Snellings Law PLLC – Pedestrian Accident Attorneys
Getting Hit on Foot
After my first year of law school, I took a comparative constitutional law class in Australia for the summer. It was an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. I recall when we stepped out of the airport to grab a taxi. It was my first experience with cars driving on the “wrong” side of the road. I didn’t think much about it right away. Once we arrived at our apartment and unloaded our stuff, we wanted to go explore a bit. That is when it hit me: I needed to be really careful walking around the city and look for cars coming in the “wrong” direction. More than a few times, I had to catch myself and not step out in front of an oncoming vehicle. It was clearly an issue, even with the signs beside all of the roadways saying, “Look Right.” Thankfully, none of us were struck by vehicles, but it was definitely a safety issue for each of us!
Being hit by a vehicle is always scary, but even more so when you are on foot. Without the safety equipment of a car to protect you, pedestrian accidents can be catastrophic. A pedestrian accident can cause life-changing injuries within seconds. Unfortunately, our team of personal injury trial attorneys has handled many pedestrian accidents in the North Texas area, the majority of which involved children. In our cases, the child has NEVER been at fault; instead, an adult was not paying attention and didn’t see the child.
Distracted Drivers
Many things can distract a reckless driver from the road, including alcohol, drug use, texting, or any other number of factors. It seems so common to encounter a distracted driver driving unsafely while on the road. It’s best to attempt to avoid these distracted drivers. When walking, however, it is much more difficult. Clearly, a person on foot is not able to avoid a reckless driver as quickly as they would in a car. We can do everything right and still end up being struck by a reckless driver. A few things you can do to help put yourself in the safest position possible are:
- Put away the phone! If you are distracted, then you can’t be adequately aware of your surroundings.
- Remove the AirPods, headphones, etc. This helps you hear your surroundings better and reduces your own distraction level.
- Never assume you know a driver’s intent. This means not relying on turn signals or lack thereof, a vehicle slowing down, or any other potential signals that make you assume a vehicle will behave in a certain way.
- Don’t rely on having the right-of-way. Just because you have a walk light, crosswalk protection, etc. doesn’t mean a vehicle will abide by it. While you may legally have the right-of-way, that won’t mean much if you are in the hospital or dead because of a pedestrian accident.
- Make sure drivers can see you. Walking at night in dark clothing is quite dangerous. Many drivers don’t pay enough attention while driving in daylight. When you are a nighttime pedestrian, you are simply much less visible and have a higher risk of being the victim of a pedestrian accident.
Pedestrians Have No Protection
Without the protection of a car during an accident, you are at higher risk of catastrophic injuries. Pedestrians may suffer broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, or a spinal cord injury from the impact. Drivers today are left more protected than ever during a car accident. Modern cars have safety equipment such as airbags, seatbelts, and engineered crumple zones. Even if you were to suit up in armor, you would still be very vulnerable when matched up against a vehicle in a pedestrian accident.
The pedestrian accidents we see cause injuries ranging from mild to fatal. The level of injury from a pedestrian accident generally depends on a number of factors. The speed of the vehicle and the extent to which the driver slowed down before hitting the pedestrian are important factors. Common injuries from pedestrian accidents include traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, internal bleeding, amputations, major lacerations, etc. Even if you don’t sustain serious injuries, the psychological effects of your accident can be just as bad.
Get Help Immediately
It is important to seek treatment immediately after a pedestrian accident. If you are involved in a pedestrian accident, go to the hospital. Sometimes, people have significant injuries that only become apparent after their adrenaline wears off. We have seen this many times, so always get checked out.
We also recommend seeking counseling after a pedestrian accident. Talking to someone can help you recover mentally from any psychological injuries. Many of our clients have found significant relief after only a few visits, yet they state it was the most important part of their recovery.
If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident in which you were injured by a negligent driver, we recommend that you seek help from a qualified personal injury attorney immediately. Typically, you have two years to file a Texas lawsuit after the date of the accident. However, important evidence begins to fade or disappear immediately. Don’t hesitate to contact a personal injury attorney so that you can begin healing.
How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You
A personal injury attorney can help you with many aspects of your claim. They can help by identifying at-fault parties and available insurance policies. Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney can also help you avoid early pitfalls in your claim. A personal injury attorney can help you get medical treatment if needed. They will also make sure that the insurance companies consider each aspect of your damages. There are many other ways that a personal injury attorney can help you after a pedestrian accident as well.
At Snellings Law, we always want injury victims to understand the personal injury process. That way, they know the potential pitfalls before taking action or making a decision on their claims. That is why we created our free “A Personal Injury Survival Guide.” Our guide answers frequently asked personal injury questions. It also gives you answers to additional questions you may not know to ask and walks you through the personal injury process. After reading this guide, you may decide that you can handle your claim on your own, which is great as well. Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for you and your family.
Don’t forget – anyone can afford to hire a personal injury attorney. Many firms, including Snellings Law, operate on what is called a “contingency fee basis.” Basically, instead of paying us up front, we take a percentage of the final settlement. We also cover all the case-related costs from beginning to end.
Click here to learn more about Pedestrian Accidents.
You can learn more about contingency fees by watching this video.
Choose Snellings Law
At Snellings Law, all we do is personal injury law. Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys has helped many pedestrian accident victims recover after their incidents. We feel passionate about helping injury victims in North Texas get the treatment and resolutions they deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident due to someone else’s recklessness, please call us today at 214-387-0387. We will provide a free consultation to answer your questions. You have done nothing wrong. Let us handle the insurance company so that you can focus on getting healthy. Choose Snellings Law, where we are driven to help you thrive.
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