Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Houston

Fighting for Victim’s Rights

While the streets of Houston are relatively safe for walkers, a pedestrian accident can still occur when you least expect it. As a pedestrian, you are much more vulnerable than someone traveling in a car, truck, bus, or another motor vehicle. Unfortunately, people often have little to no protection when they’re walking down the streets. This is why being hit by a car often causes severe personal injuries and occasionally even results in fatalities. If you or a loved one is living through this, a pedestrian accident lawyer in Houston may be able to help.

When a negligent driver or other reckless party’s carelessness leads to injured pedestrians, victims may be entitled to recover financial compensation. Considering the serious injuries that often occur in such an accident, it’s important to take action to avoid considerable financial consequences. A compassionate Houston personal injury attorney can help investigate the details of the crash and assist in any necessary legal steps required to seek justice and receive the compensation you deserve.

Contact us today at the Law Office of Denise Adkison-Brown for a free consultation. Don’t risk taking on a personal injury case on your own.

Why Pedestrian Accidents Happen

Most collisions with pedestrians occur when drivers fail to see walkers in enough time to prevent car accidents. It is not uncommon for drivers to lose sight of pedestrians or miss seeing them entirely. Such accidents often occur when car drivers act negligently or carelessly. Drivers have a duty of care, and this means they must take appropriate measures to avoid causing harm to others on or near the road. When they fail in this duty, serious pedestrian accident injuries are not uncommon.

There are various negligent acts that drivers engage in that can lead to a pedestrian accident. These include:

• Speeding: Speeding motorists will have difficulty reacting quickly to unexpected pedestrians and can easily lose control of their vehicles. Statistics show that speeding greatly increases the risk of pedestrian accidents and the severity of injuries.
• Distracted driving: Talking on the phone, texting, or any other type of distracted driving impact a driver’s ability to react to external factors. Even before the cell phone was invented, though, distracted drivers were one of the biggest threats to pedestrians.
• Drunk driving: Intoxicated or drugged motorists often cannot stop their cars in time to prevent sudden accidents. Statistics show that alcohol is involved in roughly half of all accidents involving pedestrians hit by a car.
• Aggressive driving: Reckless, impatient drivers may try to swerve around or otherwise get past walking individuals. Such actions greatly increase the risk of accidents, and in many cases, these acts constitute criminality.
• Parking lots: Many cars hit pedestrians in parking lots because their visibility is often obstructed by parked cars. Due to the size discrepancy between humans and vehicles, even a low-speed collision can prove detrimental.
• Intersections: Motorists frequently hit walkers when they turn at intersections and fail to yield to individuals crossing the road. This type of pedestrian accident is especially likely when drivers are making a right-hand turn into a busy intersection.
•  Backing up: Blind spots in rearview mirrors can cause a car accident at any time — even large vehicles can be difficult to see in these situations. Unfortunately, such blind spots can make it difficult to see pedestrians, especially children.
•  Poor weather: Rain, fog, snow, or even sun glare can make it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians. Slick road conditions are a particular danger since motor vehicles may not be able to stop on time even when they see someone crossing the street.

There are a variety of factors that can lead to a pedestrian accident, and the specifics of a given case will dictate whether a victim is entitled to compensation. Don’t make assumptions about your case or who was at fault. Houston pedestrian accident lawyers are skilled at investigating such accidents and figuring out every party that shares liability. With a personal injury attorney on your side, your chances of getting justice are greatly improved.

Determining Fault in Houston Pedestrian Accidents

It is possible for more than one party to be legally responsible in a car accident involving pedestrians. If you speak to an insurance company after being injured, though, you’re very likely to be told that the accident occurred due to your own actions. Don’t let this dictate whether you seek a settlement or file a personal injury lawsuit. Even if you were jaywalking or crossing the street without looking or outside of a crosswalk, it doesn’t mean you were at fault for your injury. Personal injury claims in Texas are quite complex, so it’s very possible you could recover compensation even if your actions contributed to the accident.

Any motorist involved in such an incident will no doubt try to blame you. The law does not bend to such accusations. Since Texas is a comparative negligence state, a pedestrian could still pursue damages so long as a court determines that they are less than 50 percent to blame for the crash. The damages that the pedestrian could recover would be reduced by their percentage of fault. For example, if a court determines that a pedestrian was 25 percent to blame because they crossed the street in the dark, the victim could still recover 75 percent of the damages.

It’s vital for pedestrian accident victims to remember this. You may get a call from an insurance company — potentially while you’re still in the hospital — urging you to accept a settlement offer in order to receive a quick payout. They may tell you that it’s the best you’ll get considering your own negligent actions. While this may sound as if they’re concerned with quickly getting you money to cover medical care and lost wages, they’re really just hoping that you’ll accept a low offer prior to contacting a Houston pedestrian accident lawyer. Don’t fall into this trap. Never speak to insurance companies or sign anything before contacting a law firm.

What Are Common Injuries in a Pedestrian Accident Case?

Being involved in any type of car accident can lead to serious injuries. If you’re a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle, however, the risk of severe damage is greatly increased. Even bicyclists involved in automobile accidents — which have one of the highest rates of fatalities in auto collisions — typically have more protection than pedestrians (e.g., helmets). Unfortunately, there’s nothing between a person and heavy metal or asphalt when they’re struck.

This is why some of the most common injuries are traumatic in nature:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Fractured or broken bones
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal injuries (e.g., bruised organs, internal bleeding)
• Whiplash and concussions
• Injuries leading to death

Any Houston pedestrian accident lawyer will see these injuries and many more during their career. It’s an unfortunate fact, but individuals struck by a motorist rarely walk away from the incident unscathed. This is why it’s so important to work with personal injury attorneys after suffering an injury. You could be dealing with the repercussions of this accident for years to come, so it’s important that you’re able to secure fair compensation from the start.

When you need a Houston pedestrian accident attorney on your side, the Law Office of Denise Adkison-Brown is ready to help.

Do Pedestrian Accident Victims Need a Lawyer?

If you or a loved one were injured while walking, the question at the top of your mind might be whether you need a Houston pedestrian accident attorney. This is particularly the case if liability in the incident is clear. After all, an insurance company couldn’t possibly deny you a fair settlement when their policyholder is clearly at fault — right? Unfortunately, auto-pedestrian accidents don’t typically play out this way. In fact, you can pretty much assume that any offer from the insurance company is going to leave out significant compensation that you rightfully deserve.

Consider all the possible losses you may experience after such an accident. The following list is just the tip of the iceberg.

• Property damages
• Emergency room visit
•  Initial medical care costs
• Lost wages from missing work
• Fees for paying bills late after an accident
•  Continuing care for long-term injuries
• Potential future issues arising from injuries
•  Ongoing physical or mental therapy
• Pain and suffering

These are all common losses when a pedestrian is hit by a car. Unfortunately, an insurance adjuster isn’t going to account for all these damages. In fact, they’ll often try to offer a settlement that covers nothing other than property damages and your initial treatment costs. Unfortunately, it’s rare that a person recovers from pedestrian accident injuries in the short term. This is why you need Houston pedestrian accident attorneys on your side.

The simple fact is that insurance companies can’t bully legal professionals. And if they refuse to offer a fair settlement that covers physical injuries, emotional distress and other losses, an experienced pedestrian accident attorney in Houston can take your case to trial. Individuals who suffer personal injuries are not required by law to have legal representation, but whether you have help on your side or not, you can bet that the insurance company will.

Call a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Houston Today

Pedestrian accidents can be complicated due to the multiple parties involved and the unique facts of each case regardless of the specifics of a case when a person is hit by a car, though, many of the results are very similar. An injured person will often find themselves facing serious injuries, high medical costs, lost wages from missed time at work, and potentially years of physical and mental therapy to overcome the damage done. No one should have to face these difficulties on their own, and with the help of a Houston personal injury attorney, you won’t have to.

It is critical to work with a legal team that is well-versed in the legal intricacies of pedestrian accidents. The right law firm will work diligently and aggressively to get you the compensation that you deserve. At the Law Office of Denise Adkison-Brown, you’ll have a pedestrian accident lawyer in Houston who’s ready to fight the insurance company and any liable party to help you seek justice. Contact us today by calling (713) 714-6206 for a free consultation. We’ll provide a free case evaluation so you can better understand the best way to move forward.