Pedestrian accidents are among the worst types of injuries that we see. These types of accidents are common due to inattentive drivers, distracted driving, and traffic negligence. Distracted behavior, including distracted walking, also contributes significantly to these incidents. With the increase of rideshare drivers such as Uber and Lyft drivers, we are also seeing more pedestrian accidents. Pedestrian behavior influenced by mobile phone use can lead to motor vehicle crashes.
Unfortunately, pedestrians and bicyclists tend to be viewed as nuisances that impede drivers who may feel they own the road. Pedestrian infrastructure improvements are crucial for enhancing pedestrian safety.
Systemically, many of our public roadways and streets are car-centric, meaning they tend to be designed to optimize the flow of vehicle traffic, with less regard for pedestrians. As a result, the streets are less safe for pedestrians due to drivers being inattentive to traffic, leading to pedestrian deaths and pedestrian fatalities. Traffic accidents and traffic fatalities are on the rise.
Recently, the federal government, states, and local governments have been working to change some of these inherent dangers and focusing on making our streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Traffic safety and traffic calming measures are being implemented to address these issues.
Yet, pedestrian injuries remain at an all-time high – and as one might imagine, a pedestrian versus vehicle accident usually means devastating injuries for the pedestrian. Lowering speed limits and involving police officers in high-crash areas are some of the strategies being used. When a tragic pedestrian accident occurs, our firm looks not only to the obvious primary cause of the collision, for example, an inattentive driver, but we look deeper into the reasons why the collision occurred – often finding evidence that shows there’s more than one responsible party. The Governors Highway Safety Association provides valuable insights into these incidents, including the role of oncoming traffic. As a result, we make our communities safer – and ensure full compensation for the injured victim.
If you’ve been injured as a pedestrian, contact the personal injury attorneys at Jassim Law by calling (619) 613-2811 or filling out a contact form.