Pedestrians Face Serious Risks in New York

Every single year, vehicle accidents claim the lives of nearly 4,400 pedestrians and injure another 69,000 on U.S roads and highways. This amounts to a vehicle hitting and killing a pedestrian every two hours and injuring one about every eight minutes. These injuries often occur at legal crosswalks or even when pedestrians are walking on sidewalks adjacent to roadways. 

Any collision between a pedestrian and a vehicle poses far more serious danger to the person on foot. Without the protection afforded by a car, even a minor collision can cause a pedestrian to suffer serious injuries or even be killed.  

These accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, but often they are due to a lack of due diligence by a driver or pedestrian. Traffic laws are designed to allow motorists and people on foot to exist harmoniously, with each having the right to legally traverse roads and highways. Most intersections are equipped with crosswalks to allow pedestrians safe passage across roads, and many roads have sidewalks to allow pedestrians a safe way to travel. 

However, motorists sometimes fail to observe these crosswalks and will proceed through them without stopping or will make a turn on to a street that a pedestrian is crossing, causing a collision. If they take their eyes from the road, they can veer onto shoulder and sidewalks, causing injury to people. Additionally, pedestrians occasionally will cross roads illegally and unsafely without appreciating the risks posed by oncoming cars. 

Both motorists and pedestrians must do their part to safely share the road. This means that they must be vigilant of one another and observe traffic laws designed for their respective safety. When either party forgets to pay proper attention or ignores traffic rules, the results can be disastrous. 

If you have been injured in a serious pedestrian accident, consult the experienced New York personal injury lawyers at [ln::firm_name] to discuss your options.