When pedestrians are hit by motor vehicles, the outcomes are often extremely serious. If the pedestrian survives the hit, they are likely to experience severe or catastrophic injuries that will affect them long-term or even for the rest of their lives.
Collecting a settlement is essential to reaching the highest level of recovery and securing your financial future after a pedestrian accident, and a Ponca City personal injury lawyer from BDIW can help. A Ponca City pedestrian accident lawyer from our law office will hold negligent parties accountable so you can receive the compensation you need and are rightfully owed.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Pedestrians lack any protection when hit by a motor vehicle. They are the most vulnerable accident victims, and unfortunately, their rates of victimhood have risen significantly over the past decade-plus. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports pedestrian deaths have increased by 80% since reaching a low point in 2009.
Other data reported by the IIHS shows that for the most recent full year of data available,
- 84% of pedestrian deaths occurred in urban areas
- 60% of pedestrian deaths occurred on major roads other than interstates or highways
- 7,388 pedestrians were killed in motor-vehicle crashes, accounting for 17% of all crash deaths
For that same year, the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO) reports the state of Oklahoma saw 104 pedestrian fatalities and 576 pedestrian injury victims.
Our Team Is Here To Assist You Every Step Of The Way.
SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY TODAYCauses and Effects of Ponca City Pedestrian Crashes
Pedestrians are hit for a variety of reasons, including:
- Failure to Yield: Drivers may not yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian, even one crossing the road at a light and in a marked crosswalk
- Alcohol: For a recent year of data collection, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported alcohol involvement in 47% of all accidents resulting in pedestrian deaths. In some accidents, the driver was under the influence, and in others, the pedestrian was.
- Speeding: Vehicles traveling at high speeds are harder to stop, which is a major reason speed limits are lower in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic and lowered further in school zones.
- Distracted Driving: Drivers distracted by Smartphones, eating or drinking, others in the car, or anything else that gets their attention are less likely to notice and avoid hitting pedestrians
- Lack of Visibility: Bad weather, poorly lit roads, or certain times of day make it difficult to see pedestrians
Despite the differences in the cause, the effects of a pedestrian-involved accident typically share severity in common.
Physical Injuries
There is no limit to the ways pedestrians are physically hurt when hit by motor vehicles. While some injuries can heal after long recoveries, others are catastrophic and permanently life-changing. Common injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Internal organ damage
- Traumatic brain injury
- Damage to the back or neck muscles or nerves
- Deep lacerations or amputations
- Spinal cord injuries
Emotional Suffering
The experience of being hit by a vehicle is trauma-inducing, and the emotional and psychological effects can continue long after the event. A study published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease shows a significant percentage of individuals involved in motor vehicle accidents suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more than half develop depression. The psycho-emotional effects impair victims’ ability to maintain their typical roles in their homes, workplaces, and social lives.
The trauma of the event is not the only cause of emotional struggle. Physical pain and injury consequences, such as lack or loss of mobility, decreased cognitive function, loss of independence, and other effects, can leave victims feeling isolated and in despair.
Financial Distress
Extensive medical bills, the anticipated costs of future care, and the inability to work and earn income put victims and their households in serious financial distress. A pedestrian accident lawyer in Ponca City can serve as a crucial ally in your financial struggle by fighting to hold those at fault for your accident and losses accountable for paying you substantial compensation.
Partner with a Pedestrian Accident Attorney in Ponca City to Protect Your Compensation
Partnering with a skilled attorney from BDIW is easy. You simply contact us for a free consultation and let us take care of the rest. We are so confident in our ability to get you a substantial settlement that if we take your case, you do not have to pay any fees until you receive that settlement. While you put all your energy into recovering, your attorney will:
- Investigate your accident, leaving no details undiscovered. The investigation will reveal the cause of the accident and the negligent party. For example, the at-fault party may be the driver, a vehicle or part manufacturer, or even a government entity if a broken traffic signal led to the crash
- Build evidence to prove the at-fault party’s negligence caused your accident, injuries, and subsequent losses
- Value your losses. Your attorney will calculate the economic and non-economic losses you have suffered, ensuring your settlement demand compensates you for your total damages
- Make a settlement demand. Your attorney will present comprehensive evidence to support the demanded amount
- Negotiate a fair settlement. The at-fault party’s insurance company will make a counteroffer, and negotiations will go back and forth. Having an experienced, tough, knowledgeable negotiator on your side is essential for your receipt of a just settlement
Your Ponca City pedestrian accident attorney will also file the necessary legal paperwork. For example, if you take your case to trial, you must file your injury claim within the Oklahoma Code 12-95 statute of limitations.
Oklahoma’s Fault Laws
Oklahoma Code 23-14 and 23-14’s comparative fault laws allow pedestrians who are less than 50% responsible for an accident to file an injury claim. If the pedestrian holds some fault for the accident, their settlement will be reduced according to that same percentage. The at-fault party’s representatives will work hard to inflate a victim’s level of blame to reduce their own payout.
Partnerships with an experienced attorney are an effective way to ensure you are not re-victimized by these often unethical strategies.
We Get Results
The team at BDIW is here for residents of Ponca City who have been hurt because of someone else’s recklessness or negligence. With over 65 years of combined experience, our lawyers have the skills, knowledge, and toughness you need when fighting for justice, your recovery, and your future. Contact us now to arrange a meeting with a Ponca City pedestrian accident lawyer who will treat you with care and respect while demanding negligent parties compensate you for the damage they have caused.
