Almost nine people per day lose their lives in auto accidents while walking, jogging or running which amounts to over four thousand people per year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data from the NHTSA also reveals that almost sixty thousand additional pedestrians suffer injuries when they are struck by motor vehicles. The majority of these accidents resulting in serious injury and death take place in urban areas. Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to serious injury or fatal pedestrian accidents. With an increasing number of distracted and speeding drivers trying to get to work and trying to pick up kids from school, pedestrian accidents needlessly occur on an ongoing basis.
The elderly actually are not as likely to be hit by cars as young people but are more likely to die from their injuries if involved in an accident. The diminished capacities of some elderly persons create a higher chance that they can be involved in a pedestrian fatality. As people age, they experience reduced use of their eyesight, hearing and bodily reflexes. A person of more advanced age may also move at a slower pace making it more difficult for them to identify potential dangers and to react after recognizing the danger.
Children sometimes play in the streets in certain areas and may lack the maturity and experience to recognize the serious risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident. Many drivers exceed the speed limit or drive while engaged in distracted driving practices. The fact that children are smaller and harder to see also makes it easier for a car to hit them when backing up or when turning corners. When a child is hit by the front of the car, he or she will normally be hit by the bumper in the thigh and the hood will strike the child’s torso. If it is a large vehicle, the child can be hit even higher like in the head and neck area.
Impatient and inattentive drivers on the road present a huge hazard to someone crossing the street especially a child or elderly person. Drivers who refuse to slow down in areas where children are present or try to simply slow down and accelerate around people in crosswalks often cause serious pedestrian accidents. It is not uncommon for drivers looking down at their cell phone to fail to yield at intersections, which can be extremely dangerous. Pedestrian accidents involving children and elderly are often caused by a variety of negligence driving practices by drivers including:
- Fatigued or drowsy drivers
- Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Speeding drivers
- Drivers distracted (i.e. using cell phones and other mobile electronic devices)
- Aggressive drivers
- Violations of traffic safety laws (i.e. failing to obey stop signs)
When a car, truck or SUV strikes a child or elderly pedestrian, they can sustain serious injuries including:
- Spinal cord injury
- Broken and Fractured bones
- Head and brain injuries
- Paralysis
Government entities, such as municipalities may also be responsible for pedestrian accidents where intersections are not properly controlled, streets are poorly lit or other roadway design defect exists. A municipality that has knowledge of a pattern of collisions including pedestrian accidents may have a responsibility to take reasonable measures to make a road or intersection safe, which may include reducing speed limits, installing proper traffic controls or utilizing speed bumps. The more crowded our towns and cities get the more vigilant drivers and pedestrians must be to avoid serious pedestrian accidents.
If you or someone you love has suffered serious injury or wrongful death in a pedestrian accident, our Mississippi pedestrian accident attorneys diligently represent those injured in pedestrian accidents throughout the state. Our experienced Mississippi pedestrian injury lawyers zealously pursue the best possible outcome for our clients.