Hit by a Car? You Need a Pedestrian Accident Attorney

If you have been hit by a car while you were walking this is called a pedestrian accident. Pedestrians have the right of way much of the time when they are walking, and cars are required to stop for them to cross roads or to give them room when walking. However, many times cars fail to do that, and pedestrians are injured or even killed. If you have been injured by a car while you were on foot or if you have had a loved one killed by a car while they were walking, riding a skateboard of otherwise traveling you might have a case that deserves top lawyer attention.

First, let us discuss how California defines a pedestrian. Our state calls anyone that is walking, riding a skateboard, scooter, roller skates, roller blades or any other type of non-motorized conveyance, except for bicycles. Also defined as pedestrians are those with a disability that are wheelchair or automated chair bound. California is one of the toughest states on pedestrian safety and the fines can be very severe. Of course, in return, a pedestrian that is injured by a car may end up with a very large compensation amount in a lawsuit. Contact the best lawyer you can find to assist you with any recent accident.

Some of the pedestrian safety laws in California include requiring that a vehicle stop for pedestrians that are waiting, whether or not there is a crosswalk at the intersection that is clearly marked. Also, cars should come to a stop when other cars are parked at a crosswalk to make sure that there is not a pedestrian coming around the car that is going to be hit by yours. California law states that vehicles must give the right of way to pedestrians and to exercise all due care. This may be open to interpretation but it is clear that cars should be watching out for pedestrians on the road.

Of course, pedestrians still need to respect drivers. For instance, pedestrians cannot walk out into a crosswalk or run out when cars are too close to stop. Pedestrians should wait for their walk signal if they are at a traffic signal and cars should stop for pedestrians if it is their turn to cross. On an unmarked crosswalk cars are still required to stop, but pedestrians should wait until traffic has thinned and they can cross safely. They also have the responsibility to not stop in the crosswalk and block traffic from proceeding for any longer than necessary.

Even if the pedestrian follows these rules there are still many cases when the driver simply does not respect the pedestrians right to cross, and in fact, there have been more than a few reported cases where drivers actually sped up when seeing a pedestrian cross the road, as if the person on foot had no right to be on the roadway at all. If a situation like this has occurred or if you have been in an accident with a car as a pedestrian or had a loved one die from such you should contact an accident attorney for that particular matters for a consultation.