Houston Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Were you involved in a pedestrian accident? Did someone else cause it? Did you suffer injuries and losses as a result? If so, contact the Houston personal injury lawyers of Lowenberg Law Firm immediately. You might be entitled to financial compensation. We could represent you and help you hold the negligent driver liable for the harm they caused.

Pedestrians are often at a higher risk of physical injuries than others who may be in accidents involving motor vehicles. They cross the street, walk through parking lots, and contend with passing cars and trucks. Many drivers don’t pay attention to pedestrians around them or can’t see them as they’re maneuvering their vehicles. Even though there are laws protecting pedestrians on the roads, many people don’t follow them.

Houston is a large city with constant traffic on the roadways. Despite crosswalks that are meant to allow pedestrians to walk across the street safely, driver inattention, recklessness, and error can put these people on a collision course with a car, truck, or motorcyclist. Some drivers don’t know traffic laws or become distracted and don’t notice what’s happening around them. When that occurs, accidents can happen.

At Lowenberg Law Firm, our Houston pedestrian accident lawyers know the trauma you’ve experienced since the crash. These types of accidents typically cause debilitating injuries and death. The cost of medical treatment can become a significant expense that you might not be able to afford. You shouldn’t have to pay for your medical bills and other costs if your actions didn’t contribute to the accident.

Lowenberg Law Firm is ready to take your call and help you get on the road to recovery. Contact us at (832) 241-6000 today for your free consultation.

Common Types of Pedestrian Accidents

Not all pedestrian accidents occur in crosswalks or intersections. Multiple scenarios can lead to an accident with a pedestrian. The most common include:

Crosswalk accidents – Crosswalks alert drivers to the possibility of pedestrians in the area. They must slow down or stop and allow people to walk across the street if someone’s in the crosswalk. Distracted or reckless drivers don’t yield to someone entering the crosswalk and cause accidents.
Backing up accidents – Motorists backing out of parking spaces should always look behind them first. They must check for anyone passing their vehicles before backing out of the parking space. If they don’t, they could crash into someone walking behind their car.
Parking lot accidents – Parking lots often have significant foot traffic. People are walking into restaurants, to their cars, or passing through on their daily jog. Motorists should proceed with caution and continuously monitor the area for pedestrians.
Hit and run accidents – Some car crashes involve drivers who decide to flee the scene without checking on the well-being of a pedestrian they have hit. This often happens if the motorist is under the influence and doesn’t want to get caught or isn’t paying attention to the road and doesn’t notice that they hit a pedestrian.

This isn’t the complete list of all types of accidents involving pedestrians. If you were in a pedestrian accident and suffered injuries, contact Lowenberg Law Firm to discuss your legal options. It’s critical that you don’t wait too long before initiating legal action. There are deadlines you must follow, and if they pass, you might not have the opportunity to seek compensation from the negligent driver.

Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents are often the result of drivers making dangerous errors. A motorist might text while driving or ignore a traffic signal giving pedestrians the right of way. They might not pay attention to the road ahead and can’t react quickly enough to avoid an accident by the time their brain registers someone walking in front of their vehicle.

The most common reasons pedestrian accidents occur are:

Driving under the influence – Drugs and alcohol cause a range of symptoms in drivers. They slow reaction time, reduce motor skills, and disrupt thinking and reasoning.
Speeding – Driving too fast can cause a motorist to lose control of their car. It’s harder to come to a complete stop at a crosswalk if they are exceeding the speed limit.
Reckless driving – Weaving in and out of traffic, acts of road rage, and other dangerous behaviors can lead to accidents. Unfortunately, recklessness is common in drivers, especially in stressful situations, such as traffic congestion.
Distracted driving – Distractions are everywhere. If a driver looks away from the road or reaches for something in the backseat, they’re not focused on the task of driving.
Failing to yield the right of way – If a pedestrian enters a crosswalk with a green light or walk signal, they’re allowed to proceed before any drivers. However, when a motor vehicle runs a red light or stop sign, they put pedestrians at risk.

Regardless of the reason for the pedestrian accident, you should be able to seek compensation from the at-fault driver. If they’re to blame for your injuries, it’s your right to hold them responsible for what they have done so you’re not forced to pay out of pocket for your medical care, personal property damage, and other costs.

Injuries Often Associated with Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians can sustain catastrophic physical injuries in accidents involving motor vehicles. They can also suffer life-threatening injuries and die at the scene or later at the hospital. You don’t have anything protecting you from the violent impact of a vehicle against your body when you’re on foot. Accidents like these typically result in disabilities, psychological trauma, and loss of mobility.

The most common injuries pedestrian accidents cause are:

Concussion
Traumatic brain injury
Internal bleeding
Paralysis
Back and spinal cord injuries
Loss of limb or amputation injury
Road rash
Lacerations
Psychological injuries
Broken bones
Physical or mental disability

The time it takes to heal can be overwhelming, painful, and stressful. You might have to take some time off of work to rest and recover. That can lead to lost wages. If you’re not earning an income, you can’t afford your medical bills. You’re faced with a difficult situation due to someone else’s carelessness. Let the Houston pedestrian accident lawyers of Lowenberg Law Firm help you get your life back on track.

Compensation Available in an Insurance Claim

Even though you were a pedestrian when the accident occurred, you could still file a car insurance claim. Texas law requires every driver to carry car insurance with minimum liability coverage or post a surety showing they can cover a particular dollar amount for an accident they caused. The fault system holds negligent drivers liable for an accident victim’s losses.

When you seek compensation in a liability insurance claim, you could recover various losses, such as:

Lost wages
Lost earning capacity
Past and future medical bills
Mental anguish
Loss of household services
Pain and suffering
Damage to personal property
Physical impairment or disfigurement

If you exhaust the liability limits of the at-fault driver’s policy and have remaining losses you need to compensate, or the at-fault driver doesn’t have car insurance, you could file an uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) claim with your own insurance company. UM is another type of insurance coverage state laws require you be offered when you purchase your auto insurance. If you don’t want it, you must sign a document stating that you choose not to buy UM coverage.

If you own a motor vehicle, you likely have UM insurance. You could file a claim to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, personal property damage, and pain and suffering. However, different insurance companies offer various forms of coverage, so it’s essential that you review your policy to determine the losses you can recover.

Texas Laws Associated with Civil Lawsuits

Filing an insurance claim isn’t the only option for seeking compensation from the at-fault driver. You could sue them for the losses you suffered. Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for accidents causing personal injury or death. That means you have to file your lawsuit within two years of the crash date if you want to hold the driver accountable for their actions in court.

Other than the losses available in an insurance claim, you might also be entitled to exemplary damages. It will be up to the jury to decide if you deserve this financial award. Instead of compensating you for your losses, it punishes the defendant for their actions. You must provide clear and convincing evidence that the driver acted with malice, fraud, or gross negligence.

The jury can reduce your monetary losses if they determine your actions contributed to the accident in any way. Under proportionate responsibility, you can’t recover your total losses if you share fault for your injuries. For example, let’s say you suffered $100,000 in losses, but the jury finds that you were 20 percent to blame for the accident. That means you could only receive up to $80,000 in compensation. If you were more than 50 percent at fault, you wouldn’t be allowed to recover any amount of money.

Speak to a Dedicated Houston Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Lowenberg Law Firm believes in providing personalized attention and services to every client. We know how devastating pedestrian accidents can be and the effect they can have on your entire life. You can depend on us to remain by your side and fight for the compensation you deserve.

We will be your advocate and protect your rights during the legal process. Our team will stay in contact with you throughout your case, so you feel like a priority. We treat accident victims like family at all times and provide the guidance and support necessary to endure this overwhelming experience.

If you suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident due to someone else’s careless or negligent actions, contact Lowenberg Law Firm for a free consultation with one of our skilled and qualified Houston pedestrian accident lawyers. Call (832) 241-6000 today.