PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS

PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS

 

SACHSE PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT LAWYER

PEDESTRIAN INJURY ATTORNEY SACHSE

Pedestrian accidents account for 5,000 deaths and 64,000 injuries in the United States each year. Whenever motor vehicles collide with pedestrians there is always a big chance for grave injuries. Thus, accident fatalities on pedestrians are second only to occupant deaths in the US. On the average, one pedestrian is injured in a road accident every eight minutes and one is killed every 111 minutes. Fatality rates for pedestrians are usually higher in metropolitan areas but when it comes to the death to injuries ratio, the figure is higher in rural areas because the impact speed is usually higher in country roadways. The higher accident rate noted in cities is attributed to greater traffic volumes and pedestrian activities. It was stated by the National Safety Council that only 14.3 percent of nonfatal pedestrian accidents occur in rural vicinities while 85.7 percent occur in cities.

Over speeding is a main contributing factor to pedestrian accidents. At high speed, drivers are less likely to notice or stop in time to avoid a pedestrian. There is only a five percent chance of being killed if struck by a vehicle going at 20 mph, 45 percent at 30 mph and 85 percent at 40 mph. the injuries that a pedestrian may suffer if struck by a motor vehicle can include spinal cord and traumatic brain injury, coma, fractured or broken bones, lacerations, paraplegia, and quadriplegia.

In most cases of pedestrian accidents, the victim is hit by the front of the vehicle, which can either be the forward part of the hood or the bumper, depending on the structure of the vehicle. If the vehicle is higher such as a pickup or SUV, the contact is higher on the victim’s body. In a study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, forty percent of injuries suffered by pedestrians in an accident came from vehicle contact, 32 percent came from ground contact and 26 percent from unknown object contacts.

The most common cause of pedestrian accidents is negligence. Drivers have the duty to observe traffic rules and drive cautiously at all times but they often fail to observe it. Some of the negligent practices common to drivers include inattentiveness or preoccupation with none driving activities, failure to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and disregard of traffic control mechanisms. Each accident has a particular set of circumstances and to be able to hold a negligent driver liable and to claim compensation for your injuries, you need to contact a good car accident attorney.

If you are in Sachse, get the settlement you deserve by having me as a dedicated lawyer who will fight for your rights in court. Even if the insurance company of the negligent driver is offering you a settlement, you should always have your legal counsel by your side, to know if the compensation is right for your injuries or not. In many cases, insurance firms will only settle part of the damages and have you sign a document releasing the offending party from more liabilities. Discuss your case with us at The Goolsby Law Firm today. You do not owe us anything unless we recover compensations for you.

The Goolsby Law Firm – Protecting Your Rights
(972) 394-2141