Articles

 Pedestrian Injury Claims

With more than 30 million cars on the road today, Britain’s roads are now busier than ever. Even though the improved design of cars and more traffic signals have improved and reduced the number of accidents on the roads, accidents are still unavoidable because of the volume of traffic.
Road accidents involving pedestrians are more common and account for more than 33,000 casualties on Britain’s roads; these figures come from the Department of Transport in their 2006 report.
The most common causes of pedestrian injuries are from being:

• Knocked down on a pavement

• Struck by a vehicle on a pedestrian crossing

• Being the victim of a hit and run

There are strong claims for pedestrian compensation when the situation is like those of the above. However if as a pedestrian you are struck whilst crossing the road between moving traffic; your claim becomes more complicated as blame could be from your half or the drivers.
Car drivers carry a heavy burden as far as pedestrians are concerned. Car drivers owe a duty of care, which the law upholds stating they must drive in a safe and responsible manner. Pedestrian injury remains the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14.

Research has concluded that you are more likely to be involved in a road traffic accident as a pedestrian on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday between the hours of 3pm and 8pm. Research has also shown that approximately two-thirds of all crashes that injury or kill people happen on roads that have a speed limit of 30mph or less. At 30mph, vehicles are travelling at 44 feet (about 3 car lengths) each second.

On average, in the USA, a pedestrian is injured every eight minutes after being involved in a road traffic accident. With older pedestrians, who are roughly 70+ accounting for 15% of all pedestrian fatalities and 6% of all pedestrian injuries. However children are most at risk from becoming a pedestrian victim than anyone as roads are designed with adults in mind. Children are less well developed physically, cognitively and in terms of their traffic experience.

Injuries caused to pedestrians can be extremely severe with the most common area affected being the head and internal injuries. Injuries such as these are the main reason for hospitalisation.

The speed of a car that hits a pedestrian is also a big factor as to the outcome of the injuries that are sustained. If a pedestrian is hit by a car travelling at 30mph they have a survival rate of 95%. This percentage drops to 60% if hit by a car travelling at 50 mph and drops again to 20% is a pedestrian is hit by a car travelling at 70mph.

Below are a few precautions that pedestrians can follow in order to prevent injury:

• Only cross the road at pedestrian crossings and traffic lights

• Use the pavement, do not wonder onto the road

• Look left, right and left again to check for traffic before stepping out into the road

• Closely watch your children and encourage them to cross a road in the correct, safe manner

Helen Cox is the webmaster for Accident Consult; specialists in Pedestrian Accidents.

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