Pedestrian Accidents

When drivers fail to pay attention to the presence of pedestrians, it’s walkers who pay the price. Connecticut pedestrian accidents occur when a vehicle strikes a pedestrian. They commonly occur at intersections with crosswalks, on roads with narrow shoulders and no sidewalk, when pedestrians cross a street outside of a crosswalk, and in parking lots. Significant risk factors for pedestrian accidents include:

• Time of day – accidents typically occur when driver visibility is limited, such as at night and at dusk or dawn when the sun shines in drivers’ eyes;
• Alcohol and drugs – drivers and pedestrians who have consumed drugs or alcohol run a far higher risk of pedestrian accidents;
• Driver and pedestrian distraction – whenever drivers take their eyes from the road, whether due to texting or another distraction, the risk of a pedestrian accident rises.
• Poor road design/condition/signage – roads with narrow shoulders, limited sight lines, and a lack of crosswalks and signs warning of pedestrians, pose a higher danger of pedestrian accidents.

Pedestrian accidents can cause devastating injuries no matter what speed the vehicle is traveling. In fact, some particularly severe and permanent disabilities often result from collisions between pedestrians and cars traveling at a low speed, such as when a vehicle comes to a “rolling stop” at a four-way intersection and hits a pedestrian in a crosswalk as it begins to make its turn, or when someone backs into a pedestrian in a shopping center parking lot. Of course, vehicles traveling at high speed will also cause traumatic injuries and possibly death when they strike pedestrians. Common injuries resulting from pedestrian accidents may include:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Broken bones
• Soft tissue damage, including sprains and strains
• Organ damage
• Lacerations
• Whiplash
• Spinal cord damage

It can help to have experienced legal representation as you or your loved one navigates the often-challenging process of seeking insurance benefits and pursuing legal claims against parties responsible for their injuries. If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact our pedestrian accident attorneys today at (860) 754-3222 at our Middletown and Norwalk offices.