If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident in West Texas, contact the personal injury attorneys at Low Law Firm today.
Walking is a great way to improve your health. It’s refreshing to get outside and be active. The downside to walking on local streets is being involved in a pedestrian accident. Any time a car comes into contact with a person, the damage can be unforgiving. Motor vehicles with their weight and speed can cause massive injuries when involved in pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, or jogging accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration keeps track of the number of pedestrian accidents and typically ranks over 60,000 pedestrian accidents every year. When you consider that number, you realize how often pedestrian accidents occur. Texas sees a significant number of accidents impacting the lives of pedestrians. In many cases, victims suffer life-altering injuries due to the negligence of drivers. When victims are injured in accidents caused by negligent and reckless drivers, they should contact a pedestrian accident attorney in Texas immediately to protect their legal rights.
The attorneys at Low Law Firm have decades of experience fighting to protect the legal rights of victims in Abilene and throughout the state of Texas after they’ve been injured in an accident. We strive to help our clients maximize their recoveries and move forward in the best position possible. If you sustained injuries in a pedestrian accident caused by the negligent actions of another driver, contact our law firm today to see what legal options are available for you.
How to Avoid Being Involved in a Pedestrian Accident
Walking on sidewalks whenever possible can help to minimize the chances of being harmed in an accident. Unfortunately, doing so is not always an option. Many roads in Texas lack designated walking areas for pedestrians, bicyclists, and others traveling outside of vehicles. When you are walking on public roads and there are no sidewalks available, there are steps you can take to avoid being involved in a pedestrian accident including:
- Wearing bright-colored or reflective clothing.
- Crossing streets at corners, using signals, and crosswalks where available.
- Walking on the side of the street where you are facing oncoming traffic so you can see potential hazards coming your way.
- Bringing a flashlight to light your path and alert oncoming vehicles of your presence, if you are walking at night.
If you were involved in a pedestrian accident in Abilene that was caused by another driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and losses. Don’t hesitate to contact a personal injury attorney at Low Law Firm. Meet with an attorney for a free consultation and discuss your legal options.
Proving Fault After a Pedestrian Accident
Victims who are injured in pedestrian accidents in Abilene and throughout the state of Texas are able to file legal claims against at-fault drivers. To succeed after filing a personal injury claim, victims must be able to prove that the defendant acted negligently toward them or that they acted with malice. It is imperative that victims are able to show that elements of negligence existed at the time of their accidents. These elements include showing that:
- The at-fault driver owed you the duty of care.
- The driver breached their duty of care by not paying attention, by driving recklessly, or by failing to obey traffic laws.
- You sustained injuries as a result of the defendant’s breach of their duty of care.
- You suffered damages as a result of the accident.
Drivers and pedestrians are both required to exercise the reasonable duty of care while sharing roads in Texas. However, drivers in vehicles are held to a much higher standard because they are expected to react in a responsive and timely manner to avoid harming others. This is particularly true when drivers are traveling near children and elderly pedestrians. If you were injured in a pedestrian accident as a result of another driver’s actions, it is crucial that you reach out to a pedestrian accident attorney in Texas as soon as possible. You may be entitled to compensation to alleviate the financial burdens you face.
The team at Low Law Firm strives to help victims maximize their recoveries so they are able to deal with the financial burdens they face after being involved in an accident. Some of the damages our pedestrian accident attorneys help victims collect compensation for include:
- All past, current, and future medical treatment.
- Long-term care costs.
- Lost wages due to medical appointments and recovery.
- Lost earning capacity for victims forced out of work indefinitely.
- Pain and suffering.
- Mental anguish.
- Loss of companionship.
If you were injured in a pedestrian accident caused by a negligent or reckless driver, contact our law firm in Abilene today to protect your legal rights and receive the justice you deserve.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Texas
Pedestrian accidents throughout Texas can happen for a variety of reasons. The majority of accidents are a result of negligent and reckless drivers. In fact, most pedestrian accidents are caused by careless drivers who failed to pay attention to the road. Drunk driving is also another large factor that causes pedestrian accidents. Other factors that cause car accidents include:
Distracted driving: Distracted driving is a common cause of pedestrian accidents in Texas. Many drivers engage in distracting behaviors, like using phones, eating, or changing their radios, which causes them to take their eyes off the road.
Speeding: There is a strong relationship between people driving too fast and being involved in serious accidents. When drivers travel above the speed limit, they are less likely to maintain control over their vehicles. As a result, they may not be able to stop in time to avoid collisions with pedestrians.
Driving drowsy: Spending too much time out on the road can cause drivers to become sleepy or fall asleep behind the wheel. When people drive drowsy, they are likely to have problems controlling their vehicles and responding to people on the road in time to avoid a collision.
Impairments: Drivers who drink or use drugs before entering the road place the lives of every other person around them at risk. This is particularly true for drivers passing through areas with heavy pedestrian activity. Many pedestrians are injured by drunk or impaired drivers who enter over curbs, drive on sidewalks, or fail to stop at crosswalks and stop signs.
Failing to obey traffic signals: When drivers run red lights or pass through stop signs, they are likely to strike pedestrians, who often have the right of way at intersections. These accidents can be devastating as most drivers who pass through traffic control devices are traveling at an increased rate of speed.
Left-hand turns: There are many instances where drivers make left turns without observing their surroundings. These circumstances place pedestrians at an increased risk of being injured. It is crucial that drivers pay attention to the designated crossing areas in order to avoid collisions.
Collisions backing up: When drivers back up out of driveways and parking spots, they are likely to do so without observing pedestrians around them. This is a common cause of accidents, particularly those involving small children.
A personal injury attorney can investigate your unique situation and build a legal case, taking into account all of your injuries and damages. A pedestrian accident attorney can then pursue a claim for damages, fighting for you to maximize your compensation.
How a Pedestrian Accident Attorney Can Help You
Being injured in a pedestrian accident can completely disrupt a person’s life. Not only are they left with physical pain, but they are often forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars on medical treatment, endure lost wages, and suffer a number of other financial burdens. Although there are several laws enacted every year to protect pedestrians, we continue to see them victimized by negligent drivers at an alarming rate. When victims are injured in pedestrian accidents, it is crucial that they seek legal guidance as soon as possible. Working with a knowledgeable pedestrian accident attorney in Texas can help to ensure your legal rights are protected moving forward.
The attorneys at Low Law Firm have decades of experience providing trusted and effective legal guidance for our clients. We strive to take the complex legal work off the hands of victims so they can focus on recovering while knowing their best interests are protected. In doing so, our team provides a number of legal services for our clients to ensure they are in the best position possible to recover. Some of the services our pedestrian accident attorneys in Abilene provide for clients include:
Gathering Evidence: The attorneys at Low Law Firm go out to the scene of the accident to gather evidence. Our attorneys take photos, record videos, and gather any available surveillance footage from the scene of the accident. We track skid marks on roads, look for broken or malfunctioning signals, and collect various other pieces of evidence to put together strong legal claims for our clients.
Providing Documents and Information: Our pedestrian accident attorneys will gather reports from the police, gather medical records and care plans, doctor and hospital bills, and various other documents to demonstrate the costs of our clients’ accidents. We strive to show the extent of financial damages victims endure to ensure they are able to maximize their recoveries.
Handling Paperwork: Our team strives to handle legal claims with the utmost competence. In doing so, we work diligently to file all documents, petitions, and evidence on time, every time. Our attorneys understand the strict statute of limitations in Texas and legal requirements when filing documents. We take caution to ensure our clients’ cases are filed accurately so they are in the best position possible to recover.
Keeping Clients Informed: The attorneys at Low Law Firm remain available to our clients should they have questions, comments, or concerns. We provide copies of all documents, petitions, and evidence to each client to ensure they know what is happening every step of the way. We recognize that our clients are the biggest part of the case and we provide them with the information they need and deserve.
Helping Victims Recover: Our team aggressively negotiates settlements on behalf of victims that ensure they are able to move forward and get the medical treatment they need to recover. If we are unable to come to an agreement with the at-fault party, our pedestrian accident attorneys provide effective and competent legal representation to ensure our clients obtain the outcome they expect.
If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, contact Low Law Firm today to explore legal options available for you.
Low Law Firm Can Help You
Every day, numerous people across Texas are harmed in motor vehicle accidents. A number of victims harmed in pedestrian accidents are forced to undergo extensive medical treatment for their injuries. Numerous victims have to go through surgery, spend days or weeks in hospitals, and months in therapy to properly recover. When victims are injured in pedestrian accidents, it is crucial that they act quickly to protect their legal rights. Working with a knowledgeable pedestrian accident attorney in Texas will ensure you are in the best position possible to protect your legal rights and move forward.
Low Law Firm has decades of experience helping accident victims receive the justice they deserve. Our team is dedicated to helping our clients maximize their recoveries so they are able to receive top-quality medical treatment and cover their financial burdens as they recover. An attorney from Low Law Firm can help you hold those at fault accountable. Call (325) 455-1889 at your earliest convenience to schedule a free case evaluation to explore legal options available for you.