Help keep your community safe by taking steps to prevent pedestrian fatalities.
Pedestrian Safety Is Important
In Utah during 2022, there were 53 pedestrian fatalities, 15 bicyclist fatalities, and 50 motorcyclist fatalities, each more than in 2021. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in aggressive and distracted driving, likely contributing to these findings. Because they are in such vunerable positions, pedestrian accidents often result in severe injuries. Pedestrian crashes may cause spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, soft tissue injuries, and other life threatening injuries. Oftentimes, accident victims need immediate medical attention for the serious injuries they’ve sustained. And tragically, when it comes to pedestrian accident cases, pedestrian fatalities are far from uncommon. In order to keep our communities safe, we all need to take steps to prevent pedestrian accidents. Recent pedestrian accident statistics claim that pedestrian fatalities have reached the highest level in the past 40 years. We all know that pedestrian accidents cause serious injuries. Now it’s time to take action to prevent pedestrian accident injuries.
Be Careful in Residential Areas
You don’t want to be the reason your neighbor is looking for a pedestrian accident lawyer. You can prevent pedestrian injuries by driving slower in areas where pedestrians are likely to be. Prevent crosswalk accidents by keeping an eye out for any crossing pedestrians. Look out for unmarked crosswalks. Even if there isn’t a painted crosswalk, there is an implied crosswalk at any traffic signal and you could still be found to be the at-fault party even if the pedestrian accident occurs in an unmarked crosswalk. Motor vehicle operators should also be aware of the speed that they’re driving through residential areas. Many pedestrian accidents occur when children are on their way to and from school, or when people are jogging in the mornings. In parking lots, it isn’t terribly uncommon for pedestrians to walk straight into oncoming traffic, especially if they’re children. If you’re driving through a neighborhood or parking lot, make sure you’re going slow enough to come to a complete stop in the event that a pedestrian walks in front of your car. Driving slower may prevent a potential pedestrian vehicle accident.
Look before You Turn
Many pedestrian accident victims were injured when a car turned into their pathway. Any time you turn, you should be on the lookout for pedestrians crossing the street. This is true even if you have a green light, or you believe you have the right of way. Most pedestrian accidents occur because the at fault driver didn’t see the pedestrian. In towns like Salt Lake City, pedestrian accidents are more common because many people park on the streets, and many people walk around the downtown area. If you’re in the big city, you can prevent Salt Lake City pedestrian accidents by being aware of your surroundings at all times. This means looking both the direction traffic is coming down the road, and looking to your right, to see if pedestrians are trying to cross in the opposite direction. Do your part to prevent traffic accidents by looking out for pedestrians before you enter crosswalks, and remain alert and attentive at all times.
Don’t Drive Distracted
Distracted driving has caused an unthinkable amount of pedestrian accident claims. Unfortunately, pedestrian accident injuries can be severe even at the lowest speeds. All too often, pedestrian accident victims are burdened by the cost of emergency medical attention, future medical expenses, lost wages, medical bills, and emotional distress. Oftentimes, the insurance company barely offers enough compensation to pay the medical bills, let alone the lost wages and future medical expenses. This is the unfortunate reality for pedestrian accident victims who were hit at even the lowest speeds. When you look at your phone for five seconds, it’s the same as driving across an entire football field with your eyes closed. Not only have you increased your chance of causing a car accident, you’ve increased the chance of causing a pedestrian accident. If you’re driving a car, you need to pull over to a safe location before using your phone
Know Your Rights
A lot of injured pedestrians are confused as to what they should do after a pedestrian accident. If you have car insurance, even if you get hit as a pedestrian, your own insurance has benefits you may be entitled to. Of course, if you’re hit by another person in their car, you should also file a pedestrian accident claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Because, sadly, it’s not uncommon for the insurance company to look for reasons to deny claims or make an offer far below what would be considered to be fair compensation. If you’re looking to get a fair settlement, and the insurance company is only offering what seems to be the bare minimum for your pedestrian accident claim, you may benefit from meeting with a Utah pedestrian accident lawyer.
A Utah Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Can Help You
If you were involved in a Utah pedestrian accident, a Utah pedestrian accident lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve. At Moxie Law Group, you can get started on your pedestrian accident claim from the comfort of your home. Simply call our law firm for a free consultation. During the free consultation, you’ll tell a pedestrian accident lawyer, or a member of our legal team, about the car accident. If we determine that we can get you the compensation you deserve, we’ll get to work on your pedestrian accident claim. When a personal injury attorney works on a pedestrian accident claim, they normally negotiate the maximum compensation with the insurance company. At Moxie Law Group, our law firm gives a free consultation to all potential clients, and our pedestrian accident lawyers work on contingency. This ensures that everyone has access to the legal advice they need without having to pay upfront. If you’ve been injured, and you need a pedestrian accident attorney, contact Moxie Law Group today to get started.
