Kansas City Pedestrian Crosswalk Accident Lawyers
Right of Way Violations Injure Pedestrians. You Have the Right to Pursue Compensation.
Getting in a car accident alone can cause serious injuries. Having your body hit by a car can be dramatically worse. The fatality count for pedestrians in 2022 reached 7,522, which is an 83% increase from 2009.
When drivers aren’t paying attention to the road or their surroundings, many people’s lives could be in jeopardy. If you or a loved one received serious or life-threatening injuries after being hit while crossing the street, contact DM Injury Law.
Our Kansas City crosswalk accident lawyers are here to fight for the highest amount of financial compensation possible. Contact us today for a free consultation. We are a contingency-based firm, meaning you don’t pay unless we win.
Call (816) 888-7500 or contact us online today for a free consultation.
Why Are Pedestrian Injuries Increasing?
As carmakers integrate more safety features, such as automatic braking and proximity alerts, the number of overall fatalities from car crashes is dropping.
Pedestrian fatalities have yet to follow suit. After all, most of these improvements are made with two-car accidents in mind. These changes don’t account for the upward trend in pedestrian accidents, though.
Reasons for this increase include:
- People Walk More: Studies in 2016 and 2017that asked participants if they’d walked to work within the last week found a 4% increase between the two years. Though more walkers aren’t the only cause of the increase in pedestrian accidents, they may contribute.
- Larger Vehicles: As SUVs and crossovers continue to grow in popularity, pedestrian injuries will likely continue to increase. Sedans and coupes, when they hit people, typically hit their legs. Taller, heavier vehicles can cause chest and head trauma, which is much more likely to result in serious injury or death. In the last decade, fatal SUV-pedestrian crashes have increased by 81%
- Distracted Driving: Screens are more prevalent and functional than ever; many car models even come with built-in dash monitors. Though lawmakers and whistleblowers have emphasized the dangers of distracted driving for years, many people still haven’t gotten the message. Causality rates are hard to track, as by the time police arrive, it’s impossible to say whether the driver was using their phone at the time of the accident; however, they are probably higher than the estimated 9%.
- Distracted Walking: Honolulu passed a ban on distracted walking after an upswing in crosswalk accidents—now, anyone looking at a screen instead of at their surroundings while crossing the street will face a fine. The city passed this rule in response to thousands of accidents involving distracted walkers, many with cars or other vehicles. While most cities probably won’t go this far to keep pedestrians safe, the principle behind the law is sound.
Types of Crosswalk Accidents
Of all the places pedestrian accidents might happen, you might guess that crosswalks would have a lower incidence. Though they make roadways safer for pedestrians, they are still the location of many accidents.
Pedestrians tend to assume crosswalks will be safe and let their guard down, while cars may not give them much thought because they don’t pose a threat.
Here are some common crosswalk accident types:
- Turning Vehicles: When drivers forget to look for or fail to yield to pedestrians before making their turn.
- Running a Stop Sign/Stop Light: Whether due to distraction, fatigue, or stress, drivers may blow through intersections at high speed, giving pedestrians little or no time to react.
- Multiple Threats: In multi-lane roads, a car that’s stopped at a crosswalk may block a crossing pedestrian from other drivers’ view. If the other cars fail to follow the stopped car’s cue, they may surprise (and be surprised by) a pedestrian at the last minute.
- Pedestrian Trapped: Especially a hazard for slower pedestrians, a short traffic signal may not provide enough time to cross a street. Drivers who are looking at the traffic signal rather than the crossing may hit a pedestrian on a green light.
- Unmarked Crosswalks: Pedestrians typically cross streets in intersections, but many are not marked with crosswalk indicators. Without the visual cue, drivers may fail to notice the enhanced likelihood of pedestrian crossings and forget to slow down and look.
Speak to a crosswalk attorney in Kansas City for guidance on what actions you can take. Our experts at DM Injury Law can guide you through the process and help you seek the justice and compensation you deserve.
Most Common Injuries from Crosswalk Accidents
Getting hit by a car can be life-threatening; the injuries are often catastrophic. Here are some of the most common injuries from pedestrian crosswalk accidents:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Road rash
- Internal bleeding or organ damage
- Neck and back injury
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Filing a Claim After a Pedestrian Accident
If you or a loved one were hit while in a crosswalk, you have a strong argument that the other party was at fault. This may help you prevail in settlement talks or a lawsuit—where you can recover all the expenses caused by the accident, including:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- In-home care
- Funeral and burial costs (if the accident resulted in wrongful death)
- Pain and suffering
- PTSD
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of independence
- Disfigurement and scarring
- And more
With the help of a pedestrian accident attorney, you can begin to build your case for compensation. Pedestrian accidents are painful and dangerous, and you shouldn’t have to pay for your injuries on your own.
Contact DM Injury Law today to schedule a free case consultation. You don’t have to pay us unless we win.
Call (816) 888-7500 or contact us online today for a free consultation.
Past results obtained on behalf of clients afford no guarantee of future results, and every case is different and must be judged based on its own merits.
