You wouldn’t expect a stroll around the block or walking from your office to lunch to put your life in danger. But pedestrians are hit by cars and trucks and seriously injured every day.
There were 1,024 pedestrians hit by motor vehicles in Kentucky in 2018, including 862 who suffered injuries and 79 who were killed, according to the Kentucky Transportation Center.
If you were injured in a Kentucky pedestrian accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to seek compensation to make you and your family financially whole.
If you were hospitalized and/or unable to work after being hit by a vehicle, the Kentucky pedestrian accident lawyers at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer are here to help you.
When you are faced with the challenges of coming back from a serious pedestrian accident or the loss of a loved one, our dedicated pedestrian injury lawyers provide the Kentucky Courage you need to stand up for yourself and stay strong.
Our skilled team has the experience and the resources to take on negligent drivers and insurance companies and demand full compensation to get you back on your feet.
Our explanation below seeks to answer frequently asked questions about pedestrian accidents in Kentucky. If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident and have additional questions or concerns, contact us now for your free consultation about the experienced legal representation we can provide you.
Types of Common Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents
In a collision with a moving vehicle, a person on foot typically suffers the brunt of the injuries. A pedestrian will be injured in the initial impact of being struck by a truck or car, and then injured again by the secondary impact of being thrown to the ground.
Sometimes pedestrians are run over. A vehicle may drag the injured pedestrian along the pavement before stopping.
Several factors dictate the severity of injuries suffered in a pedestrian accident. They include the vehicle’s speed, the vehicle’s size, the angle of impact of the vehicle when it hits the pedestrian, the part of the body the vehicle hits first, and the part of the vehicle the pedestrian first comes into contact with.
Injuries our attorneys commonly see in pedestrian accidents include:
- Head and brain injuries, such as concussions and more serious traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Broken bones, particularly pelvis and legs, arms, ribs and, less often, broken jaws and facial bones and bones in the hands and feet
- Back and spine injuries, including paralysis if a crash victim’s spinal cord is torn or severed
- Abdominal and chest injuries, including ruptured organs such as liver, lungs, and bowels
- Cuts, contusions, abrasions, and occasional “degloving injuries,” in which large patches of skin are torn from underlying tissue, which may happen when a pedestrian is dragged by a vehicle.
Serious injuries suffered in a pedestrian accident will require emergency medical care, hospitalization, surgery in many cases, and rehabilitation. Many victims of pedestrian accidents live with lifelong disabilities, which may prevent returning to work and may require continual care or assistance with daily life activities.
Pedestrian Accidents Statistics
A pedestrian accident refers to a crash involving anyone walking, running, jogging, hiking, standing, sitting, or lying down near or on a roadway.
Pedestrians are obligated to obey traffic signals, cross streets in crosswalks, and yield to a motor vehicle that has the right of way. In many cases, a pedestrian accident is caused by a driver’s failure to see a person on foot or yield when a pedestrian has the right of way.
Many pedestrian accidents occur as the driver turns at an intersection without watching carefully. When a motorist turns right, the driver tends to be looking left for oncoming traffic. In left-hand turns, the driver’s visibility is partially blocked by the vehicle’s support between the windshield and side window.
Motorists hit pedestrians because of inattention, including distracted driving caused by cell phone use and other non-driving activities while behind the wheel. Drivers may be impaired. Pedestrians also get hit when drivers back up or pull away from parking spaces, alleys and driveways without adequately looking.
Among the contributing factors cited by the most recent Kentucky Transportation Center report, the main causes of pedestrian accidents are:
- Inattention (26%)
- Failure to yield right of way (11%)
- Not under the proper control of the vehicle (4%)
- Distraction (2.5%)
- Misjudge the space between a vehicle and a pedestrian (2%)
- Alcohol involvement (2%)
- Disregarded traffic control (1.5%)
- Exceeded state speed limit (1%)
- Too fast for conditions (1%)
- Road rage (1%)
What Should I Do If I’ve Been Involved in a Pedestrian Accident?
The steps you take after a pedestrian accident may have a significant impact on your personal injury claim. If you are able, or a companion is able, you should:
- Seek medical treatment. Medical care is incredibly important for your health and well-being, and the medical records are the basis of any claim for compensation after a pedestrian accident. Call 911 for emergency assistance if needed. The sooner you begin receiving treatment documenting your injuries, the better.
- Take photos of the scene. Take as many pictures as you can of everything involved in your accident, if you are able to do so. Get photographs of the vehicle that hit you, the scene of the accident, and your injuries. Try to get pictures that help to explain what happened to you.
- Get witness information. If other people saw your accident, ask them for their contact information in case they are needed as witnesses. You can record a short video of them stating the information or have them type it into your phone.
- Don’t trust the insurance company. If the driver’s insurance company contacts you after a pedestrian accident, do not make a recorded statement, accept payment or sign anything. You could be signing away your right to seek full compensation for your injuries.
- Talk to an attorney. Contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. An initial consultation is free, and even if you do not pursue a claim, you will know what to expect from dealing with insurers. Contact an attorney promptly, because personal injury claims are time-consuming, and there are deadlines for legal action if it is required for you to obtain the compensation you deserve to have.
How Our Kentucky Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Can Help
In a serious pedestrian accident, the injured victim and their family face tremendous costs and losses. The at-fault driver should compensate you for those losses through their auto insurance. But insurance companies are businesses, so their top priority is protecting their profit margin by minimizing the amount paid to settle claims.
At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, our top priority is you. An experienced pedestrian accident attorney from our law firm will advocate for you.
We will work diligently to:
- Determine and document exactly what happened in your accident. We will promptly investigate your accident and injuries. We will collect all of the necessary evidence to establish what happened and compile a record of your losses and expenses related to the accident.
- Establish liability and identify all potential sources of compensation. Our attorneys will work to determine who should be held financially liable for your injuries and what insurance policies may provide compensation to you. If you were hit by a delivery truck or someone driving as a part of his or her job, the driver’s employer may be held responsible for your injuries. If you suffered a permanent disability from a pedestrian accident, we may also be able to help you pursue Social Security Disability benefits.
- Help you obtain the medical care you need. We can refer you to specialists for medical care if you are having any issues finding or affording appropriate treatment. We can help you secure a medical lien, which will allow you to continue receiving the treatment you need while your personal injury claim is pending.
- Negotiate for maximum compensation. Our pedestrian accident lawyers will handle all of the work necessary to seek an insurance settlement. We will calculate all of your compensable losses and present a demand for full compensation to you from the obligated insurance company(s). We will ensure that insurance companies do not take advantage of you by offering an inadequate settlement. Insurers typically start by offering a lump-sum settlement that looks like a lot of money, but it is only enough to cover existing bills, not future expenses related to your injuries. We will negotiate for a payment that covers all of your losses and expenses, including future medical treatment related to the injury, lost income, diminished working ability, emotional distress, loss of quality of life, and other damages.
- Take your case to trial. Although we are successful in negotiating a settlement in most cases, our attorneys will be prepared to take your pedestrian injury case to court if necessary. We have the Kentucky Courage to fight for you at trial and tell your story to a jury of your fellow Kentuckians.
Talk to a Kentucky Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Now
If you have been hit by a car, truck, motorcycle, or another vehicle in Kentucky and suffered a serious injury, you should contact a pedestrian accident lawyer at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer as soon as possible.
Our attorneys are committed to helping hardworking Kentuckians recover every dollar they deserve after devastating accidents.
Our firm has law offices in Lexington, Somerset, Manchester, London, Hazard, Paducah, and Paintsville so we can serve you no matter where in Kentucky you were hurt. Our attorneys can meet with you at one of our offices, at your home, or anywhere else that is convenient. Let us get started on your case today. Contact us now for your free consultation.
