Recent Study On Pedestrian Hit By Car In Crosswalk
Grim news regarding pedestrian fatalities abound: per the National Public Radio, a recent study on pedestrian casualties suggests that instances of drivers hitting pedestrian in crosswalk have reached an all-time high.
The study found that 7,500 pedestrians nationwide were killed by drivers in 2022, the highest it’s ever been in 40 years. Experts have cited numerous reasons for why drivers hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Aside from a driver’s recklessness, city urban planning in general prioritizes driving ease as opposed to pedestrian safety. With little to no protections afforded for pedestrians, this makes it all the more likely for them to get into a crosswalk accident.
On average, 20 pedestrian fatalities occur everyday. Therefore, it’s important now more than ever that people make sure to put themselves in a position where they don’t become a pedestrian hit by car in crosswalk.
In this blog, we will discuss what happens if a driver hits pedestrians. Specifically, the fate of the latter group (spoiler note: it may be gruesome).
While there is only so much one can do to improve the infrastructure that continues to endanger the lives of pedestrians, we hope that people exercise a greater deal of caution once they’re made aware of how a crosswalk accident could alter their lives.
What Happens If You Get Hit in a Crosswalk?
Wrongful Deaths
In dire cases, pedestrians can die from a car accident. During a car crash, they will be up against thousands of pounds of metal. The crushing weight of a car could very likely land a pedestrian to a far distance from the collision point, leading them to suffer from a sleuth of physical injuries (internal and external) which may then cause their eventual death.
Of course, pedestrians are often not in the wrong in such accidents. The onus of the blame most of the time falls onto the driver as they are the ones who usually violate their duty of care by not being cautious.
However, for their own sake, pedestrians should always take safety precautions so that they can avoid suffering from a wrongful death.
One of the things they need to internalize is to always be aware of their surroundings. When crossing the road, they should always look both directions to ensure that there is no incoming traffic. If not, they run into the risk of getting hit by a vehicle.
Granted that drivers should heed the same advice as well, pedestrians still have agency over their actions, meaning that they are also responsible to keep themselves safe from harm. It’d bode well for them to be cognizant of their surroundings.
Traumatic Brain Injury
In the event of a car accident, another serious injury that you could get as a pedestrian is a traumatic brain injury. An injury of this kind could have cognitive and behavioral effects. Depending on the impact, it may be irreversible. Moderate and severe brain injuries, for example, may take years to recover from. If those affected are not careful, they may worsen their injuries.
Those with TBI should be careful when doing physically strenuous activities as it may exacerbate their condition. It’ll also bode well on them to avoid overstimulation. Crowded places and noisy areas may put them at risk of complications. The use of substances may also worsen their brain injuries.
Spinal Cord Injury
By some miracle that a pedestrian survived the crushing weight of a moving vehicle, they may instead suffer from a traumatic life-altering injury in the spine. Life as they know it will not be the same.
Acquiring a spinal cord injury in a tragic accident like that usually results in a severe transection (cut) or contusion (bruise) in the spine.
This may significantly limit the mobility of a pedestrian with SCI. The spine is the bridge between the mind and the body. And if it’s cut, signals from the brain won’t be able to reach anything below the point of the injury as is the case in a complete spinal cord injury.
Even if it is not a complete spinal transection, there’s still some significant limitations imposed on the pedestrian’s mobility, and they would have to adjust their lives accordingly. In extreme ways.
For one, there is the obvious: the physical effects of SCI will mean that the pedestrian may need an assistive device to get around. Being dependent on such tools may also negatively affect their mental health (another effect of SCI), especially as the adjustment period has been noted to be quite difficult for them.
Soft Tissue Injury
Depending on the impact of the collision, you could, by some miracle, only get a soft tissue injury. Soft tissue injuries are minor injuries that would typically heal on its own with little to no medical intervention given that those who sustain them do their due diligence to recover adequately.
Soft Tissue Injuries usually take the form of a contusion, sprain, and/or strains, all of which could be healed with the RICE method. The abbreviation of RICE is as follows:
- Rest: Taking the time to ease up on the injured part of your body allows it to regenerate and heal.
- Ice: Applying cold pressure on the injured part of your body decreases inflammation and helps with lessening the pain.
- Compress: Wrapping the injured part with some type of compression (bonus point if it’s cold compress) also helps with reducing the swelling, though people should be careful to not restrict the blood flow.
- Elevate: Elevation reduces swelling.
Call Omega Law Group
No matter the severity of the injury, being a pedestrian hit by car automatically puts them at a disadvantage in the event of a car collision. Having a great car crash lawyer makes all the difference in pursuing justice and compensation. Pedestrians need to call Omega Law Group.
Omega Law Group has a reputation in the courtroom of fighting relentlessly for their clients. Aside from racking up awards from industry-vetted organizations like SuperLawyers and features from Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Business Journal, they also accrued millions in settlement awards on behalf of their clients.
Their personalized client service, case transparency, and shrewd negotiation skills have all aided in increasing client satisfaction. And it all doesn’t come at a hefty cost for those who seek their services.
True to their equitable clients-first mission, the attorneys at Omega Law operate on a contingency-fee basis, so their clients don’t have to pay for legal services upfront. Learn more by scheduling a free legal consultation through our Contact Us page.
