Walking is the oldest form of human transportation, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the safest option. Those on the road or on a path that intersect with a street have to worry about the possibility of a motor vehicle collision. Drivers often fail to notice pedestrians and can cause crashes even when pedestrians are careful to cross the road at marked locations and while following traffic signals.
Pedestrians can easily incur life-altering injuries as a result of an incident where a vehicle strikes them, even at lower speeds. Those hurt in a pedestrian collision and those who have lost a loved one may quickly discover that the available insurance can’t fully compensate them for the losses they have experienced.
Oftentimes, particularly if a crash occurs somewhere with a higher speed limit, a pedestrian collision could easily result in someone’s death. A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit may be one of the few options for comprehensive compensation available to those affected by a pedestrian crash.
Pedestrian crashes have become more common
Although people might believe that better infrastructure and safer vehicles mean that their risks are lower, the statistics about pedestrian fatalities paint a different picture. Specifically, they show that pedestrian deaths have recently hit a 40-year high. Pedestrian crashes have been on the rise for years starting in 2010.
After a protracted period of decreasing traffic fatalities, the trend has seemingly reversed in recent years. According to crash data from 2022, an average of 20 pedestrians die every day somewhere in the United States. That means that more than 7,500 people lost their lives because of pedestrian crashes in 2022, which is the highest number of fatalities reported since 1981. The number is likely lower than the true number of deaths, as it does not include Oklahoma’s data.
Researchers generally blame the growing popularity of larger vehicles and the notable increase in distracted driving on the surge in pedestrian fatalities. Fatal pedestrian crashes leave people struggling with grief and with the financial impact of losing someone unexpectedly. Frustratingly, filing a lawsuit may be the only way to fully recover the financial losses caused by serious or fatal accidents.