Walking comes with risks. Even people who never leave a sidewalk or only walk near their homes are still vulnerable to drivers who lose control of their vehicles. These collisions can cause severe physical injuries, devastate your quality of life, and impact your ability to earn a living.
The law never presumes fault for a pedestrian crash. In fact, a defendant driver and their insurance company may allege that you did not do all that you could to protect yourself or that your actions made a collision unavoidable. A Pleasanton pedestrian accident lawyer fights back against these allegations. Our personal injury attorneys can help prove a driver was entirely to blame for a collision and demand fair compensation for your losses.
Determining Fault Following a Pedestrian Collision
People on foot fit into a special area of the law that governs travelers. Unlike the drivers of cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, pedestrians have no duty to care for the well-being of other travelers. At a glance, you may think that a pedestrian cannot be at fault for a collision involving a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
While these incidents are unlikely to result in physical injuries to drivers, the law says that pedestrians might still be to blame for an accident. California Civil Code § 1714 says that a judge or jury deciding a case must evaluate the actions of all of the parties involved in the accident and can assign blame to any party whose negligence contributed to the accident. In pedestrian accident cases, a defendant driver may allege a pedestrian did not use a crosswalk, moved into an intersection against the light, or emerged suddenly into a parking lot from between parked cars. This attempt to deflect the blame could result in a a judge or jury awarding only partial compensation.
A Pleasanton pedestrian collision attorney works to show a driver was entirely to blame for an incident. This includes gathering evidence, such as police reports, dashcam footage, surveillance video, and witness statements, that leave no doubt about the driver’s responsibility for the crash.
Seeking Fair Compensation on Behalf of Injured Pedestrians
Drivers have an obligation to protect all other people that they may encounter when they are behind the wheel. This even extends to pedestrians, regardless of whether they are in the roadway, on a sidewalk, or in a parking lot. When a driver is responsible for an accident, they have to provide fair compensation to any injured person.
A pedestrian crash lawyer’s aim is to collect these payments on behalf of an injured person in Pleasanton. This includes taking proper steps to measure how the event has changed a person’s life and demanding fair compensation for those losses.
For instance, many cases will revolve around physical injuries that result from these crashes. These often include concussions, severe cuts, broken bones, and separated joints. In addition, these events can affect a person’s life in other ways. This often includes emotional trauma, lost time with family and friends, and missing income from time lost at work.
Reach Out to a Pleasanton Pedestrian Attorney Today
Accidents that affect pedestrians tend to result in severe losses. Unlike the driver of another car, pedestrians have no protection from the impact of a motor vehicle, and even contact at a relatively low speed can push a pedestrian to the ground or up over the top of a car. Even a low-speed impact can result in harsh physical injuries, intense emotional trauma, and significant financial losses.
A Pleasanton pedestrian accident lawyer is here to protect your legal rights after these incidents. We can work to show that a driver was entirely to blame for an incident, determine how that incident has affected your life, and demand fair compensation in and out of court. Give us a call now to set up an appointment to discuss your case.