Columbia Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Pedestrians must place a great deal of trust in the drivers around them while walking near the roads. Unfortunately, negligent drivers can cause seriously devasting injuries to pedestrians in Columbia.

However, pedestrians injured by a negligent driver can recover compensation for their damages by filing a lawsuit against them. There are many places where pedestrian accidents are more likely to occur and can involve more than one driver. While these cases can be complex, our Columbia pedestrian accident lawyers have years of experience helping pedestrian victims identify the parties responsible for their injuries and holding them accountable in court.

If you were a pedestrian injured by a negligent driver, our Columbia pedestrian accident lawyers can help you get the justice you deserve for your injuries. Contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291 for a free case evaluation.

Common Places Where Pedestrian Accidents are Likely to Occur in Columbia

Pedestrian accidents can be unpredictable and happen almost anywhere that pedestrians can access. However, certain locations are known to be much more likely to be the scene of a pedestrian accident. These are areas that bring pedestrians and cars into close proximity, putting pedestrians in a position where they need to trust that the drivers around them are acting carefully. Unfortunately, cars typically travel at fast speeds, but even an impact at low velocity can cause catastrophic injuries to an unwary pedestrian. Our Columbia pedestrian accident lawyers can help you get compensation for your injuries no matter where your injuries occurred.

Crosswalks

Crosswalks are a common place for pedestrian accidents to occur in Columbia. Despite traffic signals and crosswalk signs at most intersections, devastating accidents still happen when drivers fail to pay attention to their surroundings. Maryland drivers are required to yield to pedestrians using the crosswalks. In most cases, pedestrians will have a crosswalk sign telling them when they can cross. Even when a pedestrian has the cross signal, they should always check twice for drivers who might present a danger. If a driver is not paying attention as they approach the intersection, they could be traveling too fast to stop in time to avoid an accident.

Drivers that negligently injure a pedestrian in a crosswalk can be held liable for the injuries they caused. In some cases, there could be traffic or surveillance cameras nearby since these types of cameras tend to be around intersections. In other cases, other pedestrians at the crosswalk could act as witnesses in your lawsuit.

Parking Lots

Parking lots are another area where pedestrian accidents are more likely to occur. Many people let their guard down walking around in parking lots since they are not technically walking in the road, like a crosswalk. To add to the danger, many parking lots do not have dedicated walkways or sidewalks, leaving pedestrians to make their own routes to their destinations.

Drivers tend to go slower through a parking lot, but they also usually pay less attention to pedestrians as they search for a spot or an exit to the lot. Even cars going at slow speeds can cause serious injuries that you should be compensated for.

Sidewalks

Of course, cars should not be on sidewalks to begin with, but there are situations where they can be the cause of truly catastrophic accidents. Many pedestrian accidents on sidewalks occur when drivers lose control of their vehicles. In some cases, the weather could have contributed to a careless driver losing control if the roads were icy or wet while speeding. In other cases, a malfunction with the car, like a tire blowout or brake failure, contributed to the driver causing an accident. Pedestrian accidents of this nature can be devastating or even fatal if the driver cannot slow down or avoid the accident. Our Columbia pedestrian accident lawyers can help you if you have been injured by a negligent driver while walking around.

Liability for a Columbia Pedestrian Accident

In order to get compensation for your injuries in a lawsuit, a negligent driver’s identity must be known. Unfortunately, determining liability in a pedestrian accident can be challenging. In appalling cases, a driver will not stop to check on a pedestrian they potentially injured with their car. In other cases, liability will not be difficult to determine since the driver will either provide their information to you or the police will gather it in their report.

Single-Driver Accidents

If you were the victim of a lone driver and you got their information after the accident, filing a lawsuit against them should not prove difficult. If the driver’s name and address are known, which will be contained in the police report for your accident, they can be sued for damages.

Hit-and-Run Accidents

The case becomes more complex when the pedestrian is the victim of a hit-and-run accident. If a driver fled the scene and you could not get any information, like a license plate number, filing a lawsuit could be more difficult. In the case of a hit-and-run accident, our Columbia pedestrian accident lawyers can work with law enforcement to identify the driver that injured you.

Multiple-Car Accidents

In some cases, there could be many drivers that could be responsible for a pedestrian accident. These cases tend to be complicated since each driver will usually place the blame at the feet of the others. Fortunately, all the drivers involved in an accident can usually be named in a lawsuit, where liability can truly be determined.

Pedestrian Accidents Involving Commercial Vehicles

If the driver that injured you was on the job at the time, it might be possible to hold the employer liable in court along with the negligent driver. An employer can be held vicariously liable for an employee’s negligence if the accident occurred while the employee was performing their normal job duties. These cases are often complex and challenging to prove. However, our Columbia pedestrian accident lawyers can review your case to ensure all liable parties are named in your lawsuit.

Our Columbia Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Can Help

If you were hit by a vehicle while walking down the street or in a crosswalk, our Columbia pedestrian accident lawyers can help you file a lawsuit against the parties responsible for your damages. For a free case review, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.