Orange county cities from Irvine, Anaheim and Santa Ana, to Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach have experience a recent rise in pedestrian related accidents.
There is a high risk of serious bodily injuries resulting from car hitting pedestrians. Some of the most common pedestrian accident injuries are
- Head Trauma resulting in permanent brain damage
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Neck Injuries
- Broken and fractured bones: Of particular significant is a hip bone fracture which is frequent in such accidents
- Children are at most rick of grave harm because of their small size and inability of driver to see the child because of his height
- Facial Lacerations
- Permanent Scarring and disfigurement
- Fatal Crosswalk accidents
How to Prove Pedestrian Accident Liability in Court
In order to receive compensation, a victim will have to show the defendant driver was negligent in the operation of his vehicle. In many instances negligence is placed on the auto manufacturer for defective produce, truck companies the driver was working for and city public transportation agencies for Bus collisions with pedestrians. Usually Negligence is established through any of the below:- Failure to maintain dangerous equipment
- Distracted Driving
- Failure to Stop or Yield at a Red Light or Cross Walk
- Speeding or unsafe driving of any kind
- Driving under the influence [DWI or DUI] In cases of death this can lead to a Felony DUI Charge.
- Failure to maintain roads
- Negligent hiring practices or training by trucking companies and Public transportation agencies
- Lack of Sleep, Sleep Deprivation because of grueling schedule, Driver fatigue
Pedestrian safety Tips: How to Avoid Crosswalk Accidents
- Always pay attention to the road and your general surroundings. Watch both sides of the road
- Always cross the street from designated crosswalks and red lights
- Don’t be distracted: don’t text message, read, or talk on the phone while crossing a busy intersection
- Most pedestrian accident takes place in the Night-time. If you walk at night always wear light colored clothing, and never cross a street that is poorly lit or does not have a functioning red light.
- If you are a driver always be aware of pedestrians in intersections, and sidewalks,
Pedestrian Accidents Involving Left hand turns and right hand turns.
20% of all traffic light intersection accidents involve motorist hitting pedestrians while making left hand and white hand turns. Left and turn are more dangerous for pedestrians account for more than 60% of all fatalities. A large reason behind such a high accident rate is the detection issue. Drivers at intersections are forced to pay attention to many different objects and actions at ones making detection of a pedestrian walking on the street more difficult. Another issue is visibility: all too often roads are defectively designed making visibility during a right hand turn or left hand turn difficult. Our dedicated legal team will investigate your claim thoroughly and determine what is the best legal course of action available.Pedestrian Accident Statistics
- A pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 111 minutes.
- 71 percent of all accidents involving pedestrians take place in urban areas
- Always Be Careful while walking at night: 64 percent of all accidents happen during nighttime hours
- Most pedestrians killed or injured are male
- Children are also at high risk: One in Four fatalities involve children
- Be careful on Roads with no Stop Signs: Over 40 percent of fatalities occurred on roads without crosswalks.