According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were nearly 6,000 pedestrian accidents in a recent year, resulting in 669 fatalities and 1,317 serious injuries.
If you’ve been the victim of a pedestrian accident in Arlington, Texas, turn to a pedestrian accident attorney at Tate Law Offices for help. We provide dedicated, aggressive legal advocacy on behalf of our clients who need and deserve financial compensation. Our firm has an over 99 percent success rate in the cases we’ve handled, successfully winning over 3,000 cases. This success is a result of our focus on each individual client and making their lives better after a devastating injury.
Contact us for a free initial case evaluation with a knowledgeable pedestrian accident lawyer in Arlington, Texas. We can discuss your legal rights and options during your free case review.
What Compensation Can You Recover from a Pedestrian Accident?
Following an Arlington, TX pedestrian accident, you might be entitled to financial compensation for the expenses you incurred due to your injuries. The kinds of compensation our clients receive after pedestrian accidents claims often include:
- Medical expenses such as hospital bills, doctor’s office visits, physical and occupational therapy, prescription medications, and medical and mobility equipment
- Wages or income lost due to missed work while recovering from injuries
- Lost future earnings, including employment benefits like health insurance, if your injuries result in a permanent disability that prevents you from returning to work
- Physical pain and emotional trauma caused by the accident and your injuries and recovery
- Lost quality of life caused by physical scarring or disfigurement, or by physical disability that interferes with your daily living and activities
- Loss of consortium, which compensates your spouse for the loss of your companionship and intimacy due to your injuries
Common Causes of Arlington Texas Pedestrian Accidents
Many Arlington, Texas pedestrian accidents result from careless or reckless driving. Some of the most frequent causes include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving, such as texting while driving
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
- Running stop signs or red lights
- Failing to yield at intersections or crosswalks
- Driving recklessly, such as racing or weaving through traffic
Other factors that can contribute to pedestrian accidents include low lighting, poor visibility due to adverse weather conditions, or poor or negligent road and intersection design that increases the risk of vehicle-pedestrian collisions.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
Although some vehicle designs have made efforts to improve pedestrian safety in the event of a collision, pedestrians remain basically unprotected in the event of an accident. In fact, the many giant trucks on Texas roads greatly increase the danger to walkers since drivers are more likely to have large blind spots in front of their vehicles. As a result, pedestrians often suffer serious injuries, even in low-speed pedestrian collisions.
Common pedestrian accident injuries include:
- Road rash or other abrasions or lacerations
- Bone fractures
- Ligament, tendon, and muscle injuries and tears
- Whiplash injuries
- Neck and back injuries, including herniated discs
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Traumatic amputation
Unfortunately, the injuries suffered in pedestrian collisions tend to be so severe that about one out of every ten pedestrian accidents in Texas results in a pedestrian fatality.
Who May Be Legally Responsible for Pedestrian Accidents?
Most pedestrian injuries are caused by the negligence or recklessness of a driver whose vehicle hits the pedestrian. But sometimes, other parties might be held responsible or share fault for a pedestrian accident. For example, one driver’s negligent or reckless act might have triggered another driver to take evasive action that eventually led to the pedestrian’s injury. In that case, the first driver might bear some liability for the pedestrian accident.
In other situations, a municipal or state government could be held responsible for a pedestrian accident. If the city or state approved an unsafe crosswalk or intersection design, they might be legally responsible for the collision.
Finally, an injured pedestrian could share some responsibility for an accident. Someone who crosses the road outside of an intersection or marked crosswalk or crosses against a traffic signal might be found partially at fault for the accident. Discuss the particular circumstances of your injury with an Arlington pedestrian accident attorney to find out who might be liable for your injury.
How to Prove Fault in a Pedestrian Accident
Just because you were hit by a motor vehicle doesn’t mean that the driver of the vehicle will be automatically held at fault for the accident. Instead, you and your lawyer will need to show that the driver committed some sort of negligent or reckless act leading to an Arlington, TX pedestrian accident. This could include violating traffic laws by speeding, not stopping at a stop sign, or running a red light, for example. Using a cell phone or driving while tired could also constitute negligence.
You and your pedestrian accident attorney might use various types of evidence to demonstrate the other driver’s negligence, such as:
- A police crash report
- Traffic or surveillance camera footage
- Accident scene photos
- Eyewitness testimony
You’ll also need to prove that the other driver’s actions caused the collision. Finally, you must have suffered harm from the accident.
How Tate Law Offices Can Help
If you’ve been hurt in an Arlington, TX pedestrian accident, let Tate Law Offices help you to pursue full recovery from your injuries by:
- Referring you to the physicians and specialists that you need to treat your injuries
- Conducting our own investigation of the accident, rather than just relying on information collected by the police or insurance company
- Finding evidence to show how the accident happened and who was at fault
- Handling all communications with the insurance companies so that you can focus on healing from your injuries
- Pursuing fair and full compensation aggressively through a negotiated settlement
- Pursuing your claim in court or at trial, when necessary, to give you the best opportunity for obtaining maximum recovery for your injuries and losses
Don’t delay starting your pursuit of financial compensation from the at-fault driver. Call or contact Tate Law Offices today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Speak with a skilled Arlington, Texas pedestrian accident lawyer about what our firm can do to help you get the money you need.