When you’re walking around Pine Bluff, you expect the motorists to follow the rules of the road. If a careless driver has broken driving laws and harmed you in an accident, you may have severe injuries and serious medical debt. You can take legal action to recover these losses and hold the driver accountable for their actions. To make sure your rights are protected, you’ll want to have a Pine Bluff pedestrian accident lawyer fighting for you.
McMath Woods P.A. has helped many injured pedestrians get justice for their injuries. We understand how intimidating the legal process can be and that’s why we’re here. Our attorneys will do everything possible to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
Pedestrian Laws in Arkansas
Your lawyer will find out how the other party acted negligently. They may have broken pedestrian laws where you had the right-of-way and they did not. Let’s look at a few pedestrian laws that may be a factor in your case:
- Crosswalks. While some crosswalks may have traffic signals that stop oncoming traffic and allow pedestrians to cross, there may be crosswalks with these signals. In Arkansas, pedestrians have right-of-way at crosswalks. Drivers need to yield to let them cross safely.
- Overtaking Stopped Vehicles. If a vehicle is stopped at a crosswalk because a pedestrian is crossing, any approaching vehicles cannot pass the stopped vehicle.
There are other factors that could apply to your accident. When certain risks are present, there’s a higher likelihood of an accident with injuries occurring. The following risk factors contribute to pedestrian accidents in Pine Bluff:
- Intoxication. In fatal pedestrian collisions, about 40% of the instances involved pedestrian intoxication and 18% involved driver intoxication. Alcohol impedes motor function, decision making, and the ability to track moving objects.
- Urban vs. Rural Area. Urban areas are more likely to have deadly collisions. About 66% of fatal pedestrian collisions happen in urban areas because they have more foot traffic and more drivers. It only takes one person’s negligence to cause a dangerous accident. With more drivers, there’s a higher chance of someone making a reckless decision behind the wheel and harming a pedestrian. While urban areas may have more pedestrian accidents, the injuries caused in a rural accident may be more severe because the drivers aren’t expecting pedestrians.
- Non-Intersections. More fatalities occur at non-intersections. Intersections often have crosswalks and traffic signals to allow pedestrians to cross. Drivers also know to look for pedestrians at intersections. This may not be the case when pedestrians are crossing at non-intersections.
- Higher Speeds. When a car is traveling at a higher speed, it’s more likely for the injuries to be severe and sometimes fatal.
Your Pine Bluff pedestrian accident lawyer will see if any of these factors were present in your case. The factors may explain why the injuries you suffered were so severe and can also point out how the driver acted negligently. Let’s look into how other forms of negligence can cause pedestrian accidents.
How Does Negligence Cause Pedestrian vs. Vehicle Collisions?
Drivers have a duty to drive safely and not cause any harm to others. When they fail to meet that duty, pedestrians can be hurt. Our lawyers will review the evidence of the accident to find the cause. The police report, surveillance of the accident, eyewitness, and photographs of the accident scene can help us determine how it happened.
- Keeping Eyes Off the Road. It’s possible the driver was distracted. Their eyes aren’t on the road so they can’t see if they’re veering out of their lane, approaching a stop sign or red light, or if a pedestrian is in the street. Common distractions like cell phones and food can be the reason why a driver was negligent.
- Ignoring Traffic Laws. Running red lights, speeding up at yellow lights, and not allowing pedestrians to cross when they have right-of-way could all result in severe collisions.
- Speeding. We’ve discussed how speeding can lead to more dangerous injuries, but it can also be the reason why the accident occurred. When a driver is speeding, they have less reaction time, less time to slow down, and can lose control of their vehicle more easily.
If your accident happened because of any of the reasons above, you may be dealing with serious injuries. Pedestrians don’t have anything to protect them from the impact. A collision could result in catastrophic injuries that will never fully heal, or injuries that will take a considerable amount of time and expensive medical care before you’re healed.
Your lawyer will total the costs of your injuries, future medical care, and the time you’re going to miss from work to see what you’ve lost in economic damages. If you’re not able to return to your job, we’ll include the diminished earning capacity or loss of earnings in your financial losses as well. We’ll fight for you to recover those damages so you can get the care you deserve.
You may also be dealing with noneconomic damages like:
- Pain and Suffering
- Mental Anguish
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life
Living with painful injuries, dealing with the trauma of the crash and how it affected you, and being prevented from living your life as you would have before the accident are all severe consequences of the accident but aren’t in the form of a bill. These losses are still something that you can recover. Our lawyers will seek full and fair compensation that includes the noneconomic damages you’ve suffered.
Seek Experienced Representation from McMath Woods P.A.
When you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, our law firm can help you. We’ll hold the negligent party accountable for their actions and fight for you to secure your financial future. With this peace of mind, you’ll be able to get the recovery that you deserve.
A Pine Bluff pedestrian accident lawyer from McMath Woods P.A. will be at your side throughout the legal process. To schedule a free case evaluation, give our office a call today. We’re here for you.
