According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is one crash-related pedestrian fatality every 1.6 hours in the U.S. Furthermore, pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely than occupants of passenger vehicles to be killed in car crashes.
Pedestrians are often struck while waiting at bus stops or attempting to cross streets. Drivers may be so fixated on traffic ahead that they fail to notice people in the crosswalk or stepping off of the sidewalk. Pedestrian accidents also occur as a result of drivers running red lights or driving under the influence. An intoxicated driver may be unable to account properly for distance and speed.
Pedestrian accidents can occur anywhere, but they are particularly common in urban areas and at night. Las Vegas, with its crowded streets and bustling nightlife, can be particularly hazardous for people traveling by foot.
Injuries From Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents commonly cause leg fractures due to the impact of car bumpers. If a pedestrian is thrown into the air in the course of an accident, the resulting fall could lead to herniated discs and kidney or spleen injuries.
Pedestrian accidents can also cause brain impairment, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI is caused by a blow to the head that interrupts standard brain function. Mild TBIs are classified as concussions. More serious TBIs can cause depression or loss of movement, memory, vision, and hearing. In serious cases, TBI can lead to death. According to the most recent statistics from the CDC, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of TBI-related death for people ages 5 to 24 years and the top cause of TBI-related hospitalization for people ages 15 to 44. TBI contributes to the death of roughly 50,000 people per year in the U.S.
Getting the Compensation You Deserve
Just as people who have been hurt in a motor vehicle accident have the right to seek financial compensation, so do pedestrians. If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, talk to a qualified traumatic brain injury accident attorney immediately. If you wait, evidence could be destroyed, and witnesses could disappear.
At Tingey Injury Law Firm, we can conduct a prompt and thorough investigation and fight to get you the compensation that you are entitled to. This may include past and future medical costs, lost earnings and earning potential, emotional distress, pain and suffering, property damage, and more.
Some people depend on the other party’s insurance adjustors to work out a settlement. Remember, though, that they do not have your best interest at heart and may pressure you into an early settlement that does not provide the full benefits that you are entitled to. Enlist the help of an experienced pedestrian accident attorney early on.
If you have sustained a traumatic brain injury, seek out the help of a traumatic brain injury attorney in the Las Vegas area. At Tingey Injury Law Firm, we will listen to your story and draw on our extensive experience to get you the benefits that you deserve so that you can focus on healing. We are well-versed in helping patients who have sustained a variet2y of different health problems due to pedestrian accidents, including serious injuries such as TBI.
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Infographic
Pedestrian accidents usually occur in cities or urban areas during the night. Most cases involve pedestrians getting struck while waiting at bus stops or trying to cross streets. These most common causes of accidents are drivers running red lights or driving under the influence. Find out in this infographic what to do when you are injured in a pedestrian accident.