Car Accidents And Pedestrians Article

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Car Accidents and Pedestrians

Author: Sara Goldstein

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When a moving car strikes a pedestrian, it doesn’t have to be going very fast to cause serious personal injury. Car-pedestrian accidents are a significant problem throughout the United States. Around 6,000 pedestrians die, and another 64,000 are injured every year in accidents involving motor vehicles.

Statistics for Car-Pedestrian Accidents
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), have released statistics that shed light on the problem of car-pedestrian collisions:

• Pedestrian fatalities make up 11% of all car accident-related deaths
• Between 1975 and 2005, over 180,000 pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles
• After passenger deaths, pedestrian deaths are the second largest fatality category in car accident deaths
• Every 8 minutes, a pedestrian is injured in a car accident
• Every 111 minutes, a pedestrian is killed in a car accident
Pedestrian deaths occur most frequently in urban areas, since traffic volumes and pedestrian activity are so high in these areas. However, there is a higher death-to-injury ratio in rural areas, since cars tend to be going higher speeds on rural roads.
Injuries Caused by Car-Pedestrian Accidents

Because they have no external protection, pedestrians are vulnerable to a wide range of serious injuries when hit by a car. Some victims suffer extreme, life-altering injuries, such as:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Bone fractures
• Spinal cord injury
• Coma
• Paraplegia
• Quadriplegia

Most pedestrians are hit by the front of a car. The initial contact points are with the vehicle’s bumper, or the front edge of the hood, depending on the vehicle’s structure and shape. If a pedestrian is struck by a taller vehicle – such as an SUV or pickup truck – the initial contact points will be higher on the body, and injuries will differ accordingly.

A recent study by the NHTSA found that 40% of pedestrian accident injuries were a result of direct contact with the vehicle. Meanwhile, 32% were caused by contact with the ground, and 26% were from contact with other unknown objects.

If a driver’s recklessness or negligence causes serious harm to a pedestrian, the pedestrian can hold the driver accountable through a personal injury claim. In many situations, pedestrians simply have no other way to cope with towering medical bills, lost income, specialized care services, and the long-term fallout of a major injury.

If you live in Washington D.C, Maryland, or Virginia and would like more information about pedestrian accidents, please visit the website of the experienced personal injury attorneys at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. today.

About Author

The personal injury attorneys at Chaikin & Sherman seek compensation for victims of injury in the Washington, DC area, as well as Maryland and Virginia.

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Car Accidents and Pedestrians