Maison Law represents runners who are struck by cars at intersections and in crosswalks causing serious injuries. Our runner injury lawyers go to work immediately and focus on holding careless drivers responsible for every recovery cost for victims. We want runners to get the best care possible and to get back on their feet again as soon as they can. Please contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a real California lawyer and find out what your injury is worth.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Crosswalk Runner Collision?
If your injury ends up being serious, perhaps involving broken bones or head trauma, you should speak to a skilled California runner injury lawyer. If a careless driver caused your collision, that driver should be fully responsible for your recovery costs. Unfortunately, earning support isn’t automatic.
The hospital bills can quickly pile up when your wound is more than just a few cuts or bruises. Insurance companies see the totals on hospital bills and become reluctant to accept full responsibility. They’ll look for any excuse to deny a runner’s injury claim. A lawyer protects you from these tactics and fights to maximize your injury claim so that you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay your doctor bills and support your family.
Crosswalk Dangers for Runners in California
Runners and walkers often live for their exercise routines, but the parts of the trip they may not enjoy are the spots where they must step out in front of careless drivers. Crosswalks are designed to keep joggers safe when their runs take them across streets and highways, but they aren’t perfect.
Some crosswalk lights only give runners seconds to make it across seven and eight lanes of traffic. The lines that trace out crosswalks can also fade under the California sun and cars and trucks can jut out in the walk lanes, even when at a full stop.
As mentioned, the biggest risk at crosswalks are the motorists who are often in a hurry and not paying attention to those on foot. Drivers may be looking at cell phones or at the vehicles in front of them, and not watching for runners. They are required by law to show a “duty of care” to all pedestrians. They must slow down no matter where they see someone in the street and be going slow enough to be able to brake to prevent a collision if necessary.
Sadly, many drivers barely notice the SUVs on either side of them, let alone a much smaller runner crossing an intersection. Collisions cause devastating injuries for joggers and could leave them dependent on physical therapists for months to learn to walk and run again. A skilled California personal injury lawyer will be seeking full compensation for the victim’s hospital bills now and those anticipated in the months to come.
The Driver’s Duty When Crossing a Sidewalk
Drivers must also exercise caution when traveling over another type of intersection. This usually involves a turn into a driveway or parking lot making it necessary to travel over a sidewalk.
Should a driver be turning into a driveway or an alley, he or she must yield to any pedestrians (joggers included) who are on a sidewalk and approaching the driveway or alley pursuant to CVC 21952. Pedestrians still have the right-of-way, especially when they’re on a sidewalk for pedestrian traffic.
Can I Seek Compensation If I’m Hit While Running Across a Street Outside a Crosswalk?
Yes. Due to the vulnerability of pedestrians, drivers must always act to prevent accidents no matter where a pedestrian is walking or running. Motorists can be partially to blame even when a jogger is jaywalking.
California follows the legal concept of “comparative liability.” It means that a pedestrian and a driver may share the blame in a collision. A pedestrian may be found partially at fault for an accident for crossing the street without using a crosswalk.
But the driver could also share half or more of the blame. The victim could be assigned a percentage of the fault but could still receive a settlement check from the driver’s car insurance provider. The settlement check would be reduced by the percentage of liability the victim was assigned.
Types of Things Injured Runners Will Be Compensated For
In the aftermath of a pedestrian accident, runners should be focused on healing and not the enormous cost of their medical care. Those worries should stay with the at-fault driver and the driver’s auto insurance company.
A Maison Law personal injury lawyer will be seeking everything the runner needs to pay all medical bills and to emerge from the recovery financially stable. A running accident settlement check should cover these and other hardships:
- Current medical bills and those expected in the months to come.
- Lifelong support for a permanent physical disability.
- Support for physical pain and emotional trauma. This includes the anxiety and depression a difficult recovery could cause victims.
- Loss of enjoyment of life. Victims can suffer very real harm when they are unable to enjoy their hobbies. With major injuries, it’s possible they may never be able to head out on the runs they love again.
- Loss of wages and benefits while victims are unable to work.
- Travel costs to get to medical appointments while victims are unable to drive and perhaps in casts or using wheelchairs.
- Wrongful death benefits for families. Close relatives such as a spouse or children of the victim may ask for financial help with funeral costs and medical bills. A wrongful death claim also seeks to protect the family in the future by replacing the steady income the deceased can no longer contribute to the family.
Contact a California Running Accident Lawyer
If you have been seriously injured in a running accident caused by a careless driver, don’t wait to explore your options. Take action so your lawyer has time to collect fresh evidence and track down witnesses for testimony.
Contact Maison Law for a free consultation after any injury involving a pedestrian accident anywhere in California. Our case reviews are confidential and come with no obligation. If you decide we can help you earn more for your running injury, you won’t need to have any money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money you are awarded.
