Lochearn, MD Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Sadly, many pedestrians are hit by drivers who are not doing what they are supposed to do every day. Since pedestrians are not protected by big metal cars like drivers, they often suffer incredibly serious injuries that need expensive, intense medical care. Moreover, recovery from those injuries may not end after the victim leaves the hospital. They may be in for many months of physical therapy in an attempt to regain what was lost in the crash. In some cases, the victim may never fully get back to where they were before the crash. This can leave many victims of these accidents upset, angry, and looking for justice.

If you were hurt while simply going about your business and do not know what to do, we are here to lend a hand. Our attorneys have handled countless pedestrian accident cases, so we know all the options available to our clients to get them the financial compensation they need.

For a free review of your claim, contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s pedestrian accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291.

Reasons Pedestrian Accidents Happen in Lochearn, MD

Drivers end up hitting pedestrians for all sorts of reasons. When drivers strike pedestrians, it is usually because of some kind of negligence. “Negligence” in law means that someone was careless and, consequently, hurt someone else. There are a lot of different ways that drivers can be negligent, and depending on the circumstances of your particular accident, other parties may have been negligent as well.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is an incredibly frequent cause of pedestrian accidents. Drivers, particularly when they are texting on their phones, are not keyed into their surroundings in anything resembling a safe degree, so they can easily miss a pedestrian that they should have seen coming and end up hitting them with their car. Of course, drivers can be distracted for other reasons besides being engrossed in their phones. If a motorist is talking to someone else in their car, experiences “road rage,” or is paying attention to anything else besides their surroundings on the road, it can be considered distracted driving.

Additionally, many pedestrian accidents happen around shopping centers, parking lots, and other areas where drivers may feel that they are “safe” and do not need to be as alert to their surroundings. If a driver tunes out at one of these areas and hits a pedestrian, they can be found liable for the pedestrian’s injuries in court.

Speeding

Speeding gives drivers less time to react than they otherwise would, which is why state governments have speed limits for certain stretches of road. If a driver goes over the speed limit, they may either not notice a pedestrian or, if they do, they will not have enough time to react and can end up seriously injuring them. Additionally, a car that is moving faster is going to impact a person with more force, so the injuries a pedestrian gets from a fast-moving vehicle are likely to be severe.

Drunk Driving

Drunk driving is incredibly dangerous. Intoxication lowers reaction time and makes people make riskier decisions by removing inhibitions. Neither of those traits is desirable in a driver, so drunk driving is criminalized negligent conduct in every state. You can hold a defendant liable for your injuries if they hit you while driving under the influence, and they may also have criminal charges brought against them.

Tired Driving

Driving while fatigued is just as dangerous as drunk driving for many of the same reasons. A tired driver cannot react as fast as a refreshed one, and they may even fall asleep at the wheel.

Some industries, like trucking, even have rules about how long their drivers can stay on the road to try and guard against tired driving. You can use the violation of those rules to prove negligence in court if they apply to your claim.

Untrained Drivers

People driving trucks, buses, and other specialized vehicles need to undergo special training to operate those vehicles safely. If they do not have that training, they can easily end up hitting a pedestrian.

While an untrained driver is certainly liable for your injuries, the company that hired them may also be on the hook. If a company hires a driver who is not qualified to operate a specialist vehicle, there is a good chance they can be liable for your injuries because of negligent hiring practices.

Defective Cars

Even if a motorist is following all traffic laws and otherwise being a safe, reasonable driver, pedestrian accidents can still happen if the car involved has a problem. These problems are called “defects.” Vehicles are defective when they are dangerous to use in their intended manner. For example, if a car has a weak rear axle that is likely to come loose, make the car swerve, or cause other problems, that vehicle can be said to be defective.

If you believe that a defective vehicle caused your pedestrian accident, you should include the vehicle’s designer, manufacturer, or any repair shop that worked on the vehicle in your claim. Our pedestrian accident lawyers can look further into your claim to figure out where exactly the defect arose so you can sue the correct party.

Premises Liability

In some cases, a property owner may be responsible for a motorist hitting a pedestrian. For example, if a store parking lot does not have sufficient lighting at night and, consequently, a car hits a pedestrian while going to park, the store owner may be able to be included in your claim as a negligent party.

Chat with Our Lochearn, MD Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Today

Our pedestrian accident lawyers from Rice, Murtha & Psoras can be contacted at (410) 694-7291 for free case reviews.