Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian Accident Attorney Services For Washington, D.C., Maryland & Virginia
When pedestrians and cars meet, bad things happen and people get injured. If you’re looking for a top pedestrian accident lawyer in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia, you’ve come to the right place. The car accident lawyer DC trusts of Cohen & Cohen represents people who have been injured as a result of a pedestrian car accident.
According to the National Highway Safety Administration, in 2011 there were 4,432 deaths to pedestrians in the United States. There were 69,000 pedestrians injured in 2011, and the numbers of injuries and deaths seem to be slightly on the rise.
If you are involved in an accident with a car, and you are a pedestrian, there are some tips you can follow which might (repeat, might!) help protect you. First, protect your head. While broken bones can of course be serious, head injuries are the worst. Cover your head with your arms so that your forehead is in the crook of your elbows. Second, aim for the safety glass. The windshield or car windows actually can provide a cushioning effect. Third, if you have the ability, try to jump on top of the hood or roof. You do not want the vehicle to roll over you. Climbing above the vehicle may help prevent serious injury. Time your jump to get as high as possible on the vehicle.
There are some additional steps you can take also. Always check for traffic by looking both ways, and don’t rely solely on the crosswalk signal. Too many accidents occur because drivers fail to see pedestrians, even in crosswalks. Wearing bright clothing can help as well. If you are walking in the evening, do what you can to be seen. This may mean wearing a reflective band, or even turning on your cellphone flashlight. If there’s any doubt about crossing safely, don’t do it.
In 2013, there were 4,735 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in the U.S, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Sadly the number of pedestrian deaths is on the rise. In 2016, 5,987 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, averaging to one crash-related pedestrian death every 1.5 hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previously, the average of crash-related pedestrian deaths was one per every two hours.
In addition, the CDC also reported that in 2015 almost 129,000 pedestrians were treated in emergency departments for non-fatal crash-related injuries. Pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to be killed in a car crash on each trip.
With more pedestrian related deaths and injuries, there is a greater need for a top pedestrian accidents lawyer.
It turns out the eldery are most at risk for being involved in a pedestrian car accident. Older adult pedestrians ages 65 and older accounted for 20% of all pedestrian deaths in 2016. Of all pedestrians injured in 2015, 15% of all pedestrians injured were over the age of 65.
Children under the age of 15 are also one of the groups most at risk to be in a pedestrian accident. In 2016, one in every five children under the age of 15 who were killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians, according to the CDC.
Pedestrians who are alcohol-impaired are also most at risk. Almost half, a whopping 48%, of car crashes that resulted in pedestrian deaths involved alcohol, either for the driver or the pedestrian. It should come as so surprise that one in every three (33%) fatal pedestrian crashes involved a pedestrian that had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dL). Out of fatal pedestrian accidents, 13% involved a driver with a BAC of at least 0.08 g/dL.
Other factors can affect pedestrian accidents. The higher a vehicle’s speed, the increase in likelihood that if a pedestrian is struck it will end in fatality or severe injury. The higher the speed of a vehicle involved in a crash can increase the damage/injury if there is a car accident in the DC area.
Additionally most pedestrian deaths occur in urban areas, non-intersection locations, and at night because the visibility is down.
Pedestrian accidents and pedestrian accident deaths are a huge problem in the Washington DC area. Pedestrian deaths shot up nearly 20 percent in 2018, reports the Washington Post.
The outlet reported in February 2019 that pedestrians accounted for “one-third of the 290 traffic deaths in the greater Washington area last year — their largest proportion of the region’s road fatalities in more than a decade.”
Traffic deaths were down overall from 2017 to 2018, but pedestrian deaths rose. The Washington Post wrote that the increase in pedestrian deaths “baffle” officials. According to the data collected by the outlet, 92 pedestrians were killed in 2018. That number is up significantly from 77 pedestrian deaths in 2017.
In February 2019, Jon Schermann, a transportation planner with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, said to the Post, “Certainly the numbers are not going in the right direction. Everyone’s concerned about what’s going on.”
If you are a loved one was involved in a pedestrian accident in the Washington DC area, contacting a knowledgeable pedestrian accident may be your best bet to find out if you deserve compensation.
If You’ve Been Injured, Seek A Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Right Away
If you have suffered an injury by a vehicle, then you should seek counsel immediately. Counsel will help you maximize the compensation to which you are entitled. Your lawyer will help you work through the difficult issues surrounding your medical bills, as well as your treatment.
If you need a pedestrian accident lawyer, feel free to call the law office of Cohen & Cohen today for a free consultation. Our pedestrian accident attorneys will help you, whether your case is in Maryland, D.C. or Virginia.
