Pedestrian Accidents
As simple as crossing the street. . .
The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) reports that each year nearly 5,000 pedestrians die in motor vehicle related accidents, and more than 78,000 pedestrians suffer injuries when hit by a car or truck. In addition to pedestrian-vehicle incidents, thousands of non-vehicular pedestrian accidents also occur annually. Poor property maintenance, sidewalk or parking lot defects and/or construction or other debris on walkways cause or contribute to these accidents.
Whether a vehicle or property defect causes an accident or injury, a pedestrian may recover damages for the injuries suffered if someone else's negligence caused or contributed to the incident. Negligence is the legal term for the failure to do (or not do) something that a reasonable person would, in a similar situation, in order to protect others from foreseeable risks. In order to establish negligence in a pedestrian accident, the injured person (the plaintiff) must prove that the person at fault ( the defendant) owed a legal duty to the injured person under the circumstances; and failed to fulfill that legal duty through conduct or action (or through a failure to act); and caused an accident or injury involving the injured person; and harmed or injured the plaintiff as a result.
The outcome of each case will depend upon a careful analysis of the facts of each accident as they relate to each of these essential elements. When a pedestrian injury occurs, there may be more than one party with legal responsibility for the accident. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, those with potential liability include the driver of a vehicle that strikes a pedestrian; the party responsible for maintaining the sidewalk, roadway or parking lot where the accident occurred; the pedestrian him/herself.
It's important to contact us immediately. . .
Regardless of who was at fault in the accident, victims should seek the counsel of an experienced lawyer. To protect your legal rights following severe injury or a wrongful death of a loved one involved in a motor vehicle accident, it is generally wise to consult an experienced personal injury law firm as soon as possible. Within the first week, important physical evidence can be lost, and witnesses may become hard to find.
We're ready, willing, and able to help. . .and you can
HIRE US FOR FREE
We can help you. . .and you'll pay nothing out of pocket for our services. We receive our fee from the court ordered compensation in your case. If we aren't successful, we don't get paid. . .it's that simple. You can be very sure that we will fight hard for your rights. . .after all, we do like to get paid for our efforts.
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