Antioch Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

When an Antioch resident decides to go out for a walk, the last thing they expect is to be injured in a pedestrian accident. However, in 2017, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety, 35 pedestrians were either injured or killed in accidents involving motor vehicles. When negligence by a motorist leads to an accident involving someone who is on foot, an Antioch pedestrian accident lawyer can help the injured person get fair compensation to cover their expenses and reimburse them for their pain and suffering.

I’ve seen many traumatic injuries to pedestrians over my 38 years as an Antioch pedestrian accident attorney. I strongly believe that those who are injured or lose a loved one should not bear the financial loss when negligence is the cause. My law office has the resources and experience to investigate a pedestrian’s injury accident to get clients the compensation they deserve. 

Ways of Staying Safe as a Pedestrian

Pedestrians who use safety precautions are less likely to be caught unaware and injured in an accident. Some tips that might help include:

• Always look in each direction before crossing a street. Most pedestrian accidents happen at crosswalks.
• Don’t talk on your cell phone or listen to music while crossing. It can keep you from hearing an approaching vehicle.
• Always try to use a crosswalk, even if you have to walk an additional block to find one.
• Wait for the traffic to completely stop before crossing.
• Listen for unusual noises such as fast braking, a vehicle accelerating, or car horns.

How a Lawyer Can Help After a Severe Pedestrian Accident

If an Antioch pedestrian is injured or dies because of negligence by another person or entity, I am here to help. I can handle negotiations with the insurance company, all the legal issues, and am comfortable presenting a case in civil court to get you the damages you deserve. It has been shown that those who use an attorney often received two to three times the compensation than when they go about it alone. Take advantage of our free case review to see how we can help you.

How a Motorist Causes a Pedestrian Accident

There are many ways that a motorist can be negligent and cause accident injuries to a pedestrian. Following are some that I have seen over the years:

• Accidents in crosswalks: There are a number of reasons an accident with a pedestrian can happen in a crosswalk. The driver may have their vision obscured and still try to proceed. The driver may be speeding and unable to stop in time to avoid striking a pedestrian or might run a stop sign or red light. The driver may also make a turn without looking first for a pedestrian who is already crossing the street.
• Texting while driving: Texting, along with other forms of distraction, such as talking with passengers or checking GPS, can lead to a serious pedestrian accident.
• Drunk or drugged drivers: A driver who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol cannot judge the distance from a pedestrian, may be weaving all over the roadway, and has their vision affected. This can easily lead to an accident involving a pedestrian. 
• Speeding: Speeders often cause serious injuries and fatalities, especially to those who are more vulnerable such as pedestrians. The speed of a vehicle when it strikes someone on foot is directly related to the extent of injuries and an increase in fatalities.
• Backing up: Motorists who exit a driveway or parking area without looking for pedestrians cause serious injuries.
• Larger vehicles: Those who drive vehicles that are raised up off the ground or large trucks have blind spots that prevent them from seeing a pedestrian. 
• Failure to yield: These types of accidents generally happen if a traffic light is red or flashing yellow or when a driver is making a turn. Even if a pedestrian is crossing against the light or it has already turned, the motorist is still expected to yield the right away to avoid injuries.

The video below provides road safety tips for pedestrians. 

Conducting an Investigation Into a Pedestrian Accident

To place a successful claim for personal injury compensation following a pedestrian accident, it has to be proven that an at-fault party owed a duty of care to the injured person, failed in that duty and that an injury occurred as well as a financial loss. This is where the help of an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer from Antioch comes into play. The way the claim is proven is through the collection of evidence and the construction of a strong case. We send out our investigators to the accident site right away to collect evidence before it is covered up or disappears. Some of the areas in which they investigate include:

• The police report is looked over for inaccuracies, and witness statements are taken.
• The investigators perform accident reconstruction, which shows the positioning of the vehicle and pedestrian before, during, and after the collision. This can show negligence on the part of the driver, such as speeding.
• The roadway is checked for damage that might have contributed to the crash, such as upheavals, potholes, defective traffic or crossing signals, and more. 
• If it is suspected that the driver was texting at the time, phone records can be subpoenaed to show it contributed to the accident.
• Traffic lights and nearby buildings are checked for surveillance cameras, which may have captured the accident on video. This provides compelling evidence to support the client’s compensation claim. 

Our lawyers go to work, building a strong case in favor of our client once all the evidence has been gathered. In some pedestrian injury accident claims, a fair settlement can be reached with the insurance provider for the at-fault party. In other cases, a settlement cannot be reached that would pay for all the injured client’s expenses. In those cases, the lawyers can prepare to take the case to civil court, so the client can obtain the compensation that they deserve.

Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Antioch

I’m Ed Smith, an Antioch pedestrian accident lawyer. If you’ve suffered a pedestrian accident injury, call me for my free and friendly advice at (925) 428-5220 or (800) 404-5400. 

Look over cases that my firm handled in the past and reviews by clients at: 

• Settlements and Verdicts
• Avvo
• Yelp
• Google

It is my honor to be a member of:

• Million Dollar Advocates
• National Association of Distinguished Counsel

Since 1982, I’ve helped Antioch residents in obtaining compensation for their pedestrian accident injuries as well as in traffic accidents, wrongful deaths, and cases that involve traumas such as brain injuries.