Who Says Walking Can Be Dangerous?
Few of us think about this very often, because if we did, we might never climb out of bed. Simply walking can be dangerous.
A car could strike you while walking down the street. In fact, people experience about 75,000 pedestrian accidents every year, causing more than 4,000 deaths in the United States.
And even worse, many of these mishaps should never have happened, because drivers cause most of them.
Here are some of the mistakes motorists make that could injure you, or worse. Dangerous drivers who cause mishaps…
• Simply don’t pay attention. Instead, they might talk on their cell phones, eat, program their GPS, or apply makeup, among other things.
• Get confused, for example, when they aren’t familiar with the area they’re in or drive the wrong direction down a one-way street.
• Fail to look for hazards, such as road debris.
• Speed.
• Drive while intoxicated.
• Run stop signs.
• Make Illegal U-turns.
• Get confused, for example, when they aren’t familiar with the area they’re in or drive the wrong direction down a one-way street.
• Fail to look for hazards, such as road debris.
• Speed.
• Drive while intoxicated.
• Run stop signs.
• Make Illegal U-turns.
Even though drivers cause most pedestrian accidents, you can still take steps to make yourself safer while walking. These include…
• Look both ways before crossing the street just like your mother taught you when you were five years old.
• Watch for drivers who engage in the types of unsafe activities this article describes.
• Walk with others if you’ve been drinking.
• Always use sidewalks when possible.
• When they don’t exist, walk in the street going toward oncoming traffic.
• Watch for drivers who engage in the types of unsafe activities this article describes.
• Walk with others if you’ve been drinking.
• Always use sidewalks when possible.
• When they don’t exist, walk in the street going toward oncoming traffic.
Additionally, pedestrians sometimes seal their own fates by making these mistakes. They might…
• Ignore the “don’t walk” signal.
• Fail to use designated crosswalks.
• Dart into the street.
• Fail to wear clothing that reflects at night.
• Disobey other laws designed to keep them safe.
• Fail to use designated crosswalks.
• Dart into the street.
• Fail to wear clothing that reflects at night.
• Disobey other laws designed to keep them safe.
But even if you are at fault, you still might receive money for at least part of your damages. This could happen if the motorist was also partially at fault.
For example, let’s say you were crossing the street against a “don’t walk” signal when a driver made an illegal left turn and hit you. In that case, the court might make her compensate you for 50 percent of your injuries, ruling that both you and the driver contributed equally to the accident.
Whether or not you’re at fault, if you get into an accident, do the following…
• Call an ambulance if you or anyone else suffered serious harm.
• Contact the police.
• Exchange names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance information with everyone involved.
• File an insurance claim, but do not enter into any agreement or give a statement to the insurance company.
• Contact the police.
• Exchange names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance information with everyone involved.
• File an insurance claim, but do not enter into any agreement or give a statement to the insurance company.
After that, consider contacting a lawyer, so you can get the compensation you need and deserve.
Don’t talk to just any attorney, though. Like doctors, they specialize, and you want to hire someone who concentrates on personal injury law.
Don’t talk to just any attorney, though. Like doctors, they specialize, and you want to hire someone who concentrates on personal injury law.
We at McCready Law has successfully resolved many of these cases, and we offer free consultations. If you’d like to talk, simply call us at (773) 779-9885.