SECURING YOUR FUTURE AFTER YOUR AUTO-PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT

There’s something remarkably egalitarian about walking. That is probably because at some point each day every one of us will become a pedestrian. This holds true whether you are the chief executive officer of a Fortune 500 company or a humble operator of a home business. At some point, each of us will leave the safety of our homes and vehicles and begin relying on traffic signals, crosswalks and the attentiveness of motorists to keep us out of harm’s way.

Unfortunately, many operators of trucks, cars and SUVs have difficulty remaining vigilant about spotting pedestrian travel. This is especially true in locations such as parking lots, underground garages and even in drive-through lanes at fast food restaurants.

In a previous article on our blog, we discussed how Pennsylvania puts the onus of responsibility on drivers whenever pedestrians have the proper right-of-way. A good example of that can be found in unmarked crosswalks. The law presumes that a pedestrian has the right-of-way when crossing at an intersection that does not contain marked crosswalks. Another example might be a vehicle backing out of a residential garage before striking a pedestrian. Generally, the law would favor the pedestrian if he or she was traveling along a sidewalk that adjoined the driveway of that garage.

The logic of granting pedestrians right-of-way in many situations is based largely on the inherent disparity in size and weight between vehicles and people. Even a minor collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian could result in serious injuries for the person on foot. Those injuries could easily place a victim at risk of losing his or her job, home and a secure future.

Fortunately, Pennsylvania allows victims of preventable auto-pedestrian accidents to sue those responsible for their injuries. In some cases, injured pedestrians are able to get compensation that can help remove future uncertainties from their lives. Based in Doylestown, our law firm has been representing pedestrians injured by motor vehicles for over 25 years. We take on clients primarily in Bucks County as well as other locations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Prospective Spanish-speaking clients should know that our firm is also capable of providing translation services.