How Can Pedestrians Avoid Accidents?

Unfortunately, when a motor vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the effects often are devastating. Pedestrians can avoid accidents by following all state traffic laws related to being a pedestrian. Pedestrians should also keep an eye on their surroundings and watch for drivers behaving erratically.

Pedestrians may also want to wear visible clothing when walking along roads at night and refrain from being distracted by a cell phone around traffic.

Pedestrians Safety Tips

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has a series of tips for how pedestrians can avoid accidents with a motor vehicle, including:

• Never assume the driver’s intentions: pedestrians should always be on the defensive by assuming that the driver does not see them until eye contact is made.
• Always follow traffic laws: pedestrians should only cross intersections in marked crosswalks, rather than crossing in the middle of a street where a driver may not be expecting to see them.
• Wait for signals: if the intersection has a traffic signal, you should wait to receive the proper signal to cross the intersection safely.
• Walk facing traffic: if no sidewalks are in the area, you should walk while facing traffic to give the driver a better chance of seeing you, and you to see the driver.
• Wear visible clothing: pedestrians should wear light-colored or reflective clothing at night or during bad weather to make themselves easily visible.
• Pay attention: the pedestrian should not be staring at a smartphone screen while walking, so he or she will not notice what is happening with nearby vehicles.

Additionally, pedestrians may want to avoid taking drugs or drinking alcohol before walking along roadways. Consuming these items before walking could cause the pedestrian to have a lapse in judgment around motor vehicles, increasing the chance of a crash.

Dangers to Pedestrians

According to the DOH, 15,000 pedestrians are injured, and 300 pedestrians are killed by automobiles annually in New York.

Pedestrian Injuries Due to Motor Vehicles in Suffolk County

Between 2012 and 2014, the DOH reports that Suffolk County annually averaged:

• 35 pedestrian deaths due to motor vehicles
• 650 pedestrians needing emergency department treatment
• 193 pedestrians requiring an extended hospital stay

Pedestrian Injuries Due to Motor Vehicles in Nassau County

During the same time period in Nassau County, the DOH reports annual averages of:

• 32 pedestrian deaths due to motor vehicles
• 717 pedestrians needing emergency department treatment
• 294 pedestrians requiring an extended hospital stay

If you are among the many pedestrians injured by a motor vehicle on Long Island, you may be able to pursue the responsible party for compensation.

Pursuing Compensation for Pedestrian Crash Injuries

Even if you do everything correctly, it is still possible that a negligent motor vehicle driver could hit you while walking. In a case like this, the responsible party may be liable for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Injured pedestrians may be able to recover compensation for their damages in settlement negotiations or a personal injury lawsuit. Surviving family of pedestrians who were killed by a negligent driver may be able to recover compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit.

A personal injury lawyer may be able to represent you in either type of lawsuit. This could allow them to:

• Investigate the incident and identify who is liable
• Produce evidence of their liability and your injuries
• Build your case in accordance with New York law
• Communicate with all parties on your behalf
• Negotiate with the responsible party’s insurance company for a settlement
• Take your case to trial if they do not make a fair offer

Having a lawyer manage these tasks in your case may allow you to focus on recovering from your injuries or mourning the loss of your loved one in peace with your family.