Beaumont Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
Getting hit by a car while crossing the street or walking along the road can result in serious—sometimes fatal—injuries for pedestrians. Pedestrians have little protection from injury when involved in an accident with a dangerous driver, and they are often left with overwhelming medical costs, even when health insurance is available. Victims of pedestrian accidents may have a right to compensation from the at-fault driver or their insurer after a crash. If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident in Texas, contact the aggressive and hard-working Beaumont injury accident lawyers at the Gilbert Adams Law Offices for a consultation on your case.
Pedestrian accidents on the rise
As pedestrian fatalities rise across the country, the numbers establish that Texas reveals one of the nation’s most dangerous states for pedestrians. The Governors Highway Safety Association ranks Texas as the country’s fifth-most dangerous state for pedestrians, with an average of over 600 pedestrians dying on Texas roads every year. In 2017, pedestrian deaths in Texas alone made up 10% of all pedestrian fatalities in the US. Overall roadway fatalities are falling while pedestrian fatalities are on the rise, which has made pedestrian safety an urgent topic of concern for safety experts.
What are common causes of pedestrian accidents?
Safety researchers attribute the rate of pedestrian accidents to several leading factors, including:
- Visibility limitations created by SUVs: The number of fatal pedestrian accidents that involve SUVs has gone up by 50% since 2013. Pedestrians are more likely to suffer serious or fatal injuries when struck by SUVs due to their higher-seated front ends and greater mass than sedans.
- Roadway design: Pedestrians need safe, marked, and well-lit crosswalks in order to make it safely to their destinations. When roadway designs do not include these critical features, pedestrians may be forced to cross between crosswalks or without sufficient lighting to ensure that they are visible to drivers, putting them at risk of being hit.
- Drunk driving: Drivers who get behind the wheel while impaired often do not pay adequate attention for pedestrians while driving, and they also become far more likely to run red lights and stop signs while pedestrians may be crossing the street.
- Speeding: Drivers traveling over the speed limit are likelier to run red lights after pedestrians have entered the crosswalk. Additionally, they are less capable of timely stopping after they see that a pedestrian has entered a crosswalk that lacks a traffic signal.
- Distracted driving: When drivers are texting or taking photos or videos behind the wheel, they become far less likely to notice smaller objects such as pedestrians in the road ahead. The rates of pedestrian fatalities have risen steadily along with the rise in the popularity of smartphones.
Pedestrians struck by automobiles are often left with serious and permanent injuries such as lacerations, soft tissue damage, broken bones, internal bleeding, and head injuries. Without compensation from those responsible for these serious accidents, victims may not be able to afford the care they need to recover. Get help obtaining the money you need and deserve after a Texas pedestrian accident by contacting the Beaumont pedestrian accident lawyers at the Gilbert Adams Law Offices.
Injured in a Pedestrian Accident in Beaumont, Texas? Call Gilbert Adams Law Offices for Help
For seasoned and dedicated legal representation after a Texas car crash or pedestrian accident, contact the Gilbert Adams Law Offices in Beaumont for a free consultation at 409-835-3000.