Columbia Pedestrian Accidents Lawyer
Pedestrians suffer debilitating injuries even if they are hit at very low speeds—injuries such as fractured femurs, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, and severe lacerations and whiplash. Whether you were crossing the road, walking along the sidewalk, or winding your way through a congested parking lot, the driver who hit you should be held fully accountable for your injuries. By filing a personal injury lawsuit with their auto insurance company, you have the ability to be compensated for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost income, and more. Simmons Law Firm has Columbia pedestrian accident lawyers that can help you decide what steps to take in order to make this happen.
Distracted Driving is Leading the Way For More Dangerous Streets
Unfortunately, being a pedestrian is more dangerous than it has been for three decades; over 6,000 pedestrians have been killed by drivers every year since 2016—a number that has not been seen since 1990, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. While drivers are enjoying ever safer vehicles and fewer injury-causing collisions as the years go by, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users such as cyclists are being run over in record numbers. Pedestrian deaths have increased by 51 percent since 2009, and little is being done to solve the problem—speed limits across the country are being raised, according to the American Safety Council, cars are being built with increasingly large and distracting center consul ‘infotainment’ screens, and cell phone use is so prevalent that a recent study by Volvo found that 66 percent of people are so addicted to their phones that they “don’t let their phones out of sight while driving.”
Scenarios in Which the Pedestrian Most Likely Had Right of Way
A general rule of thumb for drivers is to assume that the pedestrian has right of way, though J-walking laws have certainly weakened this rule and, in fact, made the streets more dangerous for pedestrians as it encourages driver aggression towards those on foot. Examples of when the pedestrian almost certainly had right of way over the driver, or had the right to be walking where they were if not on the sidewalk, include:
- Remaining on the sidewalk whiles crossing a parking lot entry/exit;
- Remaining on the sidewalk while crossing a driveway entry/exit;
- Crossing at any unlit crosswalk (sign or paint only, no crosswalk light);
- Crossing at a crosswalk with the light;
- Walking across a parking lot;
- Walking along the side of a road that does not have a sidewalk, or where the sidewalk is blocked;
- Walking in the bike lane; and
- Walking across the street without a crosswalk and being struck by a driver who was speeding, had their lights off at night, was drunk, or was driving aggressively.
Call a Columbia Pedestrian Accident Attorney Today
Pedestrians are extremely vulnerable while crossing roads, and, sadly, even while using sidewalks. Drivers know this, and should always operate their vehicles carefully, with this fact in mind. Yet many do not. If you were hit by a driver, you have the right to sue for damages. The Columbia pedestrian accident attorneys at Simmons Law Firm are here to help. Call 803-779-4600 today to schedule a free consultation.
