California pedestrian accident lawyer

California pedestrian accident lawyer

Every single day thousands of innocent pedestrians are injured or killed due to the fault of careless drivers. Sadly, a child or a senior citizen is often the victim hit in a car crash. A majority of automobile accidents involving pedestrians result in severe personal injury and even death. Family members and friends of pedestrians involved in an automobile crash are often left traumatized and emotionally distressed due to the absence of a loved one. Lost wages and medical bills do not make the situation any easier.

Pedestrians are frequently hit by drunk drivers, buses, trucks, and taxis. Pedestrian accidents most commonly occur when drivers fail to drive within posted speed limits, fail to stop at stop signs, use cell phones while driving, fail to yield the right of way to people walking on the road or fail to follow other common traffic laws. Bikers and joggers are often stuck by negligent drivers when attempting to cross the street or crosswalk.

Hire an experienced California pedestrian injury lawyer

B&D Law Group, APLC understands the unique challenges pedestrians face when prosecuting personal injury claims. Insurance companies always try to escape liability by finding a way to blame the injured pedestrian. Our skilled and knowledgeable lawyers can guide you through your claim by locating potential witnesses, gathering evidence, and consulting with medical experts to verify the severity of your injuries.

Types of pedestrian accidents

Pedestrian Accident Lawyer You don’t need to think about it much to know that the higher the speed of the vehicle, the more likely a pedestrian will suffer a serious or fatal injury as a result of a crash. However, depending on how a pedestrian’s head hits the concrete after a fall, even a crash that occurs when a vehicle moves at eight miles per hour can result in immediate death.

All car, truck, or motorcycle accidents involving a pedestrian are dangerous, but the most commonly seen accidents are:

  • Dart-out accidents: These car accidents occur when the pedestrian suddenly darts out onto the road, and the driver does not have sufficient time to react. This may be no fault of the pedestrian, though. For example, if they were in the crosswalk but the other driver’s view was blocked by a stopped vehicle, it may look to the driver as if she darted out onto the road.
  • Intersection accidents: This occurs when a pedestrian is quickly trying to cross an intersection. However, the crossing is mistimed, and the driver does not have sufficient time to react. It can also occur if a driver runs a red light and drives their car into a pedestrian with the right-of-way.
  • Passing accidents: These occur when a negligent driver cannot see pedestrians because a bus or other vehicle has stopped to allow pedestrians to cross. In this case, the negligent driver may strike a pedestrian while trying to pass the stopped vehicle.
  • Vehicle turns and merges accidents: These occur when the driver is focused on making a turn or merging into traffic. Drivers often alternate between looking both ways and don’t see pedestrians until after they start to make turns or merge.
  • Vendor accidents: Occur on neighborhood streets when children run to catch ice cream trucks or when people wait around food trucks. The driver of the vendor’s vehicle may not see the children and drive into them. Another vehicle also may not anticipate children running through the streets, which can result in the vehicle crashing into them.
  • Back-up accidents: These occur when a driver hits a pedestrian while backing up without first looking behind the car—typically in a parking lot.

Common causes of pedestrian accidents

Overall, the most common reason for a daytime pedestrian collision—when the pedestrian was clearly visible to the driver—is distracted driving. A distracted driving accident is a crash that occurs because a driver was focusing on another task aside from driving. Common driving distractions include the following:

  • Using an electronic communication device
  • Using another electronic device
  • Texting
  • Talking to passengers
  • Eating and drinking
  • Reading
  • Grooming
  • Adjusting the radio
  • Looking at something else, such as another roadside accident
  • Daydreaming

Unfortunately, most vehicles cannot stop on a dime, and by the time a driver sees you, you may already be on the ground. That’s why distracted driving is considered negligence in California. Other common causes of pedestrian accidents include speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians, and poor vehicle maintenance. Speak with a pedestrian accident attorney about your legal options for compensation if you believe your pedestrian accident was caused by negligence.

Pedestrian accident cases can be complex

Our skilled pedestrian collision attorneys intimately understand pedestrian law, insurance issues, and the aftermath of resulting injuries and will help you get the compensation you deserve. We understand that pedestrian accident liability cases are often much more complex than simple automobile collision cases or other types of personal injury cases. Our staff is prepared to investigate, and aggressively pursue your car vs. pedestrian accident case. We don’t shy away from “problem” cases as other attorneys may.

If you have been injured as a pedestrian in a motor vehicle accident or have lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident please contact the skilled California pedestrian accident lawyers at the B&D Law Group. Our experienced California pedestrian collision attorneys have a wealth of experience in helping pedestrian victims of automobile accidents.