Pedestrian Accident FAQs

Why are Seattle pedestrian accidents so dangerous?

When you’re moving around Seattle on foot, it can be enjoyable and beneficial, as you are getting in some healthy exercise and minimizing your carbon footprint.

When you are a pedestrian, however, you are also far more vulnerable to serious injuries than you would be in nearly any other kind of traffic accident.

As a pedestrian, nothing comes between you and the impact of a traffic accident, and this fact greatly increases your risk of being seriously injured or worse in a pedestrian accident. In fact, pedestrian accidents are among the deadliest traffic collisions.

What do pedestrian accident statistics reveal?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares some startling statistics related to pedestrian accidents that highlight exactly how dangerous they are, including:

• In one year, nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents, which translates to about one fatality every 88 minutes in the United States.
• That same year, about 137,000 pedestrians across the country were treated in emergency rooms for non-fatal injuries sustained in pedestrian accidents.
• Pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely per trip to be killed in a traffic accident than are the occupants of passenger vehicles.

There is little doubt that, when you are on foot, you are extremely vulnerable to being injured in a traffic accident. Always make safety your number one priority.

What kinds of damages are associated with Seattle pedestrian accidents?

If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident that was caused by a motorist’s negligence, you may have suffered considerable damages, including:

• Medical costs – The medical expenses incurred in a serious pedestrian accident can include emergency care and transportation, surgery and follow-up care, appointments with doctors and specialists, physical therapy, rehabilitation, adaptive physical devices, prescription medications, home health care, adaptations to your home, and much more. The injuries associated with pedestrian accidents are typically very serious, which means they can lead to dangerous secondary health concerns and long-term overarching effects that must be taken into careful consideration before you can assess the compensation necessary to cover your full range of damages and attendant medical expenses.
• Lost income – A serious injury typically translates to considerable time lost on the job and to a considerable loss of income. In addition, your injuries could hurt your earning potential into the future and can even put up a permanent roadblock to your chosen career path.
• Pain and suffering – The immense physical pain and suffering that accompanies a pedestrian accident is obvious, but you may not have considered the emotional and psychological pain and suffering you’ve also endured. Many victims of pedestrian accidents experience PTSD-like symptoms that leave them more anxious, depressed, and jittery. This emotional component can be among the most difficult consequences of your accident and should never be discounted.

The physical, financial, and emotional damages associated with a pedestrian accident can be overwhelming, but obtaining the compensation to which you’re entitled will allow you the ability to travel the arduous path toward your fullest recovery.

Was the accident the motorist’s fault?

While you don’t always have the right-of-way as a pedestrian and you absolutely cannot bolt into traffic out of nowhere, motorists have a duty of care to pedestrians in their midst and should take all available steps to avoid pedestrian accidents.

As long as you follow the basic pedestrian rules of the road, cross at crosswalks (whether marked or not), and use sidewalks whenever they’re available, the motorist who leaves you injured is likely to be found at fault.

An experienced personal injury attorney at Boohoff Law in Seattle will carefully go over your case with you to help you better understand your rights as a pedestrian who suffered injuries due to someone else’s negligence.

What forms of driver negligence commonly cause Seattle pedestrian accidents?

Driver negligence comes in myriad forms, but there are some basic categories of such negligence that commonly lead to pedestrian accidents, including:

• Distraction – Distracted drivers put everyone at risk. When a motorist’s attention is distracted by anything other than maneuvering safely over the roadway, that driver endangers everyone with whom he or she shares the road. Distractions can include any number of activities, but interacting with one’s smartphone is one of the most dangerous. When a driver plugs into his or her phone instead of focusing on the road ahead for even a few seconds, it can lead to deadly results. Many motorists are under the very misguided belief that they can safely multitask in this way, but studies repeatedly demonstrate that this simply isn’t true.
• Exhaustion – We all know how challenging it is to get work done when we’re exhausted, and driving is no exception. Put simply, drowsy drivers shouldn’t get behind the wheel in the first place. In fact, strict hours-of-service rules and regulations are in place for commercial drivers for this very reason. Drowsy drivers pose a real risk.
• Impairment – It’s not a stretch to say that every driver on our roads and highways knows exactly how dangerous drinking and driving can be. Unfortunately, some motorists choose to continue engaging in this often-deadly practice. Impaired drivers should be held accountable for the accidents and attendant injuries they cause.
• Excessive speed – Excessive speed and other forms of aggressive driving are dangerous driving practices. In fact, speed is very closely associated with deadly traffic accidents. Aggressive drivers typically engage in multiple dangerous practices in one outing. For example, when you see a driver weaving in and out of traffic while tailgating and speeding simultaneously, you know there’s an aggressive driver in your midst and you should keep your distance as best you can.

Any of these forms of negligence puts pedestrians at extreme risk of being seriously injured in a pedestrian accident.

What kinds of injuries are common to Seattle pedestrian accidents?

As a pedestrian, you are so vulnerable to the impact of a traffic accident that you are likely to experience multiple injuries that can include:

• Broken bones – A broken bone is a serious injury that can be painful and needs immediate medical attention. Further, broken bones can lead to permanently debilitating side effects, such as chronic pain and a loss in range of motion when they fail to heal properly.
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) – TBIs are brain injuries that are generally caused by a significant blow to the head or by the severe shaking of the head. These injuries are often serious, and because they affect the brain, they can have unpredictable effects. The symptoms of a brain injury can have an impact on your cognitive functioning, physical abilities, and even your mood and behavioral control. This can keep you from engaging in regular activities, working, attending school, and much more.
• Spinal cord injuries – A spinal cord injury can occur anywhere on the spine and can lead to devastating effects. These injuries are generally very painful and slow to heal, but they can also lead to chronic pain and permanent physical disability. When the spinal cord injury cuts across the full width of the cord, the resulting injury is paralysis, which is the permanent loss of control over one’s bodily movements (in the affected area). The limitations inherent to such an injury are difficult to overstate.
• Cuts, burns, and abrasions – The impact of pedestrian accidents leave you vulnerable to serious burns, cuts, and abrasions. When any one of these is on or near your face, it can be permanently disfiguring. Further, these injuries can lead to infections, scarring, and dangerous secondary health concerns.

If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, first seek the medical care and attention you need, and then consult with an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney. Obtaining the compensation to which you are entitled is critical to your ability to fully recover, and your dedicated personal injury can help with that.

How do I protect my pedestrian accident claim?

If a motorist’s negligence injures you in a pedestrian accident, you’re going to be dealing with one or more insurance companies. While many accident victims assume this is a straightforward process, that can be a dangerous assumption.

The insurance company is in the business of making money, and that boils down to cutting whatever financial corners it can get away with, which can mean minimizing your settlement or even denying your claim outright.

With this in mind, there are some important steps you can take to help ensure that you protect your pedestrian accident claim and receive compensation that covers your damages in their entirety, including:

• You aren’t required to make a statement to the insurance company and that it’s generally in your best interest not to do so. Your knowledgeable personal injury attorney will provide the insurance rep with the necessary information and will negotiate on behalf of your rights and for your rightful compensation.
• No matter how understanding and kind the insurance representative who contacts you might seem, you shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that he or she has a job to do, and that’s what the adjuster is doing. The insurance company and the insurance representative share the same motivation, and you’ll do well to remember this fact. The insurance adjuster is seeking any information from pedestrian accident victims that might help them challenge the claim value, so it is wise to always have legal representation and counsel.
• Following your doctor’s medical advice is not only in the best interest of your health and recovery but also serves the best interest of your claim. You’re claiming that you were seriously injured in a pedestrian accident, but failing to follow your doctor’s recommendations sends a clear message that you’re not overly concerned. The insurance company is very likely to pick up on your apparent lack of concern and to hold it against you in the negotiation process.
• While social media is a great outlet for expressing the highs and lows of life, after being injured in a pedestrian accident isn’t the time to engage. Laying off your social media accounts while your claim is pending is a great strategy. The insurance company is watching for activity on your social networks and is adept at translating whatever it finds into something that can impact your claim. You spent your post-accident birthday sharing casual drinks with friends? That’s great, but that picture may tell the insurance rep in your case that your injuries aren’t really holding you back. Simply staying off social media will help ensure that you don’t provide the insurer with any unintended ammunition.
• Obtain the professional legal counsel of an experienced personal injury attorney at Boohoff Law in Seattle. It bears repeating that it is in the best interest of your case to have a dedicated attorney by your side throughout the legal process. While you get down to the important work of regaining your health and stamina, your attorney will attend to the important administrative tasks involved while also building your strongest legal case. This typically involves gathering important evidence from the accident scene, securing eyewitness testimony, and retaining all necessary expert witnesses in support of your claim. Bringing a successful pedestrian accident claim is complicated but necessary, and with professional legal counsel at the helm, you are far more likely to obtain an outcome that protects your rights and works for you.

While it’s reasonable to assume that the insurance company involved will reimburse you for your full range of injuries, this simply isn’t how things work.

Protecting your pedestrian accident claim is important to your ongoing health and well-being, so consult our experienced Seattle pedestrian accident attorneys today.

In many cases, the right legal representation from the start of the claims process can improve the outcome of your claim, often resulting in a favorable settlement offer in a shorter period of time. Our goal as attorneys is to get you the payment you deserve so you can move forward.

Start Working With a Seattle Pedestrian Accident Attorney Today

Pedestrian accidents cause catastrophic injuries and turn their victims’ lives upside down. Recovering physical and emotional health after a pedestrian accident is difficult enough without having to worry about financial strain and interacting with insurance adjusters and law enforcement who want to know what happened.

At Boohoff Law, we know how difficult this moment is for you and your family. Seeking legal representation is probably not your top priority. Still, it’s important to know that the sooner you consult with a skilled, experienced lawyer about your pedestrian accident, the better your chances will be of obtaining the compensation you so deserve.

In Washington State, the general statute of limitations on personal injury claims is three short years. Lawyers know just how quickly that time can pass. Pedestrian accidents frequently involve complicated facts, particularly when it comes to the victim’s medical prognosis. Investigating those cases takes time, as does making sure that every party with potential liability has been identified.

What’s more, evidence that could provide insight into a pedestrian accident has a way of disappearing as time passes, and witnesses memories also fade. The time to start investigating your pedestrian accident is now. One thing is certain: insurance companies whose policyholders may have liability to you are already working hard to try and minimize their financial exposure.

You may have heard from one or more of them already, asking you to give a statement or dangling a settlement offer. Before you speak with any of them, consult with an experienced Seattle pedestrian accident attorney who knows your rights and the magnitude of damages you should expect to receive.

Struck by a Vehicle While Walking? Call Boohoff Law Seattle Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Now

Boohoff Law is a team of lawyers who are proud to call Seattle home. We love walking the city’s streets, and we recognize just how difficult it can be to have your life upended while crossing at an intersection.

If you suffered a serious injury or lost a loved one in a Seattle-area pedestrian traffic accident, call (877) 999-9999 or contact Boohoff Law today to schedule your free, confidential, no-obligation consultation with a member of our team. We’re here to help in any way we can.

Client Testimonial

“Everyone here is so helpful. They jumped through every hoop necessary to get me the settlement I rightfully deserved. Tracey and Maria are super sweet. They made me feel right at home. I absolutely recommend Boohooff Law and will use them again in the future if I am ever in a similar situation. Thank you all at Boohooff who helped me with my case. 10/10 stars hands down!” – Brandy K.