Need an Injury Attorney for a Pedestrian Accident in Tennessee?
In Tennessee from 2012-2013, an astounding 2,632 pedestrians were injured in crashes. Tennessee is a large state with many citizens, but this says that we have to work on better safety for one of the state’s most vulnerable types of citizens utilizing our roadways. Every year, we see pedestrian accidents are on the rise because drivers fail to look out for the safety of these people who walk from place to place across the state. Many of these accidents, as we find through statistics, are caused by driver distraction and drunk driving, when drivers act negligently and take their eyes off the roadways for too many seconds too long. You’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident and now you wonder how you can gain compensation you deserve in this difficult and trying time. We want to speak with you as soon as possible.
Driver’s Duty of Care to Pedestrians
Drivers owe a duty of care to everyone they share the roadways with. The duty of care that they owe to pedestrians is the largest of all, due to the fact that pedestrians are susceptible to the worst injuries and fatalities from these cases. Pedestrians virtually have no protection from the outside elements, making their injuries extremely serious in most cases. When a driver has failed to abide by the laws of the road and a pedestrian is injured, they may be able to receive compensation for their injuries. Here are some of the common types of negligence that cause these accidents every day across America:
- Improper lane usage that forces pedestrians onto the streets
- Unmarked crosswalks at intersections, which are becoming increasingly more common across the U.S.
- Left-hand turn accidents that occur when a driver is busy negotiating an intersection and not noticing a pedestrian
- Use of electronics by both pedestrians and drivers
- Dark clothing that makes a pedestrian difficult to spot at night, one of the “prime times” for these accidents
When a driver has failed to protect a pedestrian from harm in an accident that could have easily been prevented due to safety measures, you could find that they are liable for injuries. This happens all too commonly in the U.S., where drivers are constantly hitting pedestrians because they are too busy taking their eyes away from the roads for seconds at a time to read texts, swerving all over the roads because they drove drunk, or failing to look to the side and see a pedestrian crossing a street at an intersection. It is not unheard of for a pedestrian to walk away with horrific injuries that leave a lasting impression on their lives, from brain injuries and spinal cord injuries to internal damage that will take quite some time to heal.
If you have been injured, you may wonder how you can work toward the compensation you deserve for aspects like emotional suffering caused by the accident, lost income from not being able to return to work, and all of your medical expenses. Sometimes, you may even qualify for punitive damages, which are meant to punish the driver for their especially reckless actions. It is important to understand what evidence is vital in your case, how long you have to file, and so much more. This is why you should have an attorney on your side every step of the way. Call us today for more information on how we can help you in your time of need.