What Causes Pedestrian Accidents And Injuries?

There are about 6,000 pedestrians killed in accidents every year, but why do they happen? Below are the most common causes of these unfortunate accidents, and remember to speak to a pedestrian accident attorney Tualatin if one happens to you. 

Not Yielding Right Of Way: Not yielding the right of way is the most common reason for pedestrian accidents. For example, when a car is turning left at an intersection, it may not yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. This often happens because they are trying to turn before traffic gets to them in the intersection but they don’t look at the crosswalk for pedestrians.

However, this accident also can happen if the pedestrian isn’t looking as well or if they are in the crosswalk when they shouldn’t be.

Crossing The Road Improperly: Even if the pedestrian crosses the road in a crosswalk, they may be there when they should not be. It’s important that the pedestrian crosses with the pedestrian signal. If you are hit in a crosswalk when you should not be there, you could be found at fault and you can’t get compensation for your injuries.

If there is any question about who is at fault in the accident, you should talk to your pedestrian accident attorney Tualatin about it as soon as you can.

Poor Visibility: Another common reason for these accidents is when there is less visibility on the road. When there is poor visibility, it may be hard for both parties to see each other. Some of the most common reasons for a lack of visibility are rain, snow, sleet, poor headlights, pedestrians wearing dark clothing, and bright lights in the walker’s eyes.

It's important for both parties to use caution when they are sharing the roads. While many pedestrian accidents are caused by the driver, there are also situations where the pedestrian causes the problem, as well.

Whoever causes the accident, you should talk to your pedestrian accident attorney  Tualatin to find out if you have a strong case.