Californians like to walk, ride bikes, cruise the beautiful highways on motorcycles and travel its roads, interstates and expressways in every type of car there is. The ever-increasing traffic is testament to our modern society’s desire to stay on the move – for work and pleasure. Some of the most vulnerable travelers, however, are the pedestrians.
According to Centers for Disease Control data, every 24 hours about 445 injured pedestrians will be treated in hospital emergency rooms across the country in traffic-related accidents. Each two-hour increment of that time period will see one of them die. Statistics reveal men are more likely to be fatally injured, and youthful pedestrians aged 15 to 29 years exceed any other age group in treatment need. Many pedestrians are injured or killed because they are walking drunk. Children are at great risk for the obvious reasons of size and inexperience with traffic.
We’ve found over the years that insurance companies will expend tremendous efforts and resources to minimize payouts to injured pedestrians. These types of accident injuries can be serious and require long-lasting rehabilitation. Adult victims may not be able to work and support their families. Medical expenses can be daunting. An injured child requires caregiving that may require a parent to forego a paycheck.
Experienced advocacy can help individuals seek compensation to provide for the physical and emotional recovery an injured pedestrian needs. Motorists need to recognize their responsibility for pedestrian safety on the roads they travel. With distractions, speeding and other negligent behaviors so prevalent, it’s possible that despite all the safety precautions pedestrians take, drivers will be responsible for changing victims’ lives.
