Pedestrian Incidents
Pedestrian incidents and injuries are on the rise and the time to eliminate them is overdue. Both pedestrians and drivers are responsible for pedestrian safety. Frequently called an accident, pedestrian injuries are most often due to negligence and are preventable.
Our role as personal injury attorneys is to help prevent pedestrian injuries in the first place by sharing how to stay safe as a pedestrian, keep pedestrians safe as a driver, and know what to do should you, unfortunately, find yourself involved in a pedestrian incident.
Do I Need a Personal Injury Attorney for a Pedestrian Accident?
A personal injury attorney’s experience is valuable in resolving your case fully and more quickly than if you do it without an attorney. Attorneys know what questions to ask and resources to seek out to get the most information we can. For example, we once worked with an injured pedestrian where we uncovered that the Driver gave statements to police and surveillance footage proved the driver’s statement was completely false. Also, the police had collected surveillance from one building but not the other. Fortunately, the client got got an attorney involved asap (one week) and we were able to get surveillance footage from other area stores.
Pedestrian incidents can be overwhelming. An attorney has experience in these matters and knows what questions to ask, where to look for witnesses and footage, and how to navigate the legal system. Having a lawyer in your corner, especially if you have sustained serious injury and are unable to advocate for yourself, is critical to getting the help you deserve.
What to Do if You’re in a Pedestrian Accident?
1.
Call 911 If you are struck in a pedestrian incident, you will want to file a police report and have the accident on record. When calling 911, request emergency services so that an ambulance will also be sent to evaluate you. Once the police report is available, make sure to get your copy. The information in the report is valuable. If you are unable to obtain a copy of the police report, do not stress. That is what we’re here for. We’ll request a copy of the report along with any evidence the police collected.
2.
Get the information of any witnesses If possible, you will want to get the name and contact information of any and all witnesses to the accident. We understand that this is often difficult in pedestrian incidents due to injury and may not be possible. If someone is with you at the time of the accident, while they will want to stay by your side, see if they are able to obtain information from anyone who was around to witness.
3.
Seek medical attention No matter how minor you feel your injuries or pain might be, it’s important to get yourself checked out at the scene. Now is not the time to act tough or power through any pain. Even if it feels like just a minor scrape, you will want documentation.
4.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case It is our top priority to make sure that you are taken care of, understand your rights, and are equipped with the knowledge to make the right decisions for yourself when hiring a personal injury attorney. We are here to serve you so you can focus on healing from your injuries and get the resources you need to make that happen.
5.
Establish your case If you retain us as your attorney, will we begin gathering information for your claim.. This will involve collecting witness information, doctor’s reports surrounding treatment, photos from the incident, and more that will help us put together your case and what you are seeking. We will use this information to prepare a demand letter and any additional paperwork to support your claim. It is our responsibility to monitor this claim and follow up with any necessary parties involved for the additional information needed and navigate the negotiations that will follow.
How Pedestrians Can Prevent Injury
Pedestrian safety is a two-way street. While we rely on vehicles to do their part to keep pedestrians safe, it’s important that as a pedestrian you are traveling responsibly and appropriately in designated areas meant for pedestrians. Abiding by the rules of the road can save your life.
Cross at Crosswalks
While drivers should remain vigilant at all times, it is difficult for them to do so if you pop out from your parked car and cross the street right there instead of walking to the intersection where you’ll find the closest crosswalk.
Wait for Cross Signs
The red handed stop sign and the white stick figure crossing the street are there for a reason, and your safety relies on taking them seriously. It may be tempting to run across the street when the closest car is way off in the distance, but even if you think you have time to cross you might not. Cars are traveling at a much faster rate than you and can get to you quicker than you may think. So make sure to wait for the walk symbol so that you know it’s your turn to enter the intersection.
Stay on Sidewalks
If a sidewalk is available, always use it. Sidewalks are put in place for pedestrian safety. Choose to walk single file if you don’t fit on the sidewalk, don’t stand next to someone if it leaves one of you walking in the road.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
We always hear “Look both ways before we cross the street”, but that goes for any area where cars may be. Keep your head up and off your phone when walking on sidewalks as you never know when a car may be coming down its driveway to cross the sidewalk.
Use Lights and Reflectors in the Dark
Walking in a poorly lit area is not always avoidable, as much as we would like it to be. It’s important that cars be able to see you at all times, and the best way to do this is by wearing a reflective vest, carrying a flashlight and wearing a headlamp and other reflective patches on your clothing.
How Drivers Can Prevent Pedestrian Injury
Put Down the Phone
It goes without saying, don’t text and drive. Even at a stop light, texting can have dangerous consequences, especially when you are stopped at a light with a crosswalk. You may see the light change in your peripheral vision while texting and start moving before you see the pedestrian still in the crosswalk. Staying alert with your eyes on the road is just as important when stopped as it is while driving.
Pull Over if You're Feeling Tired
Drowsy drivers can be the cause of pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents. If you find yourself getting tired, immediately pull over or find a parking lot where you can rest. You can always call a friend or rideshare to pick you up.
Stay Vigilant
Keep your eyes on the road and be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you’re driving on a walkable street, be aware of crosswalks and pay special attention to cars parked on the side of the road in the event that a pedestrian is walking between the cars to cross the street.
Line up a Ride Home
It goes without saying, never drive drunk or even buzzed. If you are planning a night out, especially when there will be drinking or you might be too tired to drive home, it’s important to have a plan and a back-up plan. Lyft and Uber exist for a reason and will always cost less than a court case if you drive drunk or reckless.
We Focus on The Details of Your Pedestrian Incident Case So You Can Move Forward
At Johnson Livingston, we take our jobs personally. Our attention and passion has been and always will be focused on our clients. We give each case everything we’ve got. We care about the results our clients receive and we work hard to get to know our clients, their challenges, injury, and their ability to recover and live a good life. We are here to take your pedestrian injury and any other injuries you sustained through another’s negligence seriously.
By putting our clients’ needs first we focus on doing what we do best and share your story based on facts and evidence. We communicate with you through every step of the process, making it easy for you to focus on getting better while we focus on your case. To do our best work and successfully tell your story, we rely on full disclosure and honesty from each of our clients.
Brain Injury cases can take more time than other personal injury cases because the details tend to be more complex. We want to ensure that your needs are being fully met. The good news is, that we won’t give up on your case, we will do what’s best for you, no matter what it takes we will stand for you and for your rights.
Pricing and Compensation from Case?
Call: (801) 948-9670
Text: (801) 683-5359
When a claim settles, our fee is 1/3 of the settlement value.
For cases that are filed in the court, or litigated, our fee increases to 40% of any money awarded.
Our fees are standard in the Utah personal injury marketplace.
Areas We Serve in Utah
Davis County
Salt Lake County
Sanpete County
Utah County
Johnson | Livingston, LLC
Personal Injury & Trial Attorneys
195 South Orem Blvd, Suite 1
Orem, UT 84058
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Disclaimer: This website and its contents are intended for informational purposes only and do not intend to provide or replace medical or legal advice.