As gas prices rise and lines get longer at the pump, more people will choose walking and jogging to get around for reasons that include health, fuel cost savings, environmental concerns, inadequate public transportation, and more. Unfortunately, many people who walk for their health suffer significant harm because of negligent drivers. While any traffic collision can cause significant injuries, pedestrians have none of the protections afforded to vehicle occupants. Based on a preliminary projection by Retting’s research, 6,721 pedestrians died in collisions in 2020. This number represents a five percent increase from the prior year. When researchers factored in the sharp decline of cars on the road because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the pedestrian fatality rate increased by 21 percent from the previous year. When a driver fails to abide by traffic safety laws or otherwise drives in an unreasonably unsafe way, a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle might have the right to pursue a negligence claim for damages. Some common causes of pedestrian collisions include:

• Substance Impaired Driving: When an individual decides to drive despite ingesting alcohol, marijuana, illicit drugs, prescription drugs, or over the counter (OTC) medications, the substance impaired driver often will make mental or physical mistakes that result in a pedestrian collision. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a pedestrian accident occurs every 88 minutes in the U.S. Intoxicating substances can compromise driving abilities like concentration, vision, hearing, judgment, memory, perception, reflexes, balance, reaction time, and more. The CDC reports that alcohol constitutes a factor in almost half of all pedestrian collisions.
• Distracted Drivers: Multi-tasking drivers divert their hands from the wheel, eyes from the road, and/or mind from their driving. Although distracted driving always poses a danger, pedestrians lack any form of safety protection from injury, so they tend to experience severe injury when struck by a vehicle. When a pedestrian is crossing the street at an intersection, an inattentive driver who fails to notice a stop sign or red light can easily hit a person crossing the street.
• Age-Related Pedestrian Accidents: Although pedestrian accidents result in injuries to people of all ages, children and seniors constitute the most common age group involved in these serious traffic collisions. Individuals 65 and older and children under the age of 15 account for four in ten pedestrian traffic fatalities. Elderly pedestrians may have mobility limitations that mean they are exposed to the risk of being struck by a negligent driver longer while crossing the street. Seniors also can experience diminished hearing and vision, which impairs their ability to detect an approaching vehicle. Children frequently lack the maturity and experience to judge the speed and distance of an approaching vehicle.
  Sleepy Drivers: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy drivers caused about 91,000 police reported crashes during a recent one-year period. Exhausted drivers can struggle to concentrate and remain awake after long hours behind the wheel. Regardless of a vehicle’s speed when a driver hits a pedestrian, people walking and jogging tend to experience severe injury.

Recognize your Legal Rights and Safeguarding the Value of Your Pedestrian Injury Claim – Speak to an Experienced Pedestrian Accident Injury Attorney (24/7) at 1-800-529-7766.

If you or a loved one has been struck by a negligent motorist, seeking prompt advise from a seasoned accident attorney constitutes the best way to learn about your legal rights and to safeguard the value of your claim for compensation. Every state imposes deadlines limiting the amount of time you have to file a pedestrian injury lawsuit to obtain damages to cover medical bills, lost income from employment, property damage, pain and suffering, and more. Talk to a knowledgeable attorney by calling our hot line at 1-800-529-7766 (24/7) or CLICK HERE for your free case evaluation.

Sources:
CDC

NHTSA