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A stark fact from 2022: according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, approximately 20 pedestrians were killed by automobile accidents every day, as you can learn from a Hackensack pedestrian accident lawyer. In fact, 2022 hit a four-decade high. And that’s only fatalities; it does not take into consideration all the pedestrian accidents that resulted in catastrophic injuries, chronic pain, and other serious issues. If you, a family member or a friend have been hit by a car, truck, or bus in the state of New Jersey, contact a qualified personal injury attorney from O’Cathain Law Group.
Getting hit by a car does not just happen out of nowhere. There are reasons these accidents occur. When we can establish what caused your accident, we can determine who is responsible. That is the foundation of your case. Our Hackensack pedestrian accident attorneys at the O’Cathain Law Group Personal Injury Law Department have seen firsthand how these accidents happen on New Jersey streets, and we want you to understand what we look for.
This is one of the most common threads we see running through pedestrian accident cases. A driver who is looking at a phone, adjusting the radio, reaching for something in the back seat, or simply not focused on the road ahead is a danger to everyone around them. Pedestrians are especially at risk because they have no protection at all. Distracted drivers often fail to notice someone stepping off a curb, crossing at a marked crosswalk, or walking through a parking lot. They may roll through a stop sign without fully stopping or make a turn without checking whether a pedestrian is already crossing in front of them. A few seconds of inattention can change a person’s life.
Poor visibility is often a problem. Drivers have to adjust to poor visibility. For example, weather conditions such as rain, fog, or glare all require the driver to make reasonable and safe adjustments so that pedestrians are not injured.
Speed is a factor in a significant number of pedestrian accidents. A driver going too fast through a busy area, a school zone, a residential block, or a parking lot has less time to react when a pedestrian appears. They also hit harder when they do not stop in time. The faster a vehicle is traveling at the moment of impact, the more serious the injuries tend to be. Speeding is also evidence of negligence, and we investigate it carefully in every case.
Sometimes the driver is not the only party at fault. Poorly marked crosswalks, broken or confusingly timed traffic signals, and roads that lack adequate sidewalks or safe crossing points can all put pedestrians in danger. When a crossing has faded to the point where it is barely visible, or when a traffic signal gives pedestrians almost no time to cross safely, the municipality responsible for maintaining that infrastructure may bear some responsibility for what happens there. These are details that require a careful look at the accident scene, and it is the kind of investigation we do. Beware: a case such as this might need a Notice of Claim filed within 90 days.
Pedestrian accidents can be complicated; the causes are not always obvious, and more than one party can share responsibility. If you were hit by a vehicle in New Jersey, our Hackensack pedestrian accident attorneys are here to help you figure out what happened and what comes next. We are here for you, and we want to help you and your family Move Forward. Contact us today.