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From casually strolling down the street to rushing to work, you must have used a crosswalk, sidewalk, or even shared the road with other vehicles. Like millions of others in your shoes, you trust drivers to be aware and abide by traffic rules. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
Drivers can be distracted, under the influence, or just careless, resulting in pedestrian accidents. The catastrophic injuries that arise from these accidents are sometimes worse than even car-on-car collisions. In this article, we’ll discuss the long-term impact of these accidents and how you can use legal support for compensation.
What Are The Common Causes Of Pedestrian Accidents?
Most pedestrian accidents are caused by drivers refusing to obey traffic lights or comply with road signs. Sometimes, they just do not regard the person crossing the road. It’s a common thought that if you see a vehicle coming towards you, you’d be the one to move out of the way.
Other contributing factors include passing speed limits in residential areas, using a phone while driving, driving under the influence, and poor visibility due to rain. Pedestrians are usually left exposed and have little time to react when these accidents happen. It’s either they lead to death or serious injuries and emotional trauma for life.
However, drivers are not the sole reason for all pedestrian accidents. Pedestrians can cause such accidents if they violate rules, such as jaywalking. Also, entering traffic suddenly, ignoring road signs, and being distracted are part of accident causes.
The Long-Term Health Impact Of Pedestrian Accidents
Airbags and seatbelts are there to protect drivers during a collision, but there are none for pedestrians. The shock of seeing an uncontrolled, oncoming vehicle is enough to cause trauma for life. But it gets even worse when a person gets hit by a vehicle. Different cases of life-long injuries can occur, including spinal cord injuries, which could result in crippling.
Other cases include internal bleeding, organ damage, broken bones, skull fracture, pelvic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and psychological trauma. Internal bleeding is particularly dangerous, especially as it’s not visible and easily detectable without professional help. A pedestrian in an accident can sustain damage to their kidneys, liver, or lungs. Without immediate intervention, this can result in death. Hence, anyone involved in such an accident should see a doctor immediately.
In older adults, pre-existing conditions can be aggravated, including chronic pain syndromes, neurological deficits, prolonged immobility, and arthritis. Sustaining these injuries, if not fatal, leads to emergency surgeries, frequent hospital visits, and long-term rehabilitation.
Most people focus on the physical injuries, but the emotional impact hits just as badly. Victims of pedestrian accidents can develop a phobia for going outside, severe depression, and anxiety. The expenses incurred from treating these conditions can set the victim back financially, and they may never recoup if they can’t even return to work.
Legal Solutions To Help With Pedestrian Accidents
The medical bills that come with treating accidents are no joke, and you deserve compensation for that, at least. To ensure you’re not getting cheated, you need the backing of a competent personal injury lawyer. With such a lawyer, the accident is investigated correctly and confirmed to be a worthy lawsuit. The victim’s medical costs will be calculated, negotiations are handled with insurance companies, and representation in court is guaranteed, if necessary.
Compensation is demanded after the lawyer proves the victim suffered damage from the accident. This compensation will cover your medical bills, long-term rehabilitation, lost wages, and mobility devices. It’s important that the personal injury lawyer hired has a proven track record of winning pedestrian accident lawsuits.
What To Do If You Get Involved In A Pedestrian Accident
No matter how minor the crash or injury looks, the first thing you should do is see a doctor. As established earlier, internal bleeding can occur, and it could be fatal if not quickly detected. Even if you feel fine, seek clinical examination and proper imaging for broken bones and fractures. If you can or if you’re with someone, have them document the scene by taking photos and videos. Take the contacts of witnesses around to corroborate your story. If you’re speaking with an insurer, do not go into details until you have a lawyer. Then, you can contact a personal injury lawyer to take up your case and get you a worthy compensation.
End Note
Pedestrian accidents can completely change the trajectory of one’s life, from a physical to an emotional impact. Nobody should have to bear the burden of someone else’s actions, which is why seeking legal support is important. From the medical bills to the steep road to recovery, you should get the compensation and justice to help you live a little easier.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of experienced healthcare writers and editors, led by managing editor Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare journalism. Since 1998, our team has delivered trusted, high-quality health and wellness content across numerous platforms.
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