Pedestrian Accidents

 

It doesn’t take an expert to understand why a vehicle accident involving a pedestrian is extremely serious; it’s just simple physics. An average car weighs about 3500 pounds, so no matter how fast it is going when it strikes a pedestrian, it’ll do some damage. And pedestrian accidents happen more than you might think in the U.S. – accurate estimates based on years of data say that there are 64,000 pedestrians injured and 5,000 killed every year. If you’ve been hit by a vehicle while walking in south eastern Missouri, call the experienced offices of Lanzotti & Rau today.

National Statistics

Here are a few more statistics which can help you learn more about the frequency, place, time, and severity of pedestrian accidents.

• About every 8 minutes, a pedestrian is injured by a vehicle collision
• About every 2 hours, a pedestrian is killed by a vehicle collision
• 85% of all pedestrian accident injuries are in urban areas
• About half of all pedestrian deaths occur between 6 PM and 12 AM
• The chance of a pedestrian fatality when a car is going 40 mph is 85%
• The chance of a pedestrian fatality when a car is going 30 mph is 45%

 

Though the vast majority of all pedestrian accidents occur in urban areas, the rate of death is much higher in rural settings. This factor is easily explained by the higher number of pedestrians in urban areas, and the higher speed limits, less traffic, and less street lighting in rural areas.

Legal Issues

Pedestrian accident cases, like all personal injury cases, come down to proving negligence. But, pedestrian accidents can be tricky, since in many situations both sides claim the other is negligent and at fault. States have much different laws which highly impact the outcome of cases. For instance, some states allow for the possibility of “comparative fault,” which means that the injured pedestrian can still recover damages even if they were partially responsible for the accident. But, others following a “pure contributory negligence” law prohibit the pedestrian from getting compensation if they were at fault in any way.

At Lanzotti & Rau, we highly recommend that you contact us to figure out your options if you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident. Personal injury cases can be extremely complex, and state laws can be difficult to decipher for those without a legal background. Let us help you get the compensation you deserve, and if we don’t, we won’t take any legal fees. There’s nothing to lose – call us today at 573-335-9300.