Accidents in which a pedestrian is hit by a car happen frequently and can result in serious injuries and fatalities. There is a high concentration of these incidents in areas like Stamford, Norwalk, Fairfield County, Waterbury, and New Haven. Pedestrians are the most vulnerable people on the road. Therefore, accidents involving pedestrians can be the most dangerous. Even hitting a person at a slow speed can disable or kill them, not to mention the emotional trauma. There is also the emotional distress that the driver feels after hitting a person with their car.
If you are involved in a pedestrian accident, stay calm. Immediately after accident, get any injured people to safety, but only provide medical treatment required for emergency, such as CPR, if necessary. Immediately call for medical and legal help: the police, medical help, and your auto insurance provider. If the pedestrian is capable, try to exchange contact information with them. Do not leave the scene of the accident and do not make statements to other drivers.
If you are a pedestrian and you are hit by car, you can file a claim and receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries and damages. A qualified accident or personal injury attorney can help you recover damages for past and future medical expenses, past and future wage loss, past and future pain and suffering. If an accident results in a fatality, the victim’s family is also entitled to full compensation.
Many factors weigh into how much compensation the pedestrian is entitled to. The rules of fault are a huge factor in a pedestrian accident case. Who was at fault of the accident is usually determined by who was being negligent. Conventional wisdom has it that it is always the driver who is at fault in a pedestrian accident. However, pedestrians have a responsibility to obey traffic laws and observe traffic conditions just like motor vehicle drivers do. Both the driver and the pedestrian could have been negligent at the time of the accident. Therefore, the pedestrian can also be liable for the accident. If it is found that the pedestrian was at fault, their compensation could be reduced. Additionally, if the accident was caused by a hazardous road condition, the party responsible for maintaining the sidewalk or road in the location of the accident could also be liable.
The best way to deal with a pedestrian accident is to avoid it altogether. As a driver, this means obeying traffic laws and yielding at pedestrian crosswalks. If you are driving safely, you will be less likely to be in an accident and less likely to be held liable if you do find yourself in one. As a pedestrian, you can protect yourself by remembering the basic safety lessons of crossing the streets. Jaywalking or crossing the road when you are not supposed to will lead to you being at least partially liable if a car hits you.
If you or someone you know is one of the hundreds of thousands of unfortunate people involved in a serious accident where you received significant injuries, you deserve compensation. I am here to answer any questions you have and give legal advice concerning personal injury cases.