Hundreds of Texas pedestrians killed, injured, each year by motorists

April 19, 2013 (Press-News.org) Hundreds of Texas pedestrians killed, injured, each year by motorists

Article provided by Jerry D. Andrews
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Earlier this month, a woman was hit by a car and killed in Austin, Texas when she attempted to cross a road during early morning traffic, bringing attention to the increasing number of pedestrians that are killed or injured by cars each year.

A constant problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2010, a fatal pedestrian accident took place every other hour in the U.S. The year also saw tens of thousands of people injured in car-related accidents across the U.S. and a total of 4,280 people were killed.

Here in Texas, the state's Department of Transportation numbers show an increase in the number of people killed in pedestrian accidents between the years 2010 and 2011 with a total of 418 deaths. The department did not reveal numbers related to pedestrian injuries suffered from a collision with a vehicle.

Pedestrian laws

In some cases, the pedestrian may have caused the accident by disregarding crosswalks, ignoring pedestrian lights, and walking across streets when the light for oncoming traffic was green. In other cases, motorists may fail to yield to a pedestrian or slow down to allow them enough time to get to the other side of the street.

The Texas Transportation Code provides a set of laws for motorists to follow in order to avoid hitting a pedestrian and causing serious injury or death. These laws include:
-Stopping when the pedestrian is already in the crosswalk on the motorist's side of the street and there is no traffic light
-Stopping when the pedestrian is in the crosswalk approaching the driver's side of traffic
-Watching out for people who are impaired and for young children
-Stopping if a blind person is attempting to cross the street
- If another vehicle is stopped at a crosswalk, the driver in the second vehicle cannot pass them.

Failing to follow these state laws can result in community service and fines.

The pedestrian victim

When a pedestrian is injured because of the actions of a driver, they can face a number of challenges including medical bills, loss of income, permanent disability and reduced enjoyment of former activities. In such cases they can speak to a qualified personal injury attorney about legal recovery.

Legal recovery involves using the court system to hold a person financially responsible for their actions. Such actions enable a victim to ask for compensation that pays for damages incurred from the accident. An attorney can help the victim determine what is a fair amount to ask for and guide them through the process.

If the driver is found to be at fault for the victim's condition, then they can be ordered to pay restitution to the person they injured as well as money damages for pain and suffering, anguish, physical disabilities and financial losses.