Pedestrian Accidents

Drivers in bustling metropolitan areas have a responsibility to share the road with pedestrians; unfortunately, this does not always occur. With the advent of almost incessant cellphone use by many drivers, pedestrians are at a heightened risk of injury due to distracted driving.  Unlike the occupants of the offending vehicle, a pedestrian is left with little protection should an impact occur. Likewise, the injuries sustained by the pedestrian hit by the vehicle almost always far outweigh in severity those, if any, suffered by the occupants.

Distracted driving, however, is not the only cause of reckless behavior behind the wheel.  There is a litany of data reflecting pedestrian injury due to excessive speed, a failure to yield or maintain a lane, driving while impaired and falling asleep behind the wheel. 

Under certain circumstances, municipalities may be held fully or partially accountable for a pedestrian’s injury. A municipality is charged with the duty of implementing safety measures to prevent accidents. When crumbling curbs, broken traffic signals and dangerously designed intersections lead to accidents, the onus of responsibility should be shared by the municipality who has the sole and exclusive authority to rectify the dangerous condition.  

If you or someone you love were injured as a pedestrian due to the negligence or recklessness of another party, please contact Slater Slater Schulman LLP for a free consultation by filling out the form on this page or by calling our office at (800) 251-6990.