Pascagoula Personal Injury Attorneys Help Victims of Pedestrian Accidents Obtain Compensation for Their Injuries
Protecting your interests against the insurance companies
When you are walking along the sidewalk in an urban or suburban area, it can sometimes feel like you are taking your life in your hands when it is time to cross the street. In a world where drivers are in a hurry and not paying attention to their surroundings, or not yielding the right of way to pedestrians, the possibility for a disastrous collision lurks at every intersection. Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents are on the rise in the United States. In 2012, 4,743 pedestrians were killed and 76,000 were injured, according to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, our personal injury attorneys at Cumbest, Cumbest, Hunter & McCormick are ready to protect your rights against the insurance companies and help you seek the compensation you deserve for having been injured because of a driver’s negligence.
What are some causes of pedestrian accidents?
Children crossing the street on the way to and from school, elderly people who tend to walk more slowly, and disabled people who might require a bit more time to get across the street, are vulnerable to a pedestrian knockdown by an oncoming car driven by someone who is not paying attention to the road. Other causes of pedestrian accidents include:
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All of these pose a hazard to pedestrians. However, in larger cities and congested, downtown areas, pedestrian jaywalking, which includes crossing against the light or outside of a crosswalk, is hazardous, because pedestrians are in places where drivers do not expect them to be. When pedestrians assume they have the right of way in a crosswalk and drivers proceed through urban areas in Jackson, Gulfport-Biloxi or Pascagoula without exercising appropriate caution, it can end in a needless calamity. Pedestrian accidents will diminish when drivers and pedestrians both exercise caution and obey the rules of the road.
What kinds of injuries do pedestrians sustain in an accident?
In a collision between a human body and a moving vehicle, there is almost a guarantee of serious injury, depending on the speed of the vehicle at the time of impact. Pedestrians can suffer a range of injuries, including:
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Because a pedestrian has no protection from an oncoming car, these injuries tend to be severe. A head making contact with a windshield can cause significant brain injury and spinal injury. When a child is struck, the damage can be devastating.
Fatal pedestrian accidents are up 6 percent from last year, which is a troubling trend. If a loved one was killed in a pedestrian accident, you may be able to bring a wrongful death lawsuit to recover monetary damages for the person’s death, pain and suffering, medical bills and economic losses within three years after the death.
Road safety rules to protect pedestrians in Mississippi
Countless safety laws are in effect to protect pedestrians crossing roadways. For your safety, when you are crossing a street, obey the lighted “WALK” and “DON”T WALK” signals. If you are in a crosswalk with a countdown timer and it reaches zero before you get to the other side of the road, you have the right of way. Always walk within the defined crosswalk area when there is one. Be aware of your surroundings. Look both ways before stepping into the street.
Drivers must yield to pedestrians entering or in a crosswalk. Never pass another vehicle if it has stopped to allow a pedestrian to pass, and do not block a crosswalk with your vehicle.
All these rules assume that vehicles will remain on the roadway where they belong. However, sidewalk accidents also occur in which speeding vehicles jump the curb and strike pedestrians on the sidewalk.
Drivers are usually at fault in pedestrian accidents, but pedestrians also have a duty to be cautious when crossing the street. If you have been a victim of a pedestrian accident, our personal injury attorneys can help you get fair compensation for your injuries.
Contact a pedestrian accident law firm today to discuss your case
Our personal injury attorneys work diligently to preserve the rights of those who have been injured in a pedestrian accident. Contact Cumbest, Cumbest, Hunter & McCormick online or call us at 866-461-1591 to discuss your case with a knowledgeable, compassionate attorney today.