PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS
This content has been written by a team of legal writers and reviewed by Terry Crouppen
Since 1979, the pedestrian accident lawyers at Brown & Crouppen have helped accident and injury victims recover millions in compensation. Our attorneys represent pedestrians who have been injured as a result of an auto accident, and also provide representation for individuals who may have suffered injuries due a pedestrian’s negligence. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident in St. Louis or surrounding areas, request a free case evaluation from an attorney at Brown & Crouppen Law Firm.
For those who have suffered injuries, medical expenses and financial loss can contribute to a difficult recovery. This can include catastrophic injuries that can result in life-long damages. Our pedestrian accident lawyers help you get the most compensation for your injury claim by maximizing the final settlement offered by the insurance company, or by taking the case to court and achieving a favorable verdict.
At the Brown & Crouppen Law Firm, our pedestrian accident attorneys help answer any legal questions you may have, and build a strong case to get the compensation you deserve. The accident and injury attorneys at our law firm have won 1000s of cases and have helped recover over $1 Billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients.
Our lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis for pedestrian accident cases, meaning that there are no fees unless we win your case. If you were a pedestrian injured in an auto accident, contact our law firm for a free case evaluation. We begin by understanding your situation, answer legal questions, and help you build a strong pedestrian accident claim.
DETERMINING FAULT IN A PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT CASE
2020 had the largest single-year rise in pedestrian accidents in recorded history. There were 6,721 pedestrian deaths in 2020, which equates to 18 pedestrian accident victims every day.
The US has seen a disturbing trend in the last decades too — a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths. According to the Insurance Institute on Highway Safety, the number of deaths from pedestrian accidents has risen 46% in the last decade.
A rise in fatal pedestrian accidents occur for a few reasons:
- Bigger, faster vehicles. – As fuel efficiency became a priority for auto manufacturers in the 1980s, horsepower took a dip. But the last 10-15 years has seen a convergence of both increased horsepower and fuel economy. According to the EPA, the cars we drive today have 75% more horsepower than the cars we drove in 1990. More people drive SUVs and pickups than they did before.
While our vehicles are getting bigger and stronger, pedestrians are not.
- Everyone is more distracted – Pedestrians and drivers alike pay too much attention to their phones and not enough to their surroundings.
- Lousy urban design – A lack of crosswalks on arterial roads means that pedestrians must either walk several blocks to reach an intersection or try to cross several lanes of traffic where vehicles are going at or close to highway speeds. Reduced visibility at night makes it even harder for a driver to see a pedestrian in time to stop.
- Drunk drivers – Between 2010 and 2019, over 10,000 people have died every year in drunk driving accidents, which equated to a drunk driving crash every 52 minutes in the United States.
Traffic accidents often lead to catastrophic injuries, which includes brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other serious bodily injury. If you’ve suffered injuries as a result of a pedestrian accident, an attorney can help you fight for compensation, even if the driver got away after the accident. Our pedestrian accident attorneys have the legal experience to help you fight against the insurance companies to get the compensation you deserve.
THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF PEDESTRIANS
Pedestrians do not always have the right-of-way and neither do drivers. Failing to follow legal rights is often the cause of pedestrian accidents and serious injuries.
- At intersections with working traffic controls, pedestrians only cross the street at the crosswalk with the signal.
- When no traffic controls are present, drivers must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk when the pedestrian is on the same half of the road as the driver, or when the pedestrian is approaching from the opposite half close enough to be in danger.
- Pedestrians shall not move into the path of a moving vehicle in a way that makes it impossible for the driver to yield.
- If a vehicle is stopped to permit a pedestrian to cross an intersection or crosswalk, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.
- Pedestrians who cross the street at any point other than a marked crosswalk or an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles on the roadway.
A pedestrian accident lawyer will help understand the unique circumstances of your case, and help determine if you’re eligible to recover compensation for your injuries.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
The average pedestrian accident settlement is approximately $36,000. However, each pedestrian accident case is unique and your particular case may be worth more or less than the average.
Every state has its own Statute of Limitations that determines how long an injured party has to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit.
- Missouri – Adults have 5 years from the date of the accident. Minors have 5 years from their 21st birthday.
- Illinois – Adults have 2 years from the date of the accident. Minors have 2 years from the date of their 18th birthday.
In Missouri, drivers must carry a minimum liability policy of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
Drivers in Illinois must carry a minimum liability policy of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $20,000 for property damage.
An applicable policy might be significantly larger than the state minimum. Conversely, compensation may be reduced if the pedestrian is held partially at fault.
The facts and circumstances of the pedestrian accident case determine who is responsible for medical bills.
- If the pedestrian is at fault and the driver is also injured, the driver has a claim against the pedestrian.
- If the driver is at fault but does not have auto insurance, the pedestrian may need to use their own uninsured motorist coverage (if they have any).
- If the pedestrian is more at fault than the driver, the pedestrian cannot receive any compensation in Illinois, but may receive partial compensation in Missouri.
REQUEST A FREE CASE EVALUATION FROM A PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
Our pedestrian accident law firm is one of the highest rated law firms in the Midwest. At Brown & Crouppen, all of our pedestrian accident attorneys share the same goal – to get justice for people who have been injured. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from a pedestrian accident, get help from a lawyer at Brown & Crouppen Law Firm. Getting started with your pedestrian accident case is easy. You can call us at 888-802-8156 for a free consultation, or tell us about your case with our free case evaluation form. And remember, there’s no upfront cost to you — if you don’t get paid, we don’t get paid.
We are proud to be top pedestrian accident lawyers in:
At Brown & Crouppen, our attorneys provide legal representation for all pedestrian accident cases including those that occurred from speeding, distracted driving, and unlawful pedestrians. Call our law firm to tell us about the accident and find out if you have a case.
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- Last Modified:
- May 10, 2023
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