Tulare prides itself on being a welcoming place to individuals and families, but the treatment those traveling on foot receive can be less than inviting. Pedestrians on busy roads like Highway 137 or Prosperity can find crosswalks few and far between. The crosswalks that are in place often have faded lines and give walkers a brief few seconds to travel across.
Careless and distracted drivers don’t make the journey any safer. A collision involving a pedestrian can leave someone on foot with traumatic injuries and at serious risk to lose their life. In the aftermath, victims and their families must seek full support during their recoveries and make sure an at-fault driver gets the bills for that care.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Tulare Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Healing and getting back on your feet again are the most important goals after your Tulare pedestrian accident. And once injuries have been stabilized, financial recovery must also be a focus. Unfortunately, insurance companies for at-fault drivers don’t always make it easy for injured victims to secure the financial support they need to pay medical bills and recover income lost at work.
You are entitled to a free legal consultation with Maison Law. It’s a chance to talk directly to a real Tulare Personal Injury Lawyer. During this confidential informational session, you’ll learn about benefits available to you that an insurance company was never going to mention. Contact us before speaking with any insurance company to find out how much your case is worth.
Tulare Pedestrian Accident Dangers
Tulare’s busiest streets will always carry distracted and reckless drivers. Every motorist is required to show pedestrians a legal “duty of care.” That requires truck drivers, motorcyclists, and SUV drivers to monitor every corner for pedestrians and to slow down when they spot someone on foot. This extra care is required due to the extreme danger defenseless pedestrians are subjected to in a vehicle impact.
These frightening situations occur daily on Tulare streets. And the dangers continue outward on Tulare County’s rural roads and highways. These roads usually won’t have crosswalks, sidewalks, or traffic signals. Those on foot risk even more as they travel outside of cities.
California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) tracks pedestrian accidents each year across Tulare County. TIMS documented 86 total pedestrian accidents involving injury in Tulare County in 2021. Those accidents led to 13 tragic deaths. Those sad numbers were higher than the accidents recorded in 2020. Tulare County saw 70 pedestrian accidents resulting in 11 fatalities in 2020.
Common Injuries in Tulare Pedestrian Accidents
A strike from a car or big rig can do severe damage to a vulnerable pedestrian’s body. Recoveries can take weeks or months. Doctors can only help victims manage a lifelong physical disability after a pedestrian collision when a full recovery isn’t possible.
A Tulare Pedestrian Accident Attorney works to total all current hospital bills, but also gets professional estimates on the care you could require in the years ahead. This is a critical step because some victims sign off on pedestrian accident injury settlements that only cover emergency room costs. Insurance companies get away with leaving the future bills for additional surgeries and physical therapy in the victim’s lap.
These are just some of the most common serious injuries that emergency department doctors at Adventist Health-Tulare treat after pedestrian accidents:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) – Pedestrians can suffer brain trauma after a blow to the head from a vehicle, from the pavement, or even against other objects like a bench or telephone pole. Victims might suffer concussions, memory loss, seizures, and the loss of the ability to speak.
- Broken Bones – The arms, wrists, legs, and ankle bones can suffer blunt force trauma and fracture, but they can also be shattered when run over by the full weight of a vehicle. The collarbone and the breastbone in the upper chest also commonly fracture. Skull fractures are also possible and could send bone fragments into the brain.
- Amputation – When limbs are run over by tires, the crushing force can make repair and recovery a longshot. Doctors might have to perform a surgical amputation. The care and support of a Tulare pedestrian accident victim would become critical. The cost of care and education on learning to live with a disability over a lifetime would be sought from an insurance company.
- Paralysis – An accident may result in a permanent loss of mobility. This would include the loss of the ability to control your own body after a spine or brain injury. An injury settlement would need to include lifetime financial backing for medical equipment, home renovation, and job training to help victims find work they are able to perform comfortably.
- Internal Organ Injuries – Pedestrians may suffer damage to organs like the lungs, heart, or kidneys in the force of an impact. The tissue connecting these organs might also be torn and leave victims vulnerable.
What Kind of Compensation Can Tulare Pedestrian Accident Victims Ask For?
Pedestrians, along with the help of their personal injury lawyers, must construct a full list of every physical, mental, and economic hardship they’ve endured. This list must be accurate because anything left off can end up being the responsibility of the victim’s family.
The victim’s lawyer would look over any pedestrian accident settlement offer from a car insurance company to make sure it provided for the victim’s recovery now and in the future.
Tulare pedestrian accident victims must request support for these and other factors:
- Medical bills now and those expected to arrive in the future.
- The long-term expenses if you must live with a permanent disability or disfigurement.
- Travel costs for making hospital appointments and consultations with specialists. Shuttle service fees while you may be on crutches or in a wheelchair.
- All wages and benefits you’ve lost while missing work hours.
- Property damage.
You can receive support for these and other non-economic damages:
- The physical pain you’ve endured and for the possibility of chronic pain issues.
- The emotional trauma you’ve suffered such as anxiety and PTSD symptoms after a frightening crash. Depression can also develop as a victim’s lifestyle is affected by a serious injury.
- Loss of consortium. The loss of intimacy with family members, especially a spouse.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can my family receive financial support after a loved one is killed in a pedestrian accident?
Yes. California allows a spouse, partner, or children of the victim to file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the family. Money is awarded for funeral costs and hospital bills. The income the deceased can no longer provide is also reimbursed.
What is the statute of limitations on a Tulare pedestrian accident injury claim?
Two years. Pedestrian victims have up to two years to file an injury claim. Turning over your case to a skilled lawyer as soon as possible is beneficial. Fresh evidence will be more readily available, and witnesses will be easier to locate.
Can I earn pedestrian accident compensation if I wasn’t in a crosswalk?
Yes. Drivers must pay pedestrians extra caution even when they aren’t crossing in a crosswalk. A driver could still face liability for failing to slow down to avoid a pedestrian accident anywhere in the street.
Contact a Tulare Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one suffer a serious injury due to the careless actions of a Tulare driver, don’t allow an insurance company to determine what you’ll receive in compensation. A pedestrian collision might leave you off your feet, unable to work, and with no way to pay your growing hospital bills.
Take advantage of a free case consultation from Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law. This evaluation comes with no obligation to you or your family. Make sure you are treated fairly and receive the support you need to fully recover and rebuild your finances.
If you decide we can help you maximize your Tulare or Tulare County pedestrian accident claim, you don’t need any upfront money. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you.
Additional Resources:
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