Pedestrian accidents happen every day in Spokane, especially in the more walkable downtown area. Unfortunately, many of these accidents happen because drivers are negligent in sharing the road with walkers.
When an accident happens, pedestrians often suffer serious and sometimes fatal injuries because they do not have the protection that occupants of passenger vehicles do. There are no airbags, bumpers, or hood to absorb the force. The pedestrian is struck directly and bears the full impact.
When a pedestrian is hurt or killed because of an accident, the victim or their surviving loved ones have rights under the law in Washington state. Washington is a fault-based tort state, so drivers must have liability insurance and can be held responsible for the harm that they cause.
Monge & Associates will help pedestrian accident victims to understand their options and to pursue a claim for compensation. We have decades of experience handling high-stakes personal injury claims and will put our knowledge, skill, and commitment to client service to work on your case.
To find out more about how we can help, contact a Spokane personal injury lawyer today to schedule your free consultation.
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Injured In A Pedestrian Accident? We Can Help
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Why Turn To Monge & Associates For Your Pedestrian Accident Claim
Monge & Associates is the firm to trust with your pedestrian accident injuries for many different reasons. Our team:
- Has been representing crash victims since 1993. We understand the laws and we know how to conduct in-depth investigations to discover who is liable and prove fault. We can put that knowledge to work for you.
- Has recovered over $1 billion in compensation for clients. We have helped clients obtain millions of dollars in damages through verdicts and settlements. We have a proven ability to create compelling claims and to handle high-stakes cases.
- Has strong negotiation skills: Many cases can be resolved out of court if you can negotiate a settlement successfully. Our attorneys are skilled at making demands on insurance companies and negotiating effectively while fighting insurer efforts to pay less than you deserve.
- Has courtroom experience: We are skilled litigators and are ready to represent you in court when necessary to get the money you deserve. Our willingness to go to court helps in settlement negotiations because we won’t back down, and it also ensures that we can go the distance to get you justice.
We have represented many pedestrian accident victims, and we will be there for you throughout your case to handle the legal logistics, keep you informed of your rights, and fight hard for you.
What Causes Pedestrian Accidents?
Pedestrian accidents have many potential causes. Some of the most common reasons for pedestrian accidents include:
- Distracted driving: Drivers who do not pay careful attention to the road can easily miss pedestrians due to their small footprint.
- Impaired driving: Impaired drivers whose judgment and reflexes are affected can also miss seeing a pedestrian.
- Speeding drivers: A driver who is going too fast may not see a pedestrian or may be unable to stop the vehicle in time.
- Failure to yield: Some drivers do not yield the right of way even when pedestrians have the right to cross.
- Reckless driving: Reckless behaviors like running red lights or weaving in and out of lanes can increase the chance of a pedestrian being struck.
Monge & Associates will gather security camera footage, interview witnesses, obtain police reports, connect with expert witnesses, and obtain evidence from the scene of the collision. Our goal is to identify the cause of your crash and to put together a solid case proving that the defendant was responsible for harming you.
Who Is Responsible For A Pedestrian Accident?
The parties responsible for a pedestrian accident can vary depending on the situation. Generally, you must show that the defendant breached a legal duty to you and that the breach was the direct cause of harm you endured.
Some of the different defendants who could be held liable include:
- Negligent or careless drivers who failed to follow the rules of the road
- Companies employing negligent drivers who can be held liable under vicarious liability rules that treat workers as agents of their employers when those workers are performing work duties
- Vehicle or auto parts manufacturers when a defect in the car caused a vehicle to strike a pedestrian
- Those responsible for designing or maintaining the road if road conditions caused the incident to occur
There are complex issues raised by many pedestrian accidents. For example, if road design was an issue, sovereign immunity rules will affect the ability of accident victims to take legal action against government agencies, as a specific process may need to be followed.
If a pedestrian was struck by a delivery driver, this could also raise questions of whether the driver was an employee or an independent contractor and, if they were an independent contractor, whether the company operating the app that put them on the road has liability coverage in place to pay for losses.
Monge & Associates can evaluate all of these different complexities, identify the right legal arguments to make, and put together the strongest case possible given the circumstances of your accident.
Common Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents
Many different kinds of injuries can be caused by pedestrian accidents. Some of the most common include:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head trauma and traumatic brain injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Cuts and bruises
- Soft tissue damage
Many of these injuries are serious and can cause lasting impairments. In some cases, they can be fatal. You need to seek proper medical help ASAP and ensure that your injuries are documented so you can prove they are crash-related.
When you suffer these or other injuries, you should ideally be made whole and compensated for both economic and non-financial loss. If a pedestrian was killed in an accident, the surviving family members should also be paid for allowable wrongful death damages under Washington law.
Contact A Spokane Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today
A Spokane injury lawyer at Monge & Associates will represent you after your pedestrian crash. To find out how we can help, give us a call or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation.