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(203) 690-1030
Walking should not be a dangerous activity. Strolling through a parking lot with your grocery cart should not be hazardous. Crossing the street to get to school or work should not endanger your health. Unfortunately, people suffer serious harm every day while walking due to the negligence and/or recklessness of motor vehicle drivers.
If you are recovering from injuries following being hit by an automobile, you may have a right to seek compensation for your losses in a personal injury claim. An experienced Connecticut pedestrian accident attorney at Bert McDowell Injury Law can review your case and discuss your legal options during an initial consultation.
Sadly, accidents involving pedestrians occur with alarming frequency in Connecticut. They are more common in cities with greater vehicle and foot traffic, but they can also happen in the suburbs and more rural areas.
Pedestrian crashes can occur for many different reasons; however, the leading cause of most pedestrian accidents is the reckless behavior of car operators. Drunk driving, distracted driving, and simple carelessness can lead a driver to turn into the path of a person crossing the street. Many of these accidents happen in busy parking lots where preoccupied drivers neglect to look in their rearview mirror before backing out of a parking space. Collisions like these also frequently occur at intersections when drivers fail to yield to the right-of-way of walkers. Drivers who are turning left also often hit walkers who are crossing the road.
A dedicated Connecticut pedestrian incident lawyer can investigate an accident to determine why it occurred by reviewing the police record, visiting the crash site, securing video footage, and speaking any eyewitnesses. With years of practical experience, a diligent attorney such as Bert McDowell can often find critical clues that point to a driver’s liability.
Sometimes, walkers bear partial responsibility for accidents. For instance, people who step off the curb while texting may be distracted, which could cause them to not look for oncoming traffic. Drunk pedestrians could also pose a risk to themselves and other people when they wander into the street. Pedestrians are supposed to stay as far away from oncoming road traffic as possible. If there is a sidewalk or a shoulder, they should walk there instead of directly on the street alongside cars. Walkers who choose to walk along the side of a road instead of on an available sidewalk could bear some responsibility for a driver striking them.
Connecticut law recognizes that more than one party is often partially responsible for an incident. Under the state’s modified comparative negligence law, injured pedestrians can pursue recovery of their losses even if they bear some personal blame, as long as they are less than 50 percent at fault for the crash.
A knowledgeable pedestrian accident attorney in Connecticut could explain how the comparative fault rules might apply to a particular situation. They could also help an injured party uncover evidence to prove a driver was—at least mostly—to blame.
Motorists need to respect the rights of everyone on the roads, including walkers. When a driver makes a mistake that endangers the life of a pedestrian, they should be held accountable.
A skilled Connecticut pedestrian accident attorney can help you pursue the recovery that you need to pay for medical bills and missed time from work. A successful financial resolution can allow you to focus more fully on your physical and emotional healing in the aftermath of a serious collision. If you are ready to get started on your injury claim, then Bring On Bert!