San Diego Pedestrian Accident Attorneys

Sometimes crossing the street can be a deadly prospect. Shockingly, up to 65,000 Americans are struck by cars each year in pedestrian accidents that lead to up to 5,000 deaths annually. And according to a report in July, 2014 by NBC 7, “Pedestrian deaths are at an all-time high in the city of San Diego since 2003.” To fight back the city of San Diego is trying to update its longstanding policy that limits the number of crosswalks throughout the city. But according to the same report that may not matter since at least half of the pedestrian accidents in San Diego happened in crosswalks.

Pedestrian accidents can happen on any road and at any time of day and night. Though children and the elderly are especially at risk, up to 1.6 per 100,000 people will die in a pedestrian accident each year.  Moreover, up to 12 percent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities are pedestrians (see also Car Accident Attorney).  This makes sense when you consider the size of motor vehicles compared to delicate human bodies.

Urban areas are at special risk for pedestrian accidents, but rural accidents often have faster drivers and can produce worse injuries. Intersections are dangerous, but non-intersection pedestrian accidents tend to be far more severe because drivers are not trained to recognize pedestrians at non-intersection crossings.

Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents can be extremely traumatic for the victim, who can suffer broken bones, lacerations, even facial disfigurement, paralysis, brain injury, and death.  The higher the speed of the car-on-person impact, the more likely the injuries are to be extremely severe.