Toll-Free: 800-354-6275
Phone: 817-294-1900
Mark Anderson is a Tarrant County personal injury and wrongful death lawyer who has assisted auto wrecks victims throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1991. Some of the worst traffic accident injuries are actually suffered by innocent pedestrians who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you have been injured as a pedestrian, it is important that you consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible.
When most people think of a car accident, they think of a car colliding with another car, or a fixed object. People rarely consider the fact that an out-of-control car can collide with anything in its path; including a pedestrian. In fact, there is a pedestrian-related traffic-accident every 8 minutes, and a fatality less than every two hours. In Texas alone, in 2008 pedestrian fatalities totaled 438. It sems like every week, we hear of an incident here in the Dallas Fort Worth area where a pedestrian has been run over by a moving vehicle. What can you do to be safe as a pedestrian?
First and foremost, simply obeying crossing rules can drastically reduce your chances of being involved in a car accident as a pedestrian. Drivers are trained to look for pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections, so crossing there at least gives drivers a heads-up that someone might be crossing.
Crossing in the middle of a block, or an area with reduced visibility (such as stepping out from between parked cars) is an extremely high-risk activity, and is responsible for many of the pedestrian-related car collisions. It might take you an extra minute or two, but by walking down to the crosswalk or nearest intersection to cross a busy road you can potentially avoid a serious car accident.
Even when you do have the right-of-way, it’s a good idea to remember one very important fact: cars are bigger than you. Trucks are much bigger. If a driver is blowing through an intersection, even if you have the cross signal, the vehicle can still cause serious injury.
Don’t assume that just because you have the right-of-way, drivers will respect it. Drivers might not be paying attention, or might assume that you’ll get out of the way; and while it’s illegal for them to do this, avoiding an injury is worth more than proving a legal point. Look out for drivers approaching a crossing, and don’t cross if it looks like the driver isn’t paying attention or isn’t going to stop.
Hopefully be following these tips you will be able to avoid being injured as a pedestrian. If you have been in a pedestrian-car accident or have questions about them please call the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation. We can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or across Texas toll free at 877-294-1115.
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The Anderson Law Firm offers free no obligation consultations to people injured in accidents or who have suffered physical harm as a result of someone else's actions. We do not charge you to initially discuss your situation and establish whether you have a claim to pursue. You can call us and discuss your case over the phone, we can set up an appointment for you to come into our office, or we can visit you in your home anywhere in the metroplex.
If after meeting with us you decide that we are the best personal injury lawyer for you, then we will enter into a contingent fee agreement. This means that we only get paid when we win a settlement or jury verdict in your favor. You don't pay us anything up front. We will cover all expenses spent working on your case. Only when we win for you will you need to pay us. If we don't win, then you owe us nothing.
Contact us online now or call us 24 hours a day toll free on 1-800-354-MARK (1-800-345-6-275). You can also call us locally in Fort Worth on 817-294-1900 or in Dallas on 214-327-8000.
