Have you or someone you know been hurt in a serious pedestrian accident?
Pedestrians are exposed to accident risks every single day that they are on or near the road. Unfortunately, pedestrians are especially vulnerable and can suffer significant injuries when they are involved in an accident with a vehicle.
Pedestrian accidents can happen when walking through parking lots, jogging down the side of the street, stepping off a curb, exiting a taxi or bus, standing on a roadside or walking on a sidewalk. Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that over 4,400 pedestrians were killed and over 69,000 were injured on roadways and public streets in the US in 2011.
This means that one crash related pedestrian death happened every two hours. Crosswalks often involve pedestrians who have a false sense of security because they have the right of way. Unfortunately, many crosswalks are improperly marked and do not have flashing lights and this also does not account for the fact that some drivers may not stop in crosswalks.
For people crossing with children or slower walkers, this can be especially problematic in multi-lane highways and streets. Unfortunately, poorly designed or poorly maintained crosswalks can increase the chances of pedestrian accidents.
Drivers who are impaired, distracted, inexperienced or driving too quickly may not be able to stop in time to prevent an injury. Both drivers and pedestrians have a responsibility to ensure crosswalk safety but you may find yourself suffering significant injuries in a crosswalk in San Francisco. If so, you need to contact an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer immediately.