One of the most devastating things about being involved in a pedestrian accident can be getting hurt or losing a loved one. No matter the circumstances, an accident can be distressing, especially when the cause is somebody’s wrongful act or negligence.
According to the Center for Disease Control, the United States foresees one person’s death every two hours due to a pedestrian accident.
Around 2 million pedestrians are injured in this particular accident every year, resulting in severe injuries. Children, 5-9 years- old boys’ and the elderly are the most exposed to pedestrian accidents and suffer from catastrophic injuries.
Hit by a car? Well, you might be wondering if it is possible to sue someone for hitting you with their car? Motor vehicle collisions can be devastating, and many families now file for compensations to cover the costs of damage.
And, why not? If you or your loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, you want to take action for holding the other party responsible for their negligence. The accountability process becomes smoother when you hire an experienced attorney for your case. Law firms know what it takes to bring you justice.
Some of the most common types of injuries sustained by pedestrians after encountering a car accident are:
1. Traumatic Brain Injuries
What happens when you get hit by a car? One of the most common injuries that pedestrians incur is traumatic brain injuries (TBI’s).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define TBI as the disruption in normal brain functioning due to blow, bump, or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury. The pedestrian accident attorney emphasized the head and brain injuries as the most life-altering.
Some of the most common symptoms include dizziness, sensitivity, mood swings, depression, anxiety, coordination losses, and fluid leaking from the ear. Studies show that three million people visit emergency centers seeking treatments for TBIs, and that includes more than 837,000 injured children.
2. Broken bone and fractures
These are other common injuries in automobile collisions. Pedestrians fracture their wrists, shoulders, back, legs, arms in accidents.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons shed light on the variation in fracture severities. Some severe bone breaks are known to occur, including compound fractures where the broken bones puncture through the skin.
A person may suffer a complete or partial bone fracture and are most likely to cause long-term problems requiring amputations, in some cases.
3. Injuries in Soft Tissues
Many injuries are known to involve soft tissues. These may be bruises, tears, dislocations, lacerations, and sprains.
While many tissues heal with a little medical intervention, many others can cause pain and keep sufferers from engaging in everyday activities. Thus, soft tissue injuries can leave victims with scarring and other permanent issues, impacting their emotional well-being.
4. Pelvic Injuries
Pelvic injuries are difficult and challenging to treat. These types of damages are so common in pedestrian accidents- all thanks to the average car hood’s shape. These hit in the right spot during immediate contact with the pedestrian.
5. Internal Injuries
Medical professionals claim these injuries as the worst type since they are difficult to spot, let alone treating them in the first instance.
Internal organ injuries, brain bleeds, rib fractures require immediate treatments. Some of these injuries may not show symptoms first, but the adrenaline may still run high.
6. Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can have life-threatening repercussions. The spinal cord is the part that transmits signals between the body and the brain. A person’s ligaments, discs, vertebrae in a spinal cord or spinal column can lead to temporary or permanent paralysis.
7. Lacerations
Depending on the laceration location and the depth to which it went, this type of injury is most likely to have lasting and painful consequences.
8. Amputations
Sometimes the forces of high-impact accidents may have some lifelong repercussions on the body of the victim. These include the amputation of limbs such as toe, finger, leg, and arm.
9. Emotional Trauma
Not all injuries are physical. Even if the victim doesn’t sustain permanent physical injuries, the chances of emotional trauma are quite evident. It can be a traumatic experience of being struck by a vehicle, which may be challenging to cope up.
10. Death
Pedestrians struck by a vehicle have high death risks. It is the cause of not only the sheer vehicle size but lack of pedestrian protections also.
There were around 4,735 pedestrian deaths in 2013, as per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports.
The pedestrian injury depends upon the area hit and the car’s speed. He/she may either fall on the ground or be hit by some object like a building, some other vehicle, or into the windshield of the car or into the hood.
A pedestrian, if hit by a car traveling 15 miles per hour isn’t likely to sustain fatal injuries.
However, being hit by a faster car has the possibility of severe injuries and the chances of death also increase. Lower extremity injuries can result in long-term mobility problems and can be life-threatening.
Some safety tips to keep pedestrians safe today
One of the best things for keeping pedestrians safe is following the laws. Florida statutes have some rules that one needs to abide by for becoming a responsible pedestrian. These are:
- Obey traffic controls to the best of your ability unless a police officer directs you to something else.
- Pedestrians don’t have the permissions to walk or run onto the vehicle path.
- The sidewalk must find its usage, if available.
- Pedestrians must enter crossroads only at a right angle.
- Pedestrians have the right of way whenever moving in a crosswalk.
What are the legal options available after a pedestrian accident?
Injured pedestrians have the path of recovering by reaching out to qualified doctors and injury lawyers.
Obviously, experienced doctors will help you to recover soon. And with experienced lawyers on your side, you can enjoy the bliss of catering to your pedestrian accident cases as soon as possible and determine the options and rights for pursuing a legal option.
After all, it is all about more in-depth understanding and better case solutions!
I am Adeyemi Adetilewa, an SEO Specialist helping online businesses grow through content creation and proven SEO strategies. Proficient in WordPress CMS, Technical Site Audits, Search Engine Optimization, Keyword Research, and Technical Writing (Portfolio).
Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Ideas Plus Business Magazine, an online business resource for entrepreneurs. I help brands share unique and impactful stories through the use of public relations, advertising, and online marketing. My work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Addicted2Success, Hackernoon, The Good Men Project, and other publications.