Category: Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents often have a terrible ending. Not only can a pedestrian sustain devastating injuries when hit by a vehicle or bike, but others involved can also be harmed. Both pedestrians and drivers have a duty of care that must be exercised at all times. This is to help ensure that everyone remains safe and injury-free. Unfortunately, however, both drivers and pedestrians fail to uphold these duties too often, which usually results in serious injuries. Below, our Honolulu pedestrian accident attorney discusses the main causes of pedestrian accidents and what you can do to prevent them.

Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

First and foremost, sometimes pedestrians do play a role in causing accidents. For example, pedestrians can cause accidents when they fail to use crosswalks or observe walk signals at intersections. Also, some pedestrians make reckless choices, like darting out in front of a vehicle to get across the street. These actions can all cause pedestrian accidents and the pedestrian will likely carry all or part of the liability for causing the accident.

However, a handful of common causes of pedestrian accidents also focus on the behaviors of drivers. Drivers often cause pedestrian accidents when they exhibit these behaviors:

• Distracted driving
• Driving while intoxicated
• Aggressive driving
• Failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks
• Failing to observe traffic signals
• Speeding
• Failure to signal when turning
• Failure to adjust driving to adverse weather or traffic conditions

When and where are pedestrian accidents more likely to occur?

In some instances, both a driver and pedestrian may cause an accident. For example, the majority of pedestrian accidents happen at night. This is because it’s dark out and, if there is poor lighting in the area, pedestrians are difficult to see. Or if a driver fails to account for the limited visibility, and a pedestrian wears dark clothes, fails to make themselves visible or fails to watch out for traffic, then a pedestrian accident is more likely to occur.

Also, many pedestrian accidents occur at crosswalks in intersections, and this is because a lot of activity occurs at once. For instance, some drivers are making left-hand turns. While drivers are busy looking elsewhere, they may turn and fail to look at who is in the crosswalk. Using signaled crosswalks can reduce the risk of a pedestrian accident, however, pedestrians should still be vigilant because sometimes drivers are not paying attention.

If you are involved in a pedestrian accident, call the police right away and stay at the scene until help arrives. If you can, take pictures and get the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident. Seek medical attention right away and get the care you need to properly address any injuries you may have.

Honolulu Pedestrian Accident Attorney

If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, you are likely to have sustained serious injuries that will have lasting consequences for your health and financial well-being. Cummings Law will help get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Contact us today. You will be glad you did.

Pedestrians can suffer traumatic and life-threatening injuries in a traffic accident. Individuals hit by a vehicle have no protection from the impact. Unlike the driver of the vehicle, a pedestrian does not have a metal frame and airbags to prevent injuries in a collision. Therefore, most pedestrian accident claims involve substantial damages, including high medical bills and significant loss of income. A Hawaii personal injury attorney helps pedestrians file claims and seek full compensation of damages from negligent and careless drivers.

Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries

Many of the injuries pedestrians sustain in a traffic accident resulting in life-threatening conditions or permanent impairments. Some of the more common pedestrian accident injuries include:

• Broken Bones — Some victims sustain multiple broken bones from the impact and from hitting the pavement or another object. A broken back may result in partial or complete paralysis if the spinal cord is severed or damaged. 
• Head and Brain Injuries — Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are also common in pedestrian accidents. The person’s head hits the vehicle or the road during the crash. However, a pedestrian can sustain a brain injury even though the head does not strike an object. The force of impact can cause the head to whip back and forth, much like whiplash, causing the brain to be violently thrown against the skull in multiple areas.
• Internal Bleeding and Damage to Internal Organs — Some pedestrians may be pinned underneath a vehicle causing internal bleeding or damage to internal organs. However, a vehicle does not need to pin or run over a pedestrian for the pedestrian to experience internal bleeding or damage to internal organs. The force of the impact itself can cause these injuries.
• Cuts and Lacerations — Broken glass and other sharp objects can result in deep cuts and lacerations for a pedestrian. Some injuries can result in permanent scarring or disfigurement.

The above injuries are not the only ones a pedestrian may sustain. Even if a pedestrian does not believe they have a serious injury, the individual should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Some injuries may not present symptoms for several hours or days following a pedestrian accident. It is important to seek medical care for health reasons, but also to document injuries for a pedestrian accident claim. A delay in medical care could hurt an injury claim.

More Pedestrians Died in Hawaii Than Automobile Passengers in 2018

Tragically, 43 pedestrians lost their lives because of automobile accidents in Hawaii in 2018, an increase from 15 pedestrian deaths in 2017. The number of pedestrian fatalities was higher for 2018 than the number of vehicle occupants killed in traffic accidents. Thirty-eight people died in traffic accidents in 2018 as drivers or passengers in vehicles.

These statistics highlight the dangers pedestrians face while walking, jogging, or crossing roads in Hawaii. Pedestrians should take precautions to protect themselves, such as walking in groups, crossing at intersections, and wearing bright clothing when walking. However, drivers must also treat pedestrian safety seriously. Distracted drivers cause many of the pedestrian accidents that occur in the United States each year. When a driver is negligent or careless, a pedestrian can die. 

Contact a Hawaii Personal Injury Attorney for Help

If you were in a pedestrian accident, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries, damages, and losses. A Hawaii personal injury attorney can help you with your claim by investigating the crash, gathering evidence to prove fault, filing an insurance claim, and working with the insurance provider to arrive at a fair and just settlement amount for your injury claim. Contact the personal injury attorneys at Cummings Law today. You will be glad you did.