January 31, 2017 | Pedestrian Accidents
We hear about car crashes almost every day on the news. However, motorists are not the only ones at risk of harm in a traffic accident, as pedestrian accidents may be more common than you think. Anyone who is walking in a parking lot or near a roadway is considered to be a pedestrian and cars can crash into pedestrians when they least expect. While any pedestrian accident can cause severe and lasting injuries, sadly, many pedestrians do not survive when they are hit by a car or truck.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides some insight into how many pedestrian accidents result in tragic fatalities. For example, in 2013, over 70,000 pedestrian accidents were reported, resulting in about 66,000 injuries and 4,735 deaths. This means that 6 percent of pedestrian accidents that year caused a fatality. The percentage of pedestrian deaths is significantly higher than the percentage of car accident-related deaths, as only about 1 percent of car accident victims do not survive.
Furthermore, pedestrian accidents contributed to the following, according to NHTSA:
As you can tell, death is significantly more likely for a pedestrian than for someone riding inside of a motor vehicle.
Many different types of life-threatening injuries can result when a car crashes into a pedestrian. In many cases, the pedestrian may have several different points of traumatic impact as they may hit the car and then the ground. In severe cases, a pedestrian may be caught under a car or may be flipped over a vehicle. Some of the very serious injuries that can result include:
While nothing can cure the pain of suddenly losing a loved one in a traumatic pedestrian accident, family members can seek justice for their loved one as well as financial recovery by filing a claim for wrongful death against the responsible party. Family can seek compensation for their financial losses and also for pain and suffering, loss of love and companionship, loss of household services and financial contributions, and more.
At the Fountain Law Firm, P.C., we have successfully helped many pedestrian accident victims obtain the compensation they deserve for their injuries and related losses. To make sure that you receive all of the compensation to which you are entitled, it is important to have an experienced pedestrian accident attorney handling your case. Attorney Merry Fountain can help you today by meeting in her office or by meeting in your home. Call Merry Fountain anytime at 1-888-242-HURT (4878) for a free consultation.
[1] https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812124