It is unfortunate, but many people are tragically awakened to the fact that, just because they are pedestrians, this does not mean that they can escape the risk of being in a vehicle accident. Every year, thousands of pedestrians are killed or injured in motor vehicle accidents.

Over the past 30+ years, we have helped thousands of personal injury clients recover damages from negligent drivers in vehicle accident cases involving pedestrians, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles.

Request a free, no-obligation consultation today; call 718-441-5050 or contact us online to get started.

In urban areas such as Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, many people choose walking as a mode of transportation, either solely or in conjunction with buses, subways, or trains.

“Pedestrians” include:

• People walking
• Joggers
• Skateboarders
• The disabled in wheelchairs
• Window-shoppers
• Tourists on foot
• People walking their dogs/pets
• Those who walk for health

A 2012 Benchmarking Report by the Alliance for Biking and Walking concluded that, as of 2009, walking was the primary mode of commuting to work for nearly 4 million people in the United States. On any given day, almost anyone who steps outside of their home may be a pedestrian, even if it is only while walking from one’s car in the parking lot into a shopping mall.

According to accident data compiled by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), pedestrians are one of the few groups of road users for which fatalities have been on the rise. NHTSA data shows that, nationwide, 4,743 pedestrians were killed in accidents involving vehicles in 2012, and another 76,000 pedestrians were injured.

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, that same year in New York alone, there were over 15,000 accidents involving motor vehicles hitting pedestrians, leading to 312 pedestrian deaths, making New York drivers accountable for 6.6% of all pedestrian deaths nationwide. While accidents involving pedestrians make up less than 6% of all New York vehicle accidents, pedestrian deaths account for 27% of all vehicle accident fatalities.

Of course, the reason pedestrians constitute such a high proportion of vehicle accident fatalities is that the human body has few defenses against a vehicle, no matter how small the vehicle and no matter how low the rate of speed.

Pedestrians also suffer from further disadvantages; their small physical profile makes them harder to see for drivers, particularly at night, when most pedestrian accidents occur. And while some pedestrian accidents are caused by pedestrians who fail to take proper care (such as texting while crossing the street, walking at night in dark clothing, or exhibiting other behavior that shows poor judgment), like other vehicle accidents, many pedestrian accidents are caused by negligent drivers.

Some of the leading causes of pedestrian accidents include:

• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Drunk driving
• Inexperienced/teen drivers
• Failure to stop at red lights/stop signs
• Failure to check for pedestrians in crosswalks when turning
• Fatigued driving

In some cases, defective roadways, traffic control devices, or auto parts can also cause or contribute to a pedestrian accident. In such cases, our Queens pedestrian accident attorneys can work to hold the manufacturer or distributor accountable through a product liability claim.

Negligence is a specific type of civil law tort. In the context of a pedestrian accident, all drivers have a duty to pedestrians to follow all traffic laws and rules of the road. When a driver breaches this duty and hits a pedestrian, he or she may be held liable for any injury caused.

Damages may include but are not limited to:

• Medical costs
• Rehabilitative and/or long-term care costs
• Pain and suffering
• Lost income
• Lost income potential

When negligent driving is at the root of a pedestrian injury—whether the driver was intoxicated, speeding, or failed to stop at a red light—it is critical that the injured pedestrian take the appropriate steps to enforce their rights and obtain all the damages to which they may be legally entitled.

If you have been injured—or someone close to you has been seriously injured or killed—in a pedestrian accident caused by a negligent driver, find out if you may have a viable personal injury claim. Contact our Queens car accident lawyers to set up a free consultation. You pay no legal fees unless and until we agree to represent you and obtain damages on your behalf.

Call 718-441-5050 or submit an online case evaluation form today.