Everyone has a different way of transportation, whether it is by car, bus, train, or on foot. However, at some point in everyone’s life, they will be a pedestrian.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts, in the year 2012 over 4,700 pedestrians were killed in crashes involving motor vehicles and 76,000 reported pedestrian injuries.
Injury Types
These types of injuries can range from fatalities to just scrapes and bruises, yet there are many levels of damages within that spectrum.
Specific injuries can include:
- body movement disabilities
- paralysis
- pelvic injuries and
- severe head trauma such as, subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhages (bleeding on the surface of the brain or of the area between the brain and thin tissue that covers the brain).
Also, spinal injuries, fractures of any body part depending on where the injured person is hit, internal injuries involving the liver, spleen, renal, and gastrointestinal track, severe back and/or abdominal pain, excessive bleeding, amputation, and broken bones. If a pedestrian is hurt by another individual or involved in a motor vehicle accident, the person who caused the injury is accountable and can be hit with a lawsuit. Every person has a duty to society to be careful of others.
Collision Variables
How the accident occurs also contributes to the severity of the injury.
Information from Carl J. Emerg Med Journal suggests multiple impacts occur in a single pedestrian accident.
“In adult collisions, the front bumper strikes the lower leg region…while the upper body and head are brought into contact with the hood and/or windshield. Therefore, there are three distinct impacts. The first is between the lower leg and the bumper. This is immediately followed by contact between the thigh area and the upper edge of the hood. These impacts cause rotation of the upper body, resulting in another impact between the head/shoulders and the hood/windshield region.”{uniform form=1/}
Further, there are several risk factors causing these accidents. For instance, according to some studies, nearly 40% of all pedestrian fatalities involve pedestrian intoxication and in 18% of fatal pedestrian collisions, the driver consumed alcohol. Other risk factors for accidents include drivers not following the speed limit, lack of lighting when late at night, and poor city planning.
Negligence Lawsuits for Pedestrian Cases and Funding Remedies
An accident under the above conditions can be considered negligence. Negligence occurs when a duty of care for another’s safety is breached and that breach causes damages to the victim. Negligence lawsuits are a logical effect of a pedestrian personal injury involving automobile accidents. The victim as well as his/her family can ask the justice system to award monetary compensation and other remedies. If death is involved, the negligent party can be sued for negligence under State wrongful death laws.
Pursuing a lawsuit against a negligent person can be a long and painful process. However, plaintiffs may be able to secure pre-settlement funding, also known as lawsuit funding, to help with immediate financial concerns. The money can be used at the plaintiff’s discretion and need not be repaid if the case is unsuccessful.
If you or a loved one is involved in a personal injury lawsuit for a pedestrian or other accident and need help paying the bills, you may qualify for settlement funding. Personal injury cases often continue for extended periods of time. And they sometimes lead to emotional and financial stress. Extra money can improve this condition. A lawsuit cash advance can help!