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Laws that regulate the flow and safety of traffic does not only apply to motor vehicles. Walkers and joggers often have to cross the road – or walk inside of it – in order to get around. There are traffic laws for pedestrians in Cicero, and a trustworthy pedestrian accident attorney could provide insight as to how you might be able to recover compensation after getting into an accident with a motorist.
Generally speaking, pedestrians have the right of way when crossing the street. Cars are under a responsibility to yield to pedestrians, but this does not mean that people are free to enter the roadway at any location or at any time. If there is a crosswalk or a sidewalk, the law requires a pedestrian to use them to travel. Failure to do so could result in a claim of negligence on behalf of the pedestrian. Just as cars owe a duty of reasonable care to others, the pedestrians must also exercise reasonable care while on the roadway.
For the most part, traffic laws in Cicero apply to pedestrians equally to motor vehicles. If someone must walk along a road, they must walk in the same direction as the traffic and keep to the right as much as possible.
If a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, they will have the right of way. However, they must still wait for traffic to clear their lane before entering one. A pedestrian would be at fault if they stepped in front of a moving car, even if they were in the crosswalk.
If there are no traffic control devices, a person must use reasonable care for their safety to ensure that they are not struck by a motor vehicle. However, if they are in the roadway and entered it at a safe time, then the vehicle is responsible for yielding. While there are no hard and fast rules of crossing a street with no signs or signals, both parties must proceed with reasonable care so as to avoid a crash.
It is more likely that a police officer will write a ticket to the vehicle driver rather than the pedestrian. However, if the pedestrian is not exercising reasonable care, such as by crossing mid-block, then the police officer will note that fact in their report. However, it is uncommon for a policeman to give a ticket to a pedestrian who was struck, even if they did not obey the traffic law.
The traffic laws and regulations are designed to promote safety. If traffic laws for pedestrians in Cicero were obeyed all the time, it would dramatically reduce the number of accidents on the road. In addition, if a pedestrian broke the law and was deemed more than 50 percent responsible for the crash, they could be barred from recovering any damages.
In order to make a recovery for personal injuries, it is essential that the motorist be found more than 50 percent at fault and accident. It does not need to be 100 percent of fault of one individual or the other. Because personal injury lawyers only get paid if there is a recovery, many lawyers will refuse to pursue a case where the pedestrian has a high likelihood of being found at fault. This is another reason why a person should follow the law even if they have the right of way when crossing the street.
The specific traffic laws for pedestrians in Cicero will dictate whether you are able to secure compensation. A lawyer could work with you to determine the best way of moving forward with your case. Contact one today for a free consultation.