As a pedestrian, nothing comes between you and the impact of a crash, which means you can expect immense physical, financial, and emotional losses. If a negligent motorist leaves you injured in a pedestrian accident, don’t wait to consult with an experienced Plantation pedestrian accident lawyer at Scarfone Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys.
How Driver Negligence Contributes to Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrians are arguably the most vulnerable of all when it comes to traffic accidents, meaning that motorists must be hyper-aware when pedestrians are in their midst and take the necessary precautions to help protect them.
Excess speed
When motorists speed, they decrease the time they have to make safe decisions concerning risk factors on the road, which increases the chances that an accident will happen. To make matters that much more dangerous, the faster the motorist travels, the more likely it is that any ensuing accident will be deadly. None of this bodes well for pedestrians.
Distraction
When a motorist has their thoughts and eyes focused on a roadside object or text message, they cannot pay adequate attention to what’s happening around them. Texting melts all three primary categories – distractions that involve one’s thoughts, vision, and hands – into one deadly activity that puts pedestrians at extreme risk.
Impairment
Motorists under the influence of alcohol tend to experience a decrease in inhibitions and a decrease in impulse control – along with physical and cognitive impairments – which leaves any pedestrians in their midst at a severe disadvantage.
Exhaustion
Drowsy drivers tend not to recognize that they can experience impairments similar to those drunk drivers face. When you’re drowsy, it can be difficult to make good decisions, which also holds true for impaired drivers.
Aggressive driving
Aggressive drivers tend to take whatever risks they feel like taking at the time, which means that all bets are generally off when it comes to the safety of pedestrians.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Pedestrian accidents are all too common and all too dangerous. Consider the following dire statistics shared by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS):
- While pedestrian accidents reached a refreshing low in 2009, they have since increased by 59 percent.
- Pedestrian deaths account for a full 17 percent of all traffic fatalities.
- In 2020 alone, 6,516 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents, which is a 4 percent increase over 2019.
- Nearly a fourth of all pedestrian fatalities in 2020 were hit-and-run accidents – highlighting how extremely vulnerable pedestrians are.
Making safety your primary focus when you are on foot is always the best strategy.
If You’re Injured in a Pedestrian Accident
If you’re injured in a pedestrian accident, you can expect to take the full force of the blow head-on, which typically translates to severe losses.
Medical expenses
The medical costs associated with the kinds of injuries that pedestrians often experience can include all the following:
- Emergency care
- Surgical care
- Hospital stays
- Treatment from doctors, specialists, therapists, technicians, and other medical professionals
- Prescription medications
- Physical and occupational therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Pain management can include alternative treatments, such as chiropractic care
- Home health care
- Assistance with the activities of daily living
Lost income
A pedestrian accident can leave you off the job for a considerable stretch of time, and with this, you’re very likely to experience a decrease in earnings. A serious pedestrian accident can leave you permanently unable to work, which can be financially devastating. Further, losses in terms of your job, including an altered career trajectory, can lead to emotional consequences in addition to the financial losses you face.
Pain and suffering
Being injured in a pedestrian accident is naturally physically painful, but there are also emotional consequences to consider.
Common signs of emotional damage include:
- Terrifying accident flashbacks
- Sleep disturbances that can include night terrors
- Increased anxiety that can include anxiety attacks
- Symptoms of depression
- Stark shifts in mood
- Difficulty focusing
- A tendency to push others away
One of the most challenging aspects of emotional pain and suffering is that it can isolate you from the love and support of your friends and family just when you need that love and support the most.
Protecting Your Pedestrian Accident Claim
Your pedestrian accident claim will not be exactly like anyone else’s, but there are steps everyone in your position can take to help protect their health and their claims, including:
- Even if you don’t believe your injuries are serious, seek immediate medical attention. Erring on the side of caution is always in your best interest, and symptoms of serious injuries can be slow to present.
- Follow your doctor’s instructions and advice to the letter.
- Reach out for the professional legal guidance of a dedicated pedestrian accident attorney early on.
- Decline providing the insurance company with a statement – leave this task for your seasoned attorney.
- Refrain from posting on social media to avoid inadvertently providing the insurance company with information it can twist against you.
Consult With a Plantation, Florida, Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Rocco Scarfone founded the Scarfone Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys to help injured victims. If you’re hurt in a pedestrian accident in Plantation, Florida, know that we’re focused on obtaining just compensation for you. Don’t wait to pick up the phone and call Scarfone at 561-609-1200. Or, contact us online to request a consultation.