Learn about the relation between distracted driving & pedestrian accidents in this article. Then, contact our Boise attorneys to get started.
Distracted driving may often instigate or directly cause an accident with other drivers and pedestrians leading to potentially severe or fatal injuries. It is critical to identify the distractions that cause the person behind the wheel to take their attention away from the road in order to avoid such distractions. Distractions in the vehicle or in the proximity of the car increase the possibility of hitting a pedestrian. Accidents involving people walking, running or engaging in an activity on the sidewalk or outside generally increase with the advancement in technology and additional distractions that cause drivers to lose focus. Although the majority of such incidents are the fault of the driver, pedestrians could also be the reason for the accident.
It is important to ensure that distractions are minimized when a person could potentially inflict injury on another person that does not have the protection associated with being inside a vehicle such as airbags and smooth surfaces for someone to bounce off of in the car.
Common Pedestrian Injuries
If a driver is unable to stop distractions from making them lose focus on the road, they may collide with a pedestrian. If the accident occurs on a city road with a speed limit sign at or lower than 25, they may cause minimal harm to the pedestrian. However, if the driver is speeding, they could kill the pedestrian. The primary concern is head injuries which are mostly fatal in case of pedestrian accidents. The human brain feels trauma more than other parts of the body and suffers internal damage leading to lifelong injuries or disabilities. Head injuries can also result in impairments such as blindness or cognition complications.
If a pedestrian makes a mistake like using a cell phone and not paying attention and the driver is often traveling at very slow speeds and may only cause minor injuries such as broken bones, cuts or bruises. Although medical attention is often necessary, the driver may not face the same type of lawsuit as when they cause serious injuries.
Dealing With Distractions
If a driver runs over or into a pedestrian, several distractions may have helped to cause that incident. Some examples of such distractions inside the car are the radio blasting, the heater or cooler causing a physiological reaction or other distractions that may cause the driver to lose focus. In the age of computers, phones, handheld devices, distractions are not that hard to come by especially while driving.
Distractions outside the vehicle occur through the sights, lights and sometimes music. Some people may find smokers distracting while others go out of their way to watch people. People may be distracted by sirens of emergency vehicles on the road. No matter what the distraction is, when the driver hits a pedestrian, they may not react appropriately. They may drive away or not even contact an ambulance. Some drivers will go into shock. In the few seconds between the distraction and the incident, the driver may make any number of mistakes.
in a pedestrian accident is important especially when the injuries are serious. The personal injury lawyer may explain all matters further to help receive compensation. It is therefore important that law students and attorneys utilize legal resources such as crush the LSAT Exam to increase their legal knowledge and improve their expertise.