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Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
Ohio & Northern Kentucky Pedestrian Accident Attorneys
When you’re involved in a traffic accident, the results can be devastating, but when the accident involves a motor vehicle striking a pedestrian, this is especially true. As more individuals are opting for the environmentally friendly and health-conscious travel option of walking, they’re putting themselves at risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident.
The injuries you can sustain from a pedestrian accident are usually severe since nothing protects you from the motor vehicle’s massive force and weight. These injuries can cause extreme mental anguish and leave you with medical bills from extensive medical treatments and lost wages due to missed work during the recovery, all leading to financial losses.
You deserve to be financially compensated if you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident. The personal injury attorneys at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm have over 100 years of combined experience representing clients in Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Our pedestrian accident lawyers understand the complex process surrounding a personal injury lawsuit and will fight for you to receive the compensation you deserve.
To schedule a free consultation with one of our Ohio and Northern Kentucky pedestrian accident attorneys, call our toll-free number at (800) 698-4054 or fill out our online contact form today.
What is Considered a Pedestrian Accident?
Pedestrian accidents are any accidents that involve a motor vehicle colliding with a pedestrian. Even a person riding a horse or sitting in a wheelchair hit by a vehicle is considered a pedestrian. As such, any accident involving a person and a motor vehicle of some sort is considered a pedestrian accident.
Data published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) estimated over 8,900 pedestrians were killed in traffic or non-traffic accidents in 2021. This is an increase of 80% from 2009 when pedestrian fatalities were at their lowest. Non-traffic accidents are considered any accident that occurs in areas such as parking lots, driveways, or other private property.
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, you have the right to file personal injury claims if the accident was caused by negligence. Many pedestrian accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries that can leave you with a mountain of medical bills and more expenses. It’s important to reach out to an experienced Kentucky pedestrian accident attorney to understand what compensation you could be entitled to.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents are most often caused by negligence on the part of the driver or third party. Even though traffic signals and pedestrian crossing signs are there to help drivers be aware of surrounding pedestrians, accidents can still happen.
When drivers are negligent, they can miss a pedestrian with a clear right of way and cause severe and even fatal injuries. Some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents are listed below:
- Distracted driving: When a driver is doing anything other than focusing 100% on the road and driving, it’s considered distracted driving. This can be anything from talking on the phone, changing radio stations, looking at maps, putting on makeup, and more. Focusing on another task for even a second can have terrible consequences.
- Driving while impaired: Drivers that get behind the wheel under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol put everyone around them at risk. Driving while impaired can cause a driver to ignore traffic signals, make wrong turns, and even drive on crosswalks, all leading to catastrophic injuries to a pedestrian. If you’re out walking at night, remaining aware of any impaired drivers is important.
- Speeding: When a driver is speeding, they may not have enough time to stop for a pedestrian. Speeding can also increase the severity of the injuries that the pedestrian sustains.
- Ignoring traffic laws: When drivers ignore traffic signals or make illegal U-turns, they can cause pedestrian accidents. For example, failure to yield at a pedestrian crosswalk can lead to injured pedestrians. Drivers that don’t make a complete stop can also cause pedestrian accidents.
- Driver inexperience: Inexperienced drivers can cause pedestrian accidents due to the fact that they aren’t as familiar with the signs and signals to be aware of when driving near pedestrian crossings. The longer a person drives, the more familiar they become with pedestrian crossing signs and what to be on the lookout for.
- Not slowing down in school zones: When drivers fail to go the school zone speed limit, children can be at risk of being in a pedestrian accident. Being aware of school zones and maintaining reduced speed is key to keeping children safe and avoiding injuries.
- Left-hand turns: Drivers making left-hand turns can accidentally hit a pedestrian since their focus is on oncoming traffic, forgetting to look out for pedestrians. In fact, data collected by New York City’s transportation planners found that pedestrians are three times more likely to be hit by a driver making a left turn than a right one.
Common Types of Pedestrian Injuries
Pedestrian accidents almost always lead to catastrophic injuries, as nothing protects them against an oncoming vehicle. The most common types of pedestrian accident injuries are:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): Traumatic brain injuries are common in pedestrian accidents since they don’t wear protective headgear like motorcyclists and bicyclists. A blow to the head, when a pedestrian is struck by an oncoming vehicle, can have life-altering consequences.
- Spinal cord injuries: Like the brain, the spine can suffer severe injuries when a motor vehicle hits a pedestrian. The spine is a delicate part of the human body, and any type of collision injuring the spine can lead to serious injuries, including paralysis.
- Broken bones: Even the impact of a slow-moving vehicle can lead to broken bones due to the massive weight of the motor vehicle.
- Internal injuries: Even if a pedestrian doesn’t show outward signs of being injured, they could have suffered internal injuries to major organs. Internal bleeding and damage to organs like the heart and lungs can lead to significant complications, including death.
- Amputation: When a pedestrian is injured in a car accident, the injuries can be so severe that they lead to amputations of the injured body parts.
- Road rash and road burn injuries: These injuries are on the less severe side of pedestrian accident injuries, but they can be extremely painful and require extensive medical treatment. They can also often lead to scarring.
- Wrongful death: In extreme pedestrian accident cases, the injuries can lead to wrongful death.
If you’ve suffered any of the above injuries due to driver negligence, you need an experienced Kentucky pedestrian accident lawyer from TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm. To discuss your personal injury claim with one of our pedestrian accident lawyers, call our office today to schedule a free consultation today.
Why You Need a Pedestrian Accident Attorney
The legal process surrounding a pedestrian accident can be complicated. The driver’s insurance company will often do everything in its power to avoid paying for damages. Insurance companies also try to lowball victims’ compensation amounts, leading to the injured party receiving less than the fair compensation they’re entitled to.
In addition to working with the at-fault party’s insurance company, the pedestrian accident lawyers at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm will help you prove that the negligence of another caused your injuries. If necessary, your Ohio or Northern Kentucky personal injury attorney will take your case to court so that you can receive fair compensation for your injuries.
To prove your negligence claim, your TLF pedestrian accident lawyer will:
- Work with law enforcement to investigate your accident and review the police reports.
- Evaluate witness testimony and protect any other evidence surrounding your accident.
- Review your medical records that include treatments you received following your accident and any ongoing medical treatment you may need. Depending on what the medical records show, including the severity of your injuries, can determine the amount of compensation you could receive.
- Negotiate with both your insurance and the driver’s insurance company.
- Pursue lawsuits against those responsible if necessary.
At TLF, We Help Pedestrian Accident Victims Pursue Compensation for Their Injuries
Injuries sustained in a pedestrian accident can often be severe and change a person’s life. Even with minor injuries from a pedestrian accident, the victim can still deal with medical expenses and lost wages due to missing work during the recovery process. More severe injuries like spinal injuries and head injuries can leave a person with permanent damage and can even lead to paralysis. No matter how significant your injuries were from a pedestrian accident, you deserve financial compensation.
The pedestrian accident lawyers at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm will help you recover the following damages for your injuries.
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Physical therapy
- Counseling
- Medical devices and mobility aids, like wheelchairs, canes, walkers, etc.
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Funeral and burial expenses if the injuries result in wrongful death claims
If your loved one died from their injuries following a pedestrian accident caused by another person’s negligence, you have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Surviving family members of the deceased are entitled to certain damages from a wrongful death claim. To learn more about your legal options regarding your wrongful death claim, call TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm today to talk with one of our Cincinnati wrongful death lawyers.
Call the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Personal Injury Lawyers at TLF Today for Help With Your Pedestrian Accident Claim
After you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, you need an experienced attorney to guide you through the complex legal process. The pedestrian accident lawyers at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm have the experience and knowledge necessary to take on even the most complicated pedestrian accident case. To schedule a free initial consultation with one of our pedestrian accident lawyers, call (800) 698-4054 or contact us online today.
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We are happy to offer a free consultation to evaluate your case. If you hire us as your legal counsel, we will represent you on a contingency-fee basis. You will pay no attorneys’ fees unless we recover financial damages.