When you are involved in an accident as a pedestrian in Burbank, you are especially vulnerable to serious injury or death. You have no protective gear or car body surrounding you to absorb the brunt of the impact. Even a low-speed collision can cause lifelong damage as the human frame is no match against a motor vehicle.
Burbank and the State of California operate under laws intended to protect pedestrians and offer them recourse if they are involved in an accident. A Burbank pedestrian accident lawyer from Simmrin Law Group knows these laws well and will use them to hold the at-fault party accountable for paying you substantial compensation for your injuries.
Identifying Burbank’s Pedestrians
While most think of pedestrians as those walking along or crossing roads, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) includes others in this category as well. Anyone traveling on roller skates, a skateboard, or anything other than a vehicle or a bicycle is a pedestrian. A disabled person using a tricycle, quadricycle, or wheelchair for mobility is also a pedestrian.
For a free legal consultation with a pedestrian accidents lawyer serving Burbank, call (310) 896-2723
Pedestrian Accident Facts
According to data collected by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), Los Angeles County reported 4,661 pedestrian injuries and deaths combined in a recent year. Unfortunately, Los Angeles ranks first out of 58 counties for pedestrian-involved accidents.
The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that the most recent year of data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows 7,388 pedestrian fatalities from crashes on public roads. Most of the accidents, 43%, took place in urban locations. As for the pedestrian’s location, the vast majority, 77%, were hit while on an open road versus an intersection, 23%.
Though most pedestrian accidents happen on public roads and in urban areas, according to the NSC, almost 1500 pedestrians were killed in “non-traffic accidents.” These fatal events occurred in parking lots, driveways, or other private property.
Burbank Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Near Me (310) 896-2723
How Traffic Safety Laws Apply to Pedestrians in Burbank
Pedestrians, as per the DMV, always have the right of way. This does not mean they do not have to abide by the rules of the road, but it does mean vehicle operators must always be prepared to slow down, stop, or yield to a pedestrian. Avoiding collisions with pedestrians is a responsibility shared by all of California’s drivers.
More specifically, the DMV notes:
- Pedestrians have the right-of-way in both marked and unmarked crosswalks
- Drivers should never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk as the stopped car may hide a crossing pedestrian from view
- Drivers must take note of pedestrians’ eye contact. If the pedestrian makes eye contact, the driver should recognize this as intent to cross the road
- Drivers must afford pedestrians enough time to cross safely, being mindful to give extra time for older adults and young children
- Blind pedestrians need special consideration. Drivers should never stop in the middle of a crosswalk, forcing the pedestrian into traffic, and should not honk their horns at a blind pedestrian
Click to contact our Burbank Personal Injury Lawyers today
Work Toward a Successful Case Outcome with a Burbank Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
The immediate aftermath of any accident is often chaotic, especially if you or someone else needs emergency care, which is a likely scenario if you are a pedestrian. Even after that initial trauma, however, additional serious concerns continue rising. Your physical abilities, emotional well-being, and financial situations will all be affected and require rehabilitation.
While doctors and counselors can help with the physical and emotional aspects of your rehabilitation, a pedestrian accident lawyer in Burbank can help restore your finances and bring you justice.
Building Your Case
Attorneys at Simmrin Law Group know how to investigate your accident and have connections with accident reconstructionists and other relevant experts who can discover just how the event occurred. Through this investigation, your lawyer will identify the at-fault party and compile evidence to prove that the party’s negligence caused the accident leading to your injuries.
California has a two-year statute of limitations for filing personal injury cases. When you partner with a pedestrian accident attorney in Burbank promptly after your accident, you give your lawyer time to investigate and build your case while still filing well within that legal deadline.
Demanding a Just Settlement
A fair settlement will cover the losses you sustained in the accident, provide for further accident-related costs, and serve as compensation for your non-tangible losses. You will have medical costs, wage loss for missed work, and, if you cannot return to employment because of your injuries, future income loss. You may face new expenses if you have to hire others to attend to responsibilities you managed before being injured.
The pain and suffering you endure warrant acknowledgment, and a settlement is one way the at-fault party can provide that acknowledgment.
It is hard for victims to recognize all accident-related losses and predict future needs, especially when their focus is on their day-to-day recovery. An experienced Burbank pedestrian accident attorney knows what you need and what you deserve and will take all aspects of your situation into consideration when making the settlement demand.
Handling Negotiations
While insurance companies seemingly exist to provide for victims of pedestrian or other accidents, they actually exist to make money. As a result, the at-fault party’s insurance company will put effort into lowering your settlement amount rather than giving you what you truly need and are owed.
Since California operates under a comparative fault system, if the at-fault party can prove you hold some fault for the accident, what you collect in a settlement is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies will go to great, and often unethical, lengths to twist your words into admissions of fault or misrepresent the accident details to put the blame on you.
Rather than speak to these insurance adjusters and potentially risk your settlement, trust your Burbank pedestrian accident attorney to handle all communication and negotiation with the at-fault party’s representatives. Your lawyer will not back down to intimidating tactics or allow your settlement to be compromised by the insurance company’s dishonesty.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Connect with Us to Start Moving Toward Recovery
Recovering from a pedestrian accident is hard. By connecting with a Burbank pedestrian accident lawyer from Simmrin Law Group, you can make one aspect of that recovery easier. Your attorney will handle the legalities of your case from beginning to end, giving your regular updates about its progress.
You can count on our team to offer compassionate support and sound legal advice and get you the highest settlement possible. We look forward to hearing from you and fighting for you.
Call or text (310) 896-2723 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form