Haynesville, AL Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

You would not think that walking on a sidewalk or the shoulder of a road could have deadly consequences, but in 2018, 106 Alabamans lost their lives in collisions with motor vehicles.

There has been a sharp increase in pedestrian-related fatalities in Alabama. And serious injuries and fatalities can leave the lives of victims and their families in shambles.

When that happens, Alabama’s personal injury laws allow you to file a lawsuit against the responsible party, whether in Haynesville, Dothan, Mobile, or anywhere in Alabama. The law office of Chip Nix in Mobile will pursue your claim after determining the negligent party with the insurance company or before a jury.

Haynesville Pedestrian Traffic-Related Accidents

You are walking down the street as you have many times before. A vehicle either jumped the curve or steered the car into you. The driver may have been intoxicated or on drugs. Perhaps he was asleep behind the wheel or texting while driving.

Either way, your 150-pound body is no match for a 5,000-pound automobile.

Possibly due to a quest to say healthy as more people take up walking as an exercise, there has been a sharp increase in pedestrian-related fatalities in Alabama.

Nationwide in 2020 6,607 pedestrians were killed with an estimated 55,000 pedestrians injured. In 2019, 76,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic accidents, a one percent increase from the year before. Pedestrian deaths are up 59 percent since reaching their lowest point in 2009, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The Governors Highway Safety Association reports at least 126 Alabama pedestrians lost their lives in traffic accidents in 2021, up from 101 in 2020.

How Haynesville Pedestrian Accidents Happen

A lack of walkable communities is one factor in the number of accidents. But there are other factors.

• Pedestrians Not Paying Attention
• *Pedestrians walking illegally – if there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic and as far from the cars as possible
• Pedestrians walking on the road at night with poor visibility clothing
• Pedestrians stepping out between cars
• Walking under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Cross at designed crosswalks – look in all directions for cars including those coming up behind the immediate vehicles and coming from or going into cross streets
• Make sure children follow school bus signs and only cross at crosswalks
• Avoid walking between a rising or setting sun and vehicles. They may not be able to see you.

Not all collisions are the fault of the motor vehicle driver. New data shows that 66 percent of pedestrian deaths related to collisions were the fault of the pedestrian.  The time of day may be a factor. Three-quarters of those killed by cars in 2018 were hit after dark according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A lack of attention by drivers and pedestrians may be a factor. Many walkers have headsets and their faces are in their phones, oblivious to their surroundings. But many more drivers have their eyes focused on their phones rather than on the roads, which is very dangerous when you are operating a vehicle with the potential to inflict deadly force on a pedestrian.

Significant injuries from pedestrian accidents may include:

• Head trauma
• Fractures and broken bones
• Spinal cord injuries
• Neck injuries
• Internal Injuries
• Disfigurement

Your Haynesville, AL Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
In order to represent you successfully in an Alabama personal injury lawsuit, Mr. Nix must first obtain the accident report and interview any eyewitnesses on the scene.   Additionally, it may be necessary to reconstruct the crash with the help of an expert and analyze evidence collected from the scene.

The law firm of Chip Nix will determine if the driver was violating traffic laws and was careless, reckless and that caused the collision. As a result, you were damaged, or a loved one lost his life.

You may be able to seek compensation for:

• Lost wages,
• Medical bills,
• Ongoing cost of therapy and rehabilitation
• The amount you lose if you cannot return to the same job
• Pain and suffering
• Wrongful death claim – In the case of death, your loved ones may be able to file a wrongful death claim under Alabama law.  This limits damages to punitive damages, not economic and non-economic damages. Punitive damages are designed to discourage the negligent party from repeating the behavior that led to the victim’s death.

Remember, there is a two-year statute of limitations to file a personal injury action in Alabama. In addition, critical evidence tends to disappear with the passage of time. For these reasons, it is important to get in touch with an experienced Haynesville, AL pedestrian accident attorney sooner rather than later.

If you or a loved one got injured in a pedestrian crash, contact Attorney Chip Nix for a free consultation and case assessment. Mr. Nix will review your case and advise you of your legal rights and options. Get started on your claim by calling our office today or sending us an online message. We are ready to go to work for you!

Sources:

NHTSA
https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety

GHTSA
https://www.ghsa.org/resources/Pedestrians22

IIHS
https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/pedestrians