Virginia Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

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Were You or a Loved One Injured in a Pedestrian Accident in Virginia?

Pedestrians in Virginia are at high risk for accidents in urban areas with high traffic where walking is common. Being hit as a pedestrian offers the victim no protection and these accidents are often severe and can have serious lifetime effects.

If you were injured in an accident as a pedestrian, you may be able to recover damages for your injury. If you are considering a personal injury claim, the pedestrian accident attorneys at Regan Zambri Long, PLLC can help. Our team of lawyers has decades of experience and will help you fight for the compensation you deserve.

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How Common Are Pedestrian Accidents?

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reported that there were 761 traffic fatalities in 2016. 121 of those fatalities (or 16 percent) were pedestrians. Surprisingly, the Virginia DMV also reported that most pedestrian fatalities do not occur at intersections. The DMV has found that the vast majority of pedestrian deaths occurred at night on roadways in Virginia’s large urban areas, such as Hampton Roads and Richmond, and involved alcohol. In an estimated 205 accidents involving pedestrians in Fairfax County, Virginia, 16 were fatal and 216 were injured. Approximately 33 percent of the pedestrian fatalities in 2016 in Virginia involved alcohol consumption.

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How Can I Avoid a Pedestrian Accident?

Pedestrians can take the following safety precautions to ensure that they are protected:

Follow and obey all signals and signs, such as streetlights and traffic signals.
Always stay on sidewalks and clearly marked crosswalks.
In places where there aren’t sidewalks, walk on the side of the road where you are facing oncoming traffic and stay as far out from the road as you can.
Stay alert and attentive while walking.
Cross streets only at crosswalks. Always look for cars coming from both directions before crossing a road.
Try to make eye contact with drivers to ensure that they see you.
If you frequently walk or run, consider wearing reflective gear and bright colors.
Do not walk in busy areas with heavy traffic while intoxicated.

What Should You Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Virginia?

After an injury, you should try to take the following steps:

Call the police immediately and seek medical care. You should call 911 or direct someone else to call 911 and then seek medical care for yourself. This is crucial for your health and as evidence of your injuries in the event of a lawsuit.
File a police report. A police report is critical evidence of the accident while the memory of what happened is fresh in your mind and the minds of any witnesses.
Seek legal help. You should consider speaking with a lawyer to receive advice regarding your legal options. A lawyer will coach you through the legal process and will give you the best chance of securing a settlement award.

What Are the Most Common Injuries in a Pedestrian Accident?

Pedestrian accidents can be especially dangerous. While some pedestrian accidents result in only minor injuries like road rash or bruising, some accident injuries are more severe. Some of the most common injuries seen in pedestrian accidents are:

Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries. Concussions are fairly common in pedestrian accidents when the head is hit or jerked with the impact of the accident. Some head injuries can cause permanent brain damage.
Back and spine injuries. Pedestrian accidents can cause many types of back and spine injuries, such as slipped discs or other damage to the spinal cord, sometimes causing paralysis and requiring lifetime care.
Neck injuries. Whiplash occurs when the head and neck are jerked forward and backward with impact, causing damage to the nerves, tissue, vertebrae, and upper spine.
Broken bones. Pedestrian accidents can cause broken legs, arms, ribs, and other fractures. More serious breaks require surgery and high medical care costs.

Mental distress. There can be significant emotional trauma and distress associated with a pedestrian accident, as with any accident. Mental distress is often an overlooked injury, but can severely disrupt a victim’s life and cause mood swings, anxiety, and depression.

How Do You Prove Negligence?

Car accident claims are often the result of a negligent action or the failure to act with the level of care that a reasonably careful person would have used. Personal injury claims generally must meet the following elements:

A duty of care. The party who was at fault must have owed the injured party a duty of reasonable care. This is an obligation to avoid harming others when the harm is foreseeable. For example, drivers have the responsibility to drive safely and follow traffic laws, which means they owe a reasonable duty of care to the other motorists and pedestrians using the roadways around them.
Breach of the duty of care. The injured party must prove that the at-fault driver breached the standard of care owed to them. For example, a pedestrian must prove that a driver did, in fact, break a traffic law which caused the injury or that a driver was not paying attention.
Cause. The injured party must show that the action of the at-fault party actually caused the injury and that the action was directly linked to the accident.
Damages. The injured party must be able to prove that they suffered harm from the accident. This can include evidence of medical bills, lost wages, or mental distress.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Pedestrian Accident in Virginia?

Each state has its own limitations on how long you have to file a personal injury claim, which is called a statute of limitations. In Virginia, you have two (2) years from the date of the accident to file your accident claim. You should make it a top priority to work with an experienced lawyer who knows and understands these deadlines.

What Types of Damages Can I Recover?

Pedestrian accidents, especially when injuries are severe, can affect a person for a lifetime. At Regan Zambri Long, our attorneys seek to obtain settlements and awards that include damages for:

Medical care. This includes past medical bills and anticipated medical care in the future and may include hospital visits and associated bills like ambulance charges, X-rays, scans, and medicine.
Lost wages and lost future earnings. If your pedestrian accident forced you to miss work and pay, you could be entitled to compensation for the lost wages. This can also include paid time off and vacation time.
Pain and suffering. Severe injuries impact the quality of life and cause trauma which can be compensated along with medical care and lost wages.
Funeral expenses and burial costs. If your loved one was killed in a pedestrian accident, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim against the negligent party. A wrongful death settlement or award can compensate the family for the loved one’s funeral, burial, and other associated costs.

How Much Is My Pedestrian Accident Claim Worth?

There is no average settlement for pedestrian accident claims, but an experienced attorney can predict an amount of damages for your claim based on the details of your accident. Settlements can range from thousands to millions of dollars. Regan Zambri Long has been assisting clients for over 40 years, and some of Regan’s pedestrian settlements include:

A $3.9 million settlement on behalf of a pedestrian who suffered serious orthopedic injuries as a result of being struck by a motor vehicle.
A $2.75 million settlement on behalf of a woman who suffered a leg injury after being hit by a bus while walking in a crosswalk.

Why Should I Choose Regan Zambri Long?

If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident and don’t know what to do next, one of our experienced personal injury lawyers can help. Hiring an attorney will take the burden of proving your case off of your shoulders. Our team of lawyers will build your case and gather all the evidence necessary to win your claim and receive the compensation you deserve.

Regan Zambri Long works on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we will not charge you for legal services until after we have secured your financial compensation, and if we do not win your case and recover compensation on your behalf, we will waive all legal fees. If you are looking for a pedestrian accident attorney, call 202-960-4596 to schedule a consultation free of charge.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.

Call 202-960-4596