Car Accidents Can Leave Pedestrian Victims with Serious Injuries

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Car Accidents

Being injured as a pedestrian in a collision with an automobile can be extremely serious. These pedestrian accidents are also common. It is estimated that a pedestrian is injured every eight minutes in the United States. Pedestrian accidents can also be deadly. In fact, the United States averages to one crash-related pedestrian death every 1.6 hours.

How Pedestrians Are Injured

No two accidents are alike, and that is one reason why an attorney will be helpful in making your best arguments to an insurance adjuster or a judge and jury. However, most pedestrian-car accidents follow a similar injury pattern.

First, the car’s front bumper strikes the pedestrian’s lower leg area. Then, with the legs moving in the same direction as the vehicle’s travel, the upper body hits the car hood or windshield.

Thus, there are typically three points where the pedestrian is hit:

1. Between the lower leg and bumper;
2. Between the upper leg and the upper edge of the hood; and
3. Between the head and shoulders and the hood/windshield area.

Additionally, a pedestrian may sustain injury if he or she falls to the ground. Injury from falling to the ground is a greater risk when the car is traveling at a faster speed at the time of the collision.

Types of Pedestrian Injuries

Pedestrians typically sustain injuries to the following parts of the body, from most common to least:

• Lower extremities;
• Head, face or neck;
• Upper extremities;
• Thorax (the area between neck and abdomen);
• Spine;
• Abdomen; and
• Pelvis.

It is common for pedestrians to experience the following types of injuries:

• Broken bones,
• Sprains;
• Lacerations;
• Concussions; and
• Emotional disturbances.

These injuries often require costly medical care and can take years before the issue is fully resolved. You may have to take time off work, and your spouse may need to care for you.

If you were not fully at fault in the accident, you and your family should not be required to pay for treatment and absorb other financial burdens (sick leave, home care, etc).

Contact an Orland Park, IL Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Pedestrian accidents can cause injuries that may require a lifetime of care. By hiring an attorney, you can be confident that your injuries will be medically addressed and that you will have the funds to do so to the full extent of the law.

An attorney will also make sure you are compensated for your lost wages as well as pain and suffering if possible. In addition, your family may be eligible for compensation.

To call a seasoned Cook County pedestrian accident lawyer at our firm, dial 708-966-2408.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/pedestrian_safety/index.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2859736/

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/pedestrian_safety/index.html