Pedestrian accidents happen all too frequently in America. The most recent federal estimates indicate that on average, one pedestrian is killed every two hours and another injured every nine minutes in traffic crashes nationwide.
Louisiana’s record of pedestrian accidents is far from clean. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration once ranked it among its top 10 worst states for pedestrian fatalities, and a 2010 report from the Governors Highway Safety Association found that Louisiana currently has the 13th largest number of pedestrian deaths in the country.
If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a pedestrian accident, the accomplished New Orleans attorneys at Braud & Gallagher can help. Call 866-254-4979 or use our online contact form for a free consultation.
The skilled legal team at Braud & Gallagher is committed to protecting the rights of victims who have sustained catastrophic injuries in Louisiana pedestrian crashes. Our attorneys combine years of legal expertise with innovative technology and aggressive trial techniques so that clients receive the maximum amount of compensation in the shortest amount of time possible.
We have a philosophy at Braud & Gallagher: Our job is not done until you have won.
Braud & Gallagher represents motorcycle accident victims in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Jefferson Parish, St. Charles Parish, Lafourche Parish and throughout Louisiana.
A Winning History for Our New Orleans Accident Lawyers
Braud & Gallagher has a proven track record of success in obtaining top-dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients.
About Louisiana Pedestrian Crashes
Despite Louisiana’s historically high number of pedestrian deaths, the numbers have actually improved in recent years. According to the LSU Highway Research Safety Group, 78 pedestrians were killed in Louisiana in 2010 – a 28% decrease from just one year earlier. However, those improvements may be somewhat offset by a 4% increase in pedestrian accident injuries in 2010, when 1,170 pedestrians suffered harm in vehicle-related collisions.
Pedestrian accidents can happen anywhere, but they typically occur in urban areas where the population is highly concentrated and road congestion is worse. Traffic laws give pedestrians the right-of-way in traffic in most situations, and drivers have a duty to respect them as fellow commuters. However, many pedestrian accidents occur because a driver fails to yield to pedestrians, particularly when turning. Other common causes of pedestrian accidents include:
- Inattention;
- Failure to keep in the proper lane;
- Erratic or reckless driving;
- Running a red light or stop sign;
- Failure to use turn signals;
- Speeding;
- Driving too fast for the road conditions;
- Racing;
- Drunk or impaired driving;
- Hit and run.
Some pedestrian accidents also arise from defects in the road, sidewalk or parking lot. In those cases, the property owner or agency charged with maintaining those areas may be held liable if it can be proven that they did not take reasonable measures to repair or warn pedestrians of the hazard. These types of claims fall under an area of the law known as premises liability. Talking with an experienced New Orleans pedestrian accident attorney can help you determine whether you have grounds for a premises liability claim.
Injuries in Louisiana Pedestrian Accidents
Almost all drivers who are involved in a pedestrian crash survive the accident. Not so for the pedestrians themselves, who have little to no physical protection from the full force of a crash.
Survival rates generally depend on where the pedestrian was hit and how fast the car was traveling. Research suggests that a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling 20 miles per hour has a 95% chance of surviving the accident, but only a 10% chance of survival if the car strikes them going 40 miles per hour.
Pedestrians frequently sustain the following types of serious injuries in Louisiana pedestrian crashes:
- Spinal cord injuries;
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Neck injuries;
- Back injuries;
- Paralysis;
- Broken bones;
- Internal organ damage;
- Amputation;
- Burns;
- Bruising and “road rash.”
Many of those injuries can have long-term consequences for the pedestrian, on multiple levels. Recovering fully may take months, or even years, and families suffer as a result of the lost income. That’s not to mention the astronomical costs of medical bills, physical therapy, future surgeries or other home modifications that may need to be made after a catastrophic pedestrian accident.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families often do not even know what the full extent of their losses are or will be. That’s why hiring an experienced New Orleans pedestrian crash attorney can be extremely helpful. Lawyers can marshal medical experts, life care planners, economists and accident reconstructionists to evaluate your pedestrian accident and its repercussions from all angles so that you can receive the maximum amount of compensation that you are entitled to, or that your family is entitled to, in the event of a wrongful death claim.
Pedestrians Have Responsibilities Too
It is important to remember that while traffic laws favor pedestrians in most circumstances, they are not exempt from responsibility when an accident occurs. Running into the street, disobeying signals at crosswalks, entering the street when there is little time for an oncoming vehicle to stop safely, failure to yield and other violations can have an impact on a legal claim when a pedestrian wreck occurs.
The same goes for alcohol. Alcohol frequently plays a role in pedestrian accidents, and not only on the part of the driver. Almost 40% of the pedestrians killed in Louisiana in 2010 had been drinking, according to the LSU Highway Safety Research Group.
Contact Our New Orleans Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Today
The compassionate injury attorneys at Braud & Gallagher understand that pedestrian accidents can cause lifelong headaches and heartaches for families. Our Louisiana personal injury lawyers can help you obtain the compensation you deserve when someone else’s negligence is responsible for your injuries. Call 866-254-4979 or use our online contact form for a no-cost case evaluation.
Remember, our job is not done until you have won.
Our Louisiana injury attorneys represent pedestrian accident victims in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Mandeville, Jefferson Parish, St. Charles Parish, Lafourche Parish, Terrebonne Parish, St. John the Baptist and throughout Louisiana.
