Do you know that every hour, a person dies due to a pedestrian accident in the US? This is a deeply horrifying statistic. Almost 8,000 people lost their lives as a result of pedestrian accidents in the US.
In addition, 60,577 people sustained some form of injury due to pedestrian accidents. This is why learning about personal injury law is important. With the help of personal injury law and lawyers, you can take action against the negligent party. You can recover the losses you sustained as a result of the accident. In light of this alarming statistic, seeking legal counsel from professionals like those at Rebeinlaw.com can provide guidance and support if you or a loved one has been affected by a pedestrian accident.
You can learn more about personal injury law by speaking with a pedestrian accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Mickey Fine or other such reputed firms.
This article discusses the five most common causes of pedestrian accidents. The following are some of the most common reasons for these types of accidents.Â
- Distracted driving
- Impaired driving
- Ignoring traffic signals
- Jaywalking
- Failure to yield the right of way
Distracted Driving
In the modern world, from your phone to people, many things can take your focus off the road while driving. People tend to check important messages and emails while they drive.
Taking your eyes off the road, even for a second, can be disastrous. The driver may not see the pedestrian crossing the road if their focus is on their smartphone. Distracted driving is one of the most common reasons for all types of motor accidents.
Impaired driving
Alcoholics believe they can drive themselves home. They are not right. If a person is drunk, they should just take a cab. They should not attempt to drive.
By driving while intoxicated, they put themselves and others on the road in great danger.
When a driver is intoxicated, they won’t be able to react quickly. Their vision will also be impaired.
Ignoring Traffic Signals
Traffic rules are there for a reason. Ignoring these rules will lead to fines and accidents. When there is a stop sign, the driver must stop.
The person on the other side will expect the driver to stop and act accordingly. When the driver doesn’t stop, accidents happen.
A pedestrian may be crossing the road on the crosswalk while the signal is red. Now, if a car driver ignores the red signal and attempts to drive, then surely, they will hit the pedestrian crossing the road.
Jaywalking
Jaywalking is the act of crossing the road when there are no crosswalks. It is an illegal act that can lead to accidents.
Motor vehicle drivers don’t expect pedestrians to cross the road where there are no crosswalks. So, they won’t be able to react to them.
As a pedestrian, you should cross the road only where crosswalks are available. Just this simple act can reduce the total number of pedestrian accidents greatly.
Failure to Yield the Right of Way
The right of way rule states who has the right to cross the road first. In general, pedestrians have the right of way at intersections. However, they won’t have the right of way if they are violating traffic rules.
When a driver doesn’t obey the right of way rule, they risk the safety of pedestrians. This is another common cause of pedestrian accidents.
Final Thoughts
Pedestrian accidents can cause severe losses to victims. Fortunately, there is a way to recover these losses. Speak with a lawyer and file a personal injury claim with their help. You can obtain compensation for your economic and non-economic losses by proving the elements of personal injury law. This is the best way to mitigate your losses.