When you’re on foot, whether walking the streets of Suffolk to get to work or just walking to stay fit and active, you have the reasonable expectation that no harm will come to you during the course of your walk. Unfortunately, that is not always the case—and if you’re injured as a pedestrian, your first move should be to call a Suffolk, Virginia, pedestrian accident attorney.
Virginia’s streets can be quite dangerous, as pedestrians are placed in close proximity to passing traffic and subject to a variety of conditions on the sidewalk and other common walkways. In just a split second, a negligent, careless, or reckless driver can veer off course and strike a pedestrian, causing serious or even deadly injuries.
The terrain itself can turn a pleasant stroll into an ongoing nightmare when pedestrians slip and fall or trip and fall due to under-maintained pavement and other hazards. If you were injured as a pedestrian, reach out to our Virginia pedestrian accident attorney to find out what rights you have for legal recourse.
According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one pedestrian is killed every 88 minutes on the nation’s highways and streets, which amounts to around 6,000 deaths per year. Moreover, just south of 140,000 pedestrians are injured and seek out treatment in ERs around the country every year. And when involved in a car crash, pedestrians are 1.5 times as likely to die when compared to the occupants of a vehicle.
Unfortunately, most pedestrian accidents and the uncalled-for deaths and unnecessary injuries they cause are totally preventable. If you’ve been injured, you need to call a Suffolk, Virginia, pedestrian accident attorney right away.
In most cases, drivers involved in pedestrian accidents are usually at fault, and therefore, liable for the damage they cause. This is particularly true when pedestrian accidents occur at marked crosswalks or when it is clear that the pedestrian had the right-of-way. Sadly, it is often the case that a speeding motorist or a motorist who is impaired by alcohol or drugs is the root cause of a pedestrian accident, leaving behind devastated lives in their wake.
Motorists are not the only cause of pedestrian accidents, however. Pedestrians who fall and injure themselves due to uneven concrete, broken pavements, and loose gravel, for example, may have cause to collect damages from whoever is tasked with maintaining the sidewalk where they fell.
Injured pedestrians have legal options when it comes to collecting the compensation due to them for their injuries. These may include a mix of:
The greatest obstacle that an injured pedestrian must overcome when filing a claim is the identification of liable parties. Because who is responsible for what can become complicated in a pedestrian accident claim, it is important for injured pedestrians to reach out to a law firm with a history of handling claims of this type. Reach out to Suffolk, Virginia, pedestrian accident attorney firm Randall, Page & Bruch, P.C. for seasoned advice from a caring and compassionate team of professionals. You can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or by calling 757-742-6115.
