In the decade from 2009 to 2018, pedestrian fatalities increased by 53% in the United States. During the same period, all other traffic-related deaths increased by just 2%.
At some point, almost everyone is a pedestrian. Whether you are walking from your car to work, to the bus stop, for exercise or recreation, or while running errands, you are a pedestrian.
Pedestrian Statistics in Your State
In our region, the most recent pedestrian-car accident statistics are as follows:
- Wisconsin: In 2020, 1,133 reported pedestrian accidents resulted in 53 deaths and 1,117 injuries.
- Illinois: In 2018, 4,779 pedestrian-car crashes were reported. These accidents resulted in 158 deaths and 4,518 injuries.
- Iowa: In 2020, Iowa reported 387 accidents involving pedestrians. These crashes caused 27 deaths, 48 serious injuries, 153 minor injuries, and 149 possible injuries.
Why Pedestrian Accidents Happen
As with all types of car accidents, pedestrian crashes occur for many different reasons. Those reasons include:
- Failure to yield to pedestrians. Drivers are legally obligated to stop for pedestrians at all corners and crosswalks.
- Failure to give runners, walkers, and joggers enough room. Drivers should pass pedestrians at a safe distance.
- Obscured visibility. Weather conditions such as rain, snow, or fog, the darkness of night, and trees, buildings, or other obstacles that obscure intersections or crosswalks can make it difficult for motorists to see pedestrians and may make dangerous accidents more likely.
- Back-up accidents. Drivers who are backing out of parking spaces or driveways may not see pedestrians in their paths.
- Failure to stop for a bus. Drivers should stop for busses that are loading or unloading passengers.
- Poor road design. Roads without sidewalks, stop signals, or designated crosswalks may make pedestrian accidents more likely.
- Failure to use turn signals. Drivers who do not indicate where they are going may be more likely to confuse walkers and cause pedestrian crashes.
- Driver behavior. Distracted drivers, drowsy drivers, drunk drivers, and other negligent drivers may all cause pedestrian crashes.
Every driver and walker has a responsibility to act safely and to try to avoid pedestrian accident injuries. Additionally, local governments and police departments can help by enforcing pedestrian right-of-way laws.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
When a car crash occurs, the car's occupants have some protection from the vehicle's frame, seat belts, airbags, and other safety devices. There is no such protection for a pedestrian who is hit by a car. Accordingly, pedestrians may suffer from:
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck and shoulder injuries
- Amputations
- Nerve damage
And some pedestrians will die.
Pedestrian Accident Recoveries
If you've been hurt in a pedestrian crash, we encourage you to get prompt medical attention for your injuries.
Then, whether you've been hurt or lost a loved one, we encourage you to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Our lawyers can investigate what happened, gather evidence, identify all potentially liable parties, make strong arguments to prove negligence, and fight for your fair recovery of past and future:
- Medical costs including surgeries, hospitalizations, medications, doctors' appointments, physical therapy, and other healthcare needs.
- Lost income for any wages, benefits, bonuses, raises, or self-employment income that you could not earn because of your injuries or your loved one's death.
- Out-of-pocket costs for funeral costs or any expenses made necessary by your accident injuries.
- Pain and suffering for all physical pain and emotional suffering caused by the accident.
Insurance companies know that we mean business and that we won't back down from getting our clients the compensation they need to take care of themselves or their families after a pedestrian accident. Accordingly, many insurers settle our clients' claims, but we won't hesitate to go to court if an insurance company is unwilling to treat you fairly.
Are Pedestrian Accidents Preventable?
To reduce the number of pedestrian accident injuries and fatalities, Hupy and Abraham is leading the charge in promoting awareness of pedestrian right-of-way laws. To help drivers better understand that they should be yielding to pedestrians at all corners and crosswalks, the firm has distributed tens of thousands of "Yield To Pedestrians" bumper stickers.
Additionally, Hupy and Abraham's "Save a Life. Yield To Pedestrians" public service announcement (PSA) has aired about 1,000 times in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa, and Attorney Michael Hupy has appeared on live television and written letters to local police chiefs to raise awareness. We hope that these efforts reduce pedestrian accidents throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa.
However, our personal injury lawyers also stand with people who have been hurt or lost loved ones. We want to help you get the recovery you deserve when a pedestrian accident occurs. Contact us any time by phone, live chat, or our contact form, to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation about your rights and possible recovery. We would be happy to meet with you by video conference, phone, in your home or hospital room, or one of our 11 offices throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois.
Have You Been Injured In A Wisconsin, Illinois or Iowa Car Accident?
If you've been injured in a car accident you should speak to an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible. You can contact us online or call our office directly at 800.800.5678 to schedule your free consultation with one of our car accident lawyers. We have been helping car accident victims since 1964 and service clients throughout Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.