Walking is often considered to be the safest way to travel, yet, pedestrian accidents happen. Pedestrian walkways and crossings are designed to keep everyone safe. However, if everyone is not abiding by the rules and regulations of the pedestrian and motorist systems, accidents can easily occur.
The severity of pedestrian accidents can vary from minor superficial damage to catastrophic injuries involving broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord damage.
If you or a loved one have suffered from a pedestrian accident, you need a skilled Kansas City personal injury lawyer on your side.
Call 815-880-1134 today for a free case evaluation.
The severity of injury following a pedestrian accident can vary due to the factors of the incident. An individual being in a slightly different position or location at the moment of the accident can drastically change the outcome.
Injuries involving trauma to the skin, muscles, tendons, or ligaments in the body are considered soft tissue damage. Soft tissue injury victims often have quicker recovery times and fewer medical expenses. Although soft tissue injury may cause less damage, the cumulative effects on the victim can still be profound.
Pedestrian accidents frequently involve forceful impacts that result in broken bones. Injured pedestrians may fracture their hands, wrists, arms, legs, and spinal column. Bone fractures can range from stress fractures to compound fractures. It is considered a compound fracture when the bone breaks apart and through the skin. Broken bones are severe injuries that take weeks to months to recover.
Traumatic brain injuries, known as TBI for short, are damages to the brain due to forceful blows or bumps to the head. TBI can result from a dangerous fall where the skull is the point of impact. A TBI is considered a penetrating head injury if an object becomes lodged into the skull.
Head injuries can result in severe cerebral and neurological damage. Symptoms of brain trauma include headaches, dizziness, loss of consciousness, nausea, drowsiness, difficulty speaking, loss of coordination, and difficulty regulating moods and concentration. TBI’s are serious injuries requiring immediate medical attention, and an injury to the brain has the potential to cause permanent damage.
Any damage done to the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal column is a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord damage results from a forceful impact to your spine that may fracture, dislocate, crush, or compress one or more of your vertebrae. These can be catastrophic injuries causing paralysis or fatalities. Spinal cord injuries can be life-altering and require extensive care, rehabilitation, and costly medical bills.
A collision between a motor vehicle driver and a pedestrian will always end in worse injuries for the latter. Pedestrians do not have any protection from injuries in a collision or a serious car accident. They will bear the full brunt of the impact – often resulting in catastrophic or fatal injuries.
Many pedestrian accident victims deal with their injuries for life. They may suffer permanent scarring, disfigurement, or disabilities because of the negligence of a driver. At Wendt Law Firm P.C, we care about protecting the rights of pedestrian accident survivors. We take pride in being the personal injury lawyer Kansas City families rely on and can help you and your family fight for fair compensation for your injuries and damages, no matter how serious.
Pedestrians are far more at risk of suffering serious injuries from an accident than the passengers in the vehicle that hits them. This is because pedestrians are the most exposed and vulnerable to injury.
The nature of accidents is that they can occur at any time and any place. Although these accidents can occur everywhere, pedestrian injury accidents largely happen at night and in urban zones.
Common pedestrian accidents we see at Wendt Law include:
The rules of parking lots may seem intuitive, yet these zones can quickly become dangerous due to their design and frequent use. Depending on the arrangement of a parking lot, a person or vehicle can suddenly become obscured.
Drivers must remain observant of pedestrians while navigating parking zones. When a distracted driver neglects safety precautions in parking lots resulting in an injured victim, that driver may be held accountable.
When a driver neglects the speed limits and traffic laws of a designated zone, car accidents frequently happen. Depending on how fast a car is speeding, the driver may not be able to slow or stop the vehicle in time to avoid a collision.
Similarly, motor vehicles may veer off the road when speeding around curves or other zones requiring slower velocities. A speeding driver is breaking traffic law and is at fault if an accident occurs.
Any motor vehicle operator can quickly become distracted by the situation at hand. Frequently drivers attempt to multitask while driving. It has become commonplace to eat, operate GPS, text, and causally engage with other distractions while driving. Any action that compromises a driver’s attention is negligent driving. If distracted driving results in the injury of a pedestrian, the driver can be held liable.
Driving while under the influence is prohibited by law. If an accident or injury is suffered by a pedestrian as the result of drunk driving, that driver will be liable for the victim’s injuries.
Crosswalks are designed to protect the safety of pedestrians, but accidents do occur. Crosswalk users are very exposed to traffic and can quickly become the victim of a pedestrian accident. Many accidents that occur on crosswalks are due to left-hand turns at night. A school zone often contains many crosswalks where a negligent driver can easily harm a young pedestrian.
Pedestrian accidents are often preventable tragedies. Drivers possess the power to avoid striking pedestrians by keeping a proper lookout, avoiding distractions, paying attention to the road, and following traffic laws. After a pedestrian accident, it is wise to hire an accident attorney to investigate what happened. Identifying the cause of your collision could help you determine which party should receive your claim.
Other common causes of pedestrian-vehicle collisions include unsafe roadways and lack of sidewalks or crosswalks. In these cases, the city government could be liable for failing to maintain safe roadways and pedestrian walkways. If you believe someone else to be at fault for your injuries, contact a Kansas City pedestrian accident attorney from Wendt Law Firm P.C. for a free consultation.
If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, we encourage you to proceed will the following steps.
There was an average of 24 pedestrian fatalities and 81 serious injuries in the KC region over a five-year period. In a collision between a person and a vehicle, victims often assume the motorist is immediately at fault for any damages. After all, pedestrians are vulnerable road users and deserve the highest degree of care from motorists. Although it’s true that motorists are often at fault for these accidents, they are not the only potential defendants. There may be other factors at play, such as a malfunctioning crosswalk signal or a poorly designed intersection. An experienced pedestrian accident attorney in Kansas City can investigate your case and help you accurately assign fault to parties such as:
The question of comparative negligence is a common one in pedestrian accident cases. Pedestrians are sometimes at fault – at least in part – for their own accidents. Pedestrians must obey roadway rules and yield vehicles the right of way when applicable. A pedestrian cannot step out in front of moving traffic, cross in the middle of the road, or cross the street without the right of way. If you were partially to blame for your collision, you could still be eligible for compensation.
As a pedestrian, you have the right of way in many situations. Unfortunately, this does not mean that drivers will always yield to you or that they will always drive safely. If you are hit by a car while walking, there are a number of different types of damages that you may be able to recover. These include:
After being hit by a car, you will likely have significant medical bills. These can include ambulance costs, hospitalization fees, surgeries, and more. If the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to recover these costs from the at-fault driver or their insurance company.
If your injuries prevent you from being able to work, you may be entitled to compensation for the wages you lose as a result. This can be a significant amount of money, especially if you are unable to work for an extended period of time.
In addition to your physical injuries, you may also be able to recover damages for the pain and suffering you have endured. This includes both the physical pain of your injuries as well as the emotional trauma of being involved in a pedestrian accident.
If your loved one was killed in a pedestrian accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. This type of lawsuit can help you recover damages such as funeral costs, lost income, and more.
If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, it is important to speak with an experienced Kansas City pedestrian accident attorney. They can help you understand your rights and options and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
Our lawyers work to recover damages and obtain fair and adequate compensation on your behalf. Survivors of pedestrian accidents and families who’ve lost family members due to pedestrian accidents can be entitled to compensation for economic and non-economic damages. Each case varies depending on the situation and types of injuries.
Compensation can include the following damages:
If you or a loved one have been involved in a pedestrian accident, our Kansas City pedestrian accident attorneys are available to help. If you are unsure whether you are entitled to compensation, our lawyers can evaluate your case free of charge.
We work on a contingency fee basis meaning there is no upfront cost. A percentage of your settlement will only be paid to Wendt Law if we are successful in securing compensation, meaning you only pay if we win your case.
A personal injury lawsuit may feel intimidating alone, but our personal injury law firm can facilitate the process. Our attorneys are determined to recover fair compensation for you.
Call 815-880-1134 today for your free consultation with a trusted Kansas City personal injury attorney.