One of the common ways that senior citizens keep active is by walking. For many of these seniors, it is also a primary means of transportation. This is one reason why elderly are at extra risk of being injured in a pedestrian accident. They may be dealing with vision or hearing difficulties, as well as physical issues that make them especially vulnerable to pedestrian accidents.
If your elderly loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident caused by a negligent driver, contact a law firm to meet with a pedestrian accident attorney and find out what legal recourse you may have.
National Statistics
The statistics associated with pedestrian accidents with elderly victims is staggering:
- In one year, there are approximately 130,000 pedestrians who are injured in pedestrian accidents. Almost 15 percent of those victims are age 65 years or older.
- Victims who are 65 years or older account for 20 percent of all fatal pedestrian accidents.
- The financial cost of pedestrian accident injuries each year is approximately $4 billion. The financial cost of pedestrian accident fatalities each year is $21 billion.
Some of the more common injuries that elderly pedestrian accident victims sustain include:
- Abdominal trauma is a frequent injury in pedestrian accidents, often causing damage to different organs in the area, such as the liver, as well as cause internal bleeding
- Brain injuries, which often leave elderly victims suffering with sensory and memory issues
- Fractured bones, which often require extensive rehabilitation for elderly victims to heal
- Spinal cord injuries, including fractures, dislocated discs, and ligament damages
- Death
Negligent Driver Actions that Cause Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accident attorneys know that there are many different driver behaviors that can result in a pedestrian being struck and injured. Or worse. Under many state’s laws, all drivers owe a duty of care to other commuters that they share the road with, including pedestrians. Some of the more common causes we see in the pedestrian accident cases we handle include:
- Distracted driving
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol
- Drugged driving
- Speeding
- Failing to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians
- Disobeying traffic laws
There are steps that pedestrians can take to help avoid being a victim. In some pedestrian accidents, the pedestrian was negligent and that caused the accident. Some ways pedestrians can be responsible for the accident they are injured in include:
- Walking under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Walking while distracted, such as looking at their phone or walking with earbuds
- Walking against a do not walk signal
- Jaywalking
- Running into traffic
- Walking in areas that are prohibited areas for pedestrians
Contact a Pedestrian Accident Attorney for Help
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact a lawyer for help. A lawyer will make sure you get the financial compensation you may be entitled to under the law, including medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, and more. Call a law office today to set up a confidential case evaluation and find out how they can help.
Source: Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT, Rasmussen & Miner