars and pedestrians are becoming more frequent, in my opinion, over the past couple of years. I have seen a rise in auto and pedestrian accidents. It seems that pedestrian accidents are becoming more common and I have had an increase in cases involving pedestrian accidents recently.

Children and Pedestrian Accidents

A large majority of the pedestrian accidents that I have seen involve children and cars. As everyone seems to know, children are not as aware of their surroundings and often do things that they should not do. However, in the situations where I represent the injured pedestrian or injured children, it is the driver who is responsible for causing the accident. Oftentimes, drivers are distracted for various reasons and they do not see a child crossing in a crosswalk. Children are smaller than adults so they are more difficult to see, however, that is no excuse for the inattentive driver.

Probably one of the biggest contributing factors, although most drivers will not admit to it, is the fact that the driver is distracted by their cell phone resulting in pedestrian accident. I have had several recent cases where children were going home from school and were hit by cars. These cars should have clearly seen the children crossing the road, but they did not, resulting in pedestrian accidents.

Pedestrian Accidents in Unmarked Crosswalks

There is a concept in Utah called an unmarked crosswalk as well. Although the majority of the pedestrian accidents that I see involve a car striking someone within a crosswalk, there are also unmarked crosswalks where the pedestrian has the right-of-way. If your child has been hit crossing the road, it is important that you contact an attorney to see if you have a legal case, even if the child was not in a crosswalk.

There are also certain duties drivers have, regardless of whether or not a pedestrian or child is in a crosswalk. A driver does not have the right to simply drive over someone who is not crossing a street within a crosswalk. This blog is much too short to go into all the duties and responsibilities of drivers, along with who may be responsible for pedestrian accidents, as it is often depends on the exact situation. Furthermore, this is not meant to be a legal discussion on unmarked crosswalks, but rather an invitation to contact us to discuss your case further. As always, it is best to consult with an attorney about your possible case.

 

Injuries From Pedestrian Accidents

If you have a child that was struck by a vehicle, even if their injuries seem minor, it is best to have them checked out by a medical professional to ensure that there are no additional injuries. Sometimes children can sustain concussions, especially when their head hits the roadway for asphalt after getting hit by a car. Because there is no protection to the child or the person, like airbags or bumpers, pedestrian accidents often result in more severe injuries than traditional car accidents. It does not take much force to knock a person over and to have their head hit the asphalt or concrete, which can result in severe head injury.

Also, is important to have the advice of a medical professional to ensure that any head injury or concussion symptoms are being treated properly. Some parents may be inclined to simply let their child heal alone without understanding that medical intervention could be necessary.

For drivers, it is important to pay particular attention to your surroundings when you are driving through a school zone or near a school. This includes any residential neighborhood. Children can be out playing or can be crossing the road to go and come from school. It is important to not be distracted by navigation systems or by a cellular phone, which often results in pedestrian accidents.

Hopefully together we can make our streets safer for all of us, including our children. If your child has been struck by a vehicle, please contact us for a free consultation to see what options are available. We offer a free consultation for all pedestrian accidents. Please contact us at 801-738-9999.

https://myutahinjurylawyer.com/contact/

For more information, here is an article from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety