If you were recently injured as a pedestrian due to a driver’s reckless or careless actions, understanding how to effectively demand civil compensation for your losses can feel daunting. Pursuing justice requires you to prove through a preponderance of the evidence—the legal standard of proof for personal injury claims—that the at-fault party’s negligence directly caused your injury.
Becoming familiar with which scenarios might justify lawsuits over pedestrian collisions can help you proactively enforce your rights if you have been injured in this way. Contact the dedicated pedestrian accident attorneys at Narwal Injury Law to learn about the most common causes of pedestrian accidents in Redmond and how we could help you file suit for just compensation.
Distracted driving is the most common cause of auto accidents across the country, including Redmond pedestrian collisions. Texting while driving is a particularly dangerous form of distracted driving and is prohibited by state law. However, a driver is also considered negligent if they strike and injure a pedestrian while talking to someone in their passenger seat, looking at a map or GPS readout, or doing anything besides focusing on the road, such as eating or drinking while operating their vehicle.
Redmond pedestrian accidents may also result from a driver’s failure to yield. In the state of Washington, all drivers are required to slow down or stop to allow pedestrians in crosswalks to safely pass in front of them. Drivers exiting an alley or parking lot must also yield to nearby pedestrians. Any driver who fails to do so has violated the legal duty of care they owe to those around them on public roads, and they can be held civilly liable for any injuries caused as a result.
Drivers traveling over the posted speed limit may not be able to stop in time to avoid striking a pedestrian at a crosswalk. Similar to failure to yield, speeding is both an inherently irresponsible act and a violation of the state’s traffic laws. This form of negligence is also a common cause of Redmond pedestrian accidents that can serve as valid grounds for a lawsuit.
Every motor vehicle has blind spots directly in front of it, behind it, and along both sides that may be large enough to hide a nearby pedestrian entirely from a driver’s view. For this reason, drivers are expected to use their mirrors, electronic collision detection systems, and other tools at their disposal to check that their blind spots are clear before turning or proceeding over a crosswalk. Failure to do so is a frequent cause of pedestrian accidents in Redmond.
Finally, part of a driver’s duty of care towards others on the road includes taking extra precautions when operating a vehicle in inclement weather. For example, drivers are expected to turn on their headlights and drive below the speed limit when it is raining. Failure to account for and adjust driving according to road conditions is among the most common behaviors leading to pedestrian crashes in Redmond.
Even if the incident that resulted in your injuries did not involve one of the common causes of pedestrian accidents in Redmond listed above, you can still pursue compensation. To build a strong civil claim and recover both economic and non-economic damages, you must demonstrate that the reckless or careless act by the at-fault driver directly led to your accident and injuries. However, as many unrepresented accident victims discover, accomplishing this without legal support can be challenging.
If you want to maximize your chances of financial recovery after a pedestrian wreck, consult a dependable pedestrian injury lawyer from Narwal Injury Law. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and begin pursuing justice.