Drivers are expected to be cautious in areas where pedestrians may be walking, such as at intersections, crosswalks, driveways, and in parking lots and garages. When drivers are careless or reckless, they put innocent, vulnerable people at risk of catastrophic, life-altering injuries.
Pedestrian accidents remain an all-too-common occurrence throughout Florence and the North Alabama region.
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident in Florence, AL, due to the negligence or recklessness of a driver, you deserve to seek financial recovery from the at-fault driver. The pedestrian accident lawyers of Morris, King & Hodge, P.C,, want to help you pursue a legal claim for compensation against the responsible driver and their insurance company.
Since 1966, our legal team has fought to protect the rights and interests of injured accident victims throughout North Alabama. We’ve helped numerous clients obtain the financial compensation they need for their recovery, putting together a proven track record of successful results both inside and outside the courtroom.
Our firm has earned a reputation among our peers in the legal profession, including the Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell, which gave us their highest AV rating. Our attorneys and staff are dedicated to providing you with the compassionate, effective, and vigorous legal representation that you deserve.
Contact our firm today for a free case review with a pedestrian accident attorney in Florence to learn more about your legal rights and options. We charge no fees for our representation unless and until you collect compensation.
Causes of Florence Pedestrian Accidents
Although traffic laws are designed to protect pedestrians, factors ranging from driver negligence to improper design of intersections and crosswalks put pedestrians at risk of a catastrophic accident.
Some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents in Florence include:
- Distracted driving, including cell phone use while driving, eating or drinking, grooming, talking to passengers, or reading maps or turn-by-turn navigation
- Reckless or aggressive driving, including speeding, running traffic lights and stop or yield signs, failing to signal or yield before turning, or weaving in and out of traffic
- Failure to look before backing up or turning, especially in driveways and parking lots or garages
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Drivers unfamiliar with the route who may not expect to encounter pedestrians and may fail to see due caution when driving
- Inexperienced drivers, who may not yet be familiar with looking out for pedestrian or the rules of the road with respect to pedestrians
- Dangerous intersection/crosswalk designs, which can cause confusion for both pedestrians and motorists regarding lawful crossings or the right of way
- Nighttime or dusk conditions and poor lighting
- Adverse weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or fog, heavy traffic
- Illegally parked vehicles or other obstructions can make it difficult for motorists to see pedestrians
Types of Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents can result in a wide variety of injuries. Despite recent advances in pedestrian safety designs in motor vehicles, even a low-speed pedestrian accident can cause debilitating or life-threatening injuries to a pedestrian.
Examples of injuries that occur in pedestrian accidents include:
- Severe lacerations and severe bleeding
- Road rash, or abrasion of the skin caused by contact with the pavement or ground
- Broken bones
- Dislocated joints
- Sprains and tears of ligaments, tendons, and muscles
- Neck and back injuries
- Herniation or rupture of spinal discs
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Perforation injuries, if a pedestrian is impaled on an object or debris
- Head injuries, including skull or jaw fractures and eye or ear trauma
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Amputations, including traumatic amputations caused by the collision or amputations necessitated by extensive damage to a limb
- Death
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Florence
After you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident in Florence, you can take steps to help secure your rights and options for seeking financial recovery from those at fault for your injuries. Examples include:
- Report the accident to the appropriate law enforcement department. You will want to have a copy of a police report or accident report, as insurance companies may deny claims without such a report. The report serves as proof that an accident occurred and provides important evidence that allows insurance companies to determine fault for a pedestrian accident.
- Get examined by a physician for any injuries you may have suffered in the accident, even if you don’t think you were seriously hurt at first. Injuries can take time before they begin causing you significant pain or other symptoms. But promptly diagnosing your injuries will help create a record establishing that your injuries were caused by the pedestrian accident and not by something else.
- Follow all treatment instructions. Your health depends on following the treatment regimen your health care providers prescribe. Also, if you defer or ignore medical treatment, insurers may question your claims for compensation.
- Notify your auto insurer about the accident. If the driver who hit you is ultimately found responsible for the accident, you may be limited in the compensation you receive from the driver if they have an auto insurance policy with lower coverage limits, or if they have no insurance at all. In such circumstances, you may be eligible to seek compensation through uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage in your own policy.
- Keep a journal or diary about your recovery, detailing the pain that your injuries and treatment cause you, as well as the difficulties you have in your personal and professional relationships and daily living due to your injuries. This can help support your claim to compensation for pain and suffering and lost quality of life.
- Keep copies of all the bills, receipts, and invoices you receive for any expenses you incur in recovering from the accident. You should also have copies of pay stubs or income statements to help demonstrate lost wages or earnings.
- Call our pedestrian accident lawyers for an initial case evaluation to discuss whether you may be eligible for compensation and to learn more about what next steps you should take in pursuing a legal claim.
Types of Compensation for Pedestrian Accidents
Following a pedestrian accident, you might be entitled to recover compensation for losses that you have incurred or will incur in the future due to your injuries, including:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation, including visits to the ER, surgeries and other medical procedures, hospital stays, doctor’s appointments, medications, medical equipment, physical and occupational therapy, and transportation costs to and from appointments and procedures
- Costs of long-term care, if injuries leave you with lifelong disabilities
- Lost wages for the time you miss from work during your recovery
- Lost earning potential, if your injuries prevent you from earning the same level of income you did prior to the accident
Pain and suffering - Loss of enjoyment or quality of life due to physical disabilities, or disfigurement or scarring, or loss of life expectancy
- Loss of consortium, which compensates your spouse for the loss of your companionship, society, comfort, or intimate relations due to your injuries
When a pedestrian accident is caused by a driver’s egregious or wanton conduct, you might also be entitled to an award of punitive damages. These are rare and they are intended to punish the at-fault party for their conduct and serve as a deterrent to others from committing similar conduct.
Contact a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Florence, Alabama
If you were injured by a motor vehicle while walking down, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and losses from the negligent or reckless driver. Contact Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., today for a free consultation to speak with one of our Florence pedestrian accident lawyers about your case.
