What to Do If You Are Hit by a Car as a Pedestrian

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5,376 pedestrians lost their lives in traffic crashes in the United States in 2015. Even more shocking, almost 129,000 pedestrians were treated in emergency departments for non-fatal crash-related injuries during the same year. When a person thinks of a car accident-related injury they usually assume that the injured party was also in a motor vehicle; however, that is not always the case. In fact, pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to be killed in a car accident.

California Vehicle Code §21950 states, "The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.” Although the law is clear, some drivers do not yield to pedestrians. This can put pedestrians at serious risk. Some drivers simply choose not to follow the law while others are too distracted to notice pedestrians in their way. Texting while driving, driving with children, talking on a cell phone, or eating while driving are some of the most dangerous ways drivers get distracted.

Those operating a car often forget the power that they have. The average car weighs around 3000 pounds which is enough to cause serious injury or death even at low speeds. Drivers have a responsibility to be alert and watch out for pedestrians on the road. If a driver’s negligence causes a pedestrian to be injured, the pedestrian may be eligible for financial compensation.

The law firm of Corsiglia McMahon & Allard, L.L.P. has been representing pedestrians injured in auto accidents for years. Our pedestrian injury attorneys have experience analyzing car accidents in order to determine who is at fault. Even if the pedestrian is partially at fault for the accident, he or she can still be eligible for compensation. Our attorneys will work with accident reconstructionists and other reliable experts to build the client’s claim for compensation, seeking the maximum recovery possible. We are prepared to take on pinchpenny insurance companies in order to make sure our clients receive the financial compensation they need to get their lives back.

We stand by our clients all the way through the trial process to obtain satisfactory results. If you wish to discuss your pedestrian accident case with an experienced Monterey County pedestrian accident lawyer, contact us today by calling (408) 298-7200.