It’s reasonable not to expect to find yourself involved in an accident as a pedestrian, yet circumstances beyond your control can often lead to this becoming the case. In 2019, 569 pedestrians were injured in crashes in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, pedestrians are especially vulnerable in these situations, with no airbags or other protection to mitigate their injuries. As a result, these incidents can result in severe injury and significantly impact a person’s day-to-day life, and require a dedicated Oklahoma City pedestrian accident lawyer to obtain maximum compensation to fund your recovery. Contact one of our experienced personal injury attorneys at AMA Law today.
Though motorists shoulder most of the responsibility for road accidents, given they’re in charge of a vehicle, pedestrians can certainly be at fault in road accidents. Pedestrians are responsible for remaining aware of their surroundings and following the highway code when walking by the roadside or crossing streets. By crossing at intersections and walking in well-lit areas, pedestrians can minimize the risk of becoming involved in an accident.
By the same token, motorists should allow pedestrians to safely cross the street by stopping when instructed to and slowing down where appropriate. The state introduced the Pedestrian Safety Program to address the rising numbers of brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and fatalities suffered in pedestrian accidents. However, if both parties fail to exercise caution, these accidents can still occur, often with life-changing consequences.
It’s not uncommon for both parties to blame one another in these accidents, citing speeding, lack of attention, and mobile phone use as aggravating factors, among others. Statistics have shown that failing to yield causes 8.2% of crashes while driving at unsafe speeds causes another 4.6% in Oklahoma alone.
Before doing anything, you should first seek immediate medical attention to assess the severity of your injuries. The police will investigate to determine the cause of the accident and any factors that may have played a part in it. It may be challenging to comprehend the impact the accident may have on your future while the adrenaline is flowing, but any evidence found may be vital to you at a later date.
If you choose to pursue a case, witness statements from pedestrians and road users could prove helpful in establishing that you weren’t at fault. Similarly, dashcam recordings and CCTV footage taken from local cameras could help demonstrate who was to blame in the moments leading up to the incident. Determining fault will be your lawyer’s initial priority, as the case you’re trying to build hinges on it. Your Oklahoma City pedestrian accident attorney will thus do everything they can to gather the evidence needed to identify who was culpable in your accident.
Pedestrian accident claims are often settled out of court, and the assistance of a lawyer throughout this process will be invaluable. Your attorney will be able to assist by processing evidence and outlining the damages you’ve incurred. Depending on how many factors are at play, the time this takes can vary wildly.
More complicated settlements will naturally take longer to negotiate, depending on both parties’ willingness to settle and an agreement on the sum in question. Though this sounds exhausting, your pedestrian accident lawyer in Oklahoma City will support you throughout to ensure you get the justice you’re entitled to.
If you’ve been the victim of a pedestrian accident and feel that another party’s negligence resulted in any injuries you’ve suffered, you may have grounds to pursue a claim against the driver or possibly your employer if you were acting within the scope of your employment. If this is the case, contact your Oklahoma City pedestrian accident lawyer from AMA Law for any advice and guidance you may need. Schedule your free case evaluation. Our team is always happy to aid victims on their path to recovery.