Were You Injured as a Pedestrian? Call Today!

Pedestrian accidents are more deadly - and more frequent - than you might realize. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely than vehicle occupants to be killed in a car accident. The CDC also reports that in 2015, one pedestrian died every 1.6 hours across the United States. These facts show just how serious the problem of pedestrian accidents has become. Because pedestrians are at such a high risk of serious injury or death in an auto accident, it is important for injured pedestrians to hold negligent drivers accountable by enforcing their rights to compensation. This encourages drivers to correct unsafe driving habits and makes the roads of New York safer for all road users.

In order to best protect the right to be compensated for injuries and losses, it is important for an injury victim to seek the advice of an experienced New York pedestrian accident attorney. The seasoned attorneys at Russo Law LLP are very experienced when it comes to protecting the rights of injured New York pedestrians. Unlike other firms, you have direct access to our attorneys, who are also the partners in our firm. They make the time for phone calls, emails, or in-person meetings with our clients. Our paralegals and support staff ensure that you receive exemplary customer service so that you can focus on your recovery.

Call us at (914) 266-2722   to learn more about the legal process of filing a personal injury claim after an auto accident.

Why Are Pedestrians at Such a High Risk?

As the CDC statistics show, pedestrians face a much higher risk of serious injury or death than occupants of a vehicle involved in an auto accident. There are many reasons for this danger:

• Vehicle occupants have the benefit of both a physical barrier and specific safety features within the vehicle (such as seat belts and airbags).
• Pedestrians often suffer from multiple impacts in an auto accident. After striking the vehicle, the pedestrian might be thrown in the air or against another car, tree, or building.
• Bicyclists and motorcyclists often have the benefit of a helmet, which significantly decreases the chance of death in an auto accident.
• Alcohol use (either in a driver or a pedestrian) significantly increases the chances that a pedestrian will be killed in an auto accident. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 48 percent of all crashes causing a pedestrian death involved either a driver or pedestrian who had alcohol in their system. Approximately one in three fatal pedestrian accidents involved a pedestrian whose blood alcohol level was .08 or higher.
• Crossing outside of a designated intersection can also increase the odds of a pedestrian accident. The CDC reports that most pedestrian accidents occur at night. Low lighting makes it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians.

As you can see, there are many factors that contribute to both the occurrence of pedestrian accidents and the severity of injuries a pedestrian sustains in such an accident. It is important for pedestrians to be aware of these risk factors in order to know what reasonable safety precautions will best reduce their risk of being injured or killed in an auto accident. Unfortunately, many accidents are caused by negligent driving. When a negligent driver causes injury or death to a pedestrian, it is important to hold that driver accountable for the devastating loss they caused.

What Can Increase the Chance of an Accident? 

There are many different poor driving habits that can increase the odds of causing an auto accident. These behaviors are especially dangerous to pedestrians:

• Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, prescription medications, or any combination thereof
• Nighttime driving
• Drowsy driving
• New or inexperienced drivers who have not yet developed safe driving habits
• Distracted driving (whether by texting, using an electronic device for any other purpose, eating drinking, or even attending to children or pets)

Certain areas also carry a higher risk of pedestrian accidents. Parking lots and garages, for example, have lots of movement. They also tend to have poor lighting. Thus, a parking lot at night can be a dangerous place for a pedestrian to walk. This is especially true on a holiday or other celebratory occasion when drivers and pedestrians are more likely to be drinking. (Imagine New Year’s Eve or a winning World Series game.) Pedestrians should be aware of these risk factors so they can take particular care to note their surroundings while walking.

Ultimately, it is the legal duty of every driver to operate their vehicle with reasonable caution. When drivers fail to do so, pedestrians can be badly hurt. This is why it is so important for injured pedestrians to assert their legal rights after a car accident. The law provides compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, future medical expenses, and other financial losses that are attributable to a driver’s negligence. But this legal mechanism is also an important tool for holding drivers accountable for their dangerous actions and letting other drivers know that it is not acceptable to endanger pedestrians. By enforcing individual accountability, our roads can be made safer for all New Yorkers.

The Right Choice for Your Personal Injury Case

Our award-winning attorneys at Russo Law are highly experienced when it comes to protecting accident victims throughout New York. Injury victims trust us to aggressively protect their legal rights and provide superior customer service. Our attorneys take the time to learn about you and your story, so they are able to aggressively protect your legal rights and secure fair compensation for your economic and non-economic losses. Contact us today to learn more about your legal rights after an auto accident and get the results and compensation you deserve.