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If you or a loved one have been injured in a pedestrian accident in Alexandria, Virginia, a pedestrian accident lawyer can help. Pedestrian accidents are often caused by distracted or negligent drivers who aren't paying enough attention or who are taking the right of way that isn't theirs. You or your loved one deserve fair compensation to pay for the pain and suffering you experienced in your Alexandria pedestrian accident.
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Cars and motor vehicles rule the roads in most metro areas, but the rules of the road often give the right of way to pedestrians. Many people choose to use their own power to get around in busy cities and drivers are responsible for paying close attention so that they do not cause injuries through negligence.
Regan Zambri Long’s Alexandria personal injury law firm office is ready and able to take on your pedestrian accident case and pursue the justice that you and your family deserve. We are well-versed in Virginia personal injury law. We will evaluate the facts of your case and bring the appropriate legal action against the liable party. Call us today at 202-960-4596 to schedule your free consultation with an Alexandria pedestrian accident lawyer.
A pedestrian accident is a kind of personal injury case wherein a person is hit by a motor vehicle, bicycle, or even a horse. Because so many pedestrian accidents involve motor vehicles, they could be catastrophic in nature. A catastrophic injury results in a permanent condition, disability, or disfigurement which the victim is not able to fully recover from. Some pedestrian accidents may result in wrongful death.
As of August, the city of Alexandria has had 17 pedestrian accidents in 2022, according to data from the city’s Vision Zero Crash Dashboard. Although none of the reported accidents have been fatal, three of the accidents have resulted in serious injuries.
Several of the accidents occurred under adverse weather conditions while several others were reported to involve distracted drivers.
A recent analysis of pedestrian accident data from 2015 to 2022 revealed that the Alexandria Historic District was at the top of the list of most dangerous areas in Virginia, because of the number of crashes and pedestrian injuries. The analyzed data was pulled from the city’s Vision Zero Crash Dashboard.
But wherever you live in Alexandria, the concentration of cars on the road increases your risk of being involved in an accident. While you cannot prevent anyone else from acting negligently, you can be prepared and know your rights in case you are the victim of an accident.
It comes as no surprise that vehicle collisions are a leading cause of pedestrian accidents. The CDC reports that more than 7,000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2020, and 104,000 injured pedestrians visited emergency rooms after non-fatal accidents. Some of the most common causes behind pedestrian-vehicle crashes include failure to yield, adverse conditions, drunk driving, distracted driving, and speeding.
While it seems obvious that vehicles on the road should expect to drive cautiously around crosswalks and be prepared to stop, many drivers do no such thing. When a motorist proceeds through a crosswalk, stop signs, or red lights without paying attention to pedestrians crossing the street, it can result in an accident.
Adverse conditions can be anything from light rain to stormy weather, fog, and even driving after dark. Any condition that makes it harder to see around and in front of you requires drivers to exercise extra caution. Additionally, some of these conditions, such as heavy rain after a dry period or snow and ice can make the roads slippery, requiring longer stopping distances and increasing the potential for a driver to lose control of the vehicle and unintentionally hit a pedestrian.
Drunk drivers cause many fatal and non-fatal accidents every year because of their negligent actions. The CDC reported that 13 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents in 2019 involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration higher than the legal limit. There is never a valid excuse for driving while intoxicated.
Distracted driving is on the rise as a major factor in car accidents and pedestrian accidents alike. Whether a driver is texting behind the wheel or fiddling with a phone to pick the right music or podcast, anything that removes eyes from the road is a distraction that can have serious consequences. Eating, drinking, and even conversations can all be sources of driver negligence that prevent motorists from driving safely.
Aside from being in violation of the law, driving above the posted speed limit poses a danger to others on the road and the sidewalk around the driver. If a driver is going too fast, he or she won’t be able to stop in time when a pedestrian legally exercises the right of way to cross the street. Additionally, at higher speeds, it can be harder to control a vehicle or recover from an incorrect movement. Because of the higher speeds, these pedestrian accidents have a higher chance of causing life-threatening injuries or wrongful death. Spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries are two examples of serious injuries that can result from high-speed accidents.
While a pedestrian can be liable for an accident if he or she has contributed or been fully negligent, often the liable party is the person driving or operating the vehicle or equipment involved in the collision. This can be the driver of a personal car, a commercial truck, or a bus, as well as a bicyclist or horse rider.
In some pedestrian accident cases, the local municipality may be liable for an accident if road design and construction or traffic control devices cause or play a role in the accident.
Your experiencedpedestrian accident attorney from Regan Zambri Long will evaluate your case and determine who is liable for your accident. If multiple parties share responsibility, we will bring the appropriate suits against all liable parties.
If you are involved in an accident as a pedestrian, your primary focus should be on ensuring that you are OK and that any injuries you sustained are taken care of. This may mean waiting for emergency responders at the scene of the accident or going to the emergency room. Nothing is more important than making sure you receive the necessary medical attention.
If you can collect information and evidence at the scene, take pictures, gather witness statements and contact information, and make notes of the factors of the accident and if there are any potential video or photo cameras nearby.
You may be asked to give a statement to the police, and even to the driver’s insurance company, shortly after the accident happened. While you should be truthful about the situation, do not volunteer information beyond the immediate question, and do not claim or accept any responsibility for the accident, as it could hinder your ability to later claim the compensation you are owed.
You are not required to speak to another party’s insurance company or insurance adjuster. Most of the time, it will be in your best interest to speak to your own pedestrian accident lawyer first before deciding what statement, if any, to provide to the liable party’s insurance. Do not let them bully you into giving a statement, as it is likely they will be trying to use it to pin some contributory negligence on you and get the case thrown out.
An experienced pedestrian accident attorney from Regan Zambri Long can evaluate your case and provide the legal counsel you need to successfully navigate your pedestrian accident claim and recover a fair settlement.
Calculating fair compensation for any personal injury claim is challenging because of the various factors, the kinds of damages you can claim, and the hard-to-quantify value of your well-being. No personal injury attorney can value your case without a full case evaluation, and even then, they may only be able to provide a general idea of what you may be able to recover based on your situation.
You can claim two kinds of damages after your accident: economic and non-economic.
Also called economic losses, these damages directly result in the loss of your financial resources. This includes medical expenses and future medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, or loss of earning capacity, among other things.
These losses are often more difficult to value because they don’t come with a bill or direct financial impact. They can include loss of enjoyment, mental anguish, emotional trauma, and pain and suffering. Your pedestrian accident attorney will help you place a fair value on your non-economic damages. While financial compensation can’t restore what you have lost, it is an important part of your recovery process.
Your pedestrian accident lawyer will file your claim once the full extent of your injuries is understood while keeping in mind the limited time you have to file. Virginia’s statute of limitations gives you two years to claim compensation for your injuries.
Especially if your injuries are life-threatening or could be catastrophic, such as traumatic brain injuries or a spinal cord injury, you will want to receive the appropriate medical attention before making a claim.
Virginia follows a harsh negligence law called contributory negligence. To prove negligence, your pedestrian accident lawyer must show that the liable party had a duty of care to act in a certain way, that the duty of care was breached, that the breach of duty caused injuries and that you were injured by the breach.
While some states allow you to claim compensation based on the amount of liability you carry for the accident, Virginia’s law is harsher. Contributory negligence prohibits any liable party from pursuing compensation for the injuries sustained in an accident.
If you are found to have contributed to your injuries in any way, contributory negligence may completely bar you from holding the negligent party liable for their actions.
For example, if you were jaywalking and were hit by a car, you would likely be found to share some liability for your injuries, and therefore contributory negligence law would deny you compensation, regardless of what negligence the driver may have committed.
In the aftermath of a pedestrian accident, the liable party’s attorney or insurance company will likely investigate to try to prove that you hold some responsibility for your injuries. So it is important that you consult with an experienced Alexandria pedestrian accident lawyer. A lawyer will protect you from the liable party’s efforts to put any blame on you and therefore get the case thrown out.
When you are injured while engaging in safe pedestrian activities, you are entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and losses. While it won’t make your situation right, fair compensation will help you recover from your injuries and have the time and resources you need to focus on healing.
At Regan Zambri Long, our personal injury law firm has handled many pedestrian accident cases and we are well-equipped to take on your claim. The attorneys at our Alexandria, VA, office are experienced with local laws, so when you put your case in our hands, you can be confident that you will get the best results possible.
We believe that justice is deserved by all, not only those who can financially afford it. That’s why we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning our attorneys don’t collect any legal fees until we’ve made a recovery in your favor.
We offer a free legal consultation with one of our pedestrian accident attorneys to get your case started.
Our pedestrian accident lawyers have made significant recoveries for our injured clients, and we can do the same for you.
We recovered a $3.9 million settlement for a client injured after being struck by a motor vehicle.
In two different cases, we recovered $2.75 million in settlements for clients who were struck while in a crosswalk, one by a personal vehicle and one by a bus.
If you or your loved one have been injured in a pedestrian accident, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced Alexandria pedestrian accident lawyer at Regan Zambri Long. We will meet with you for a free consultation and case evaluation to discuss your next steps.
Call us today at 202-960-4596 or visit us online and take the first step toward justice.
