San Antonio Pedestrian Accident Attorney

The Facts

According to a recent report made by the Governor's Highway Safety Association, pedestrian fatalities reached an estimated 6,000 in 2016, a staggering 11% increase from the previous year and 22% compared to 2014. In San Antonio, the jump was even more devastating. A reported forty-six fatalities in 2015 jumped to sixty-five in 2016, an outstanding 60% increase, according to the city’s Capital Improvements department.

Here at Carabin Shaw, our team has put together a handful of useful tips to stay safe, as well as steps to allow us to help in the unfortunate case that you or a loved one are injured and find yourself in need of a San Antonio pedestrian accident attorney for representation. Remember, understanding your rights and responsibilities – as well as the responsibilities of others – is critical in properly assessing damages and potential compensation in the case of being injured as a pedestrian. Read on, and keep our team of educated and experienced attorneys in mind if you ever find yourself in need fair and just assistance regarding a pedestrian injury or accident.

Useful Tips

While distractions, such as texting or using electronic devices when walking, account for a large portion of accidents, the leading causes still come from driver negligence, such as improper driving speeds and left hand turns at intersections. This means that it is critical for not only for pedestrians to know and understand best practices while walking on city streets and sidewalks, but also to develop an awareness of the common mistakes made by the countless motorists, cyclists, and other roadway users that are encountered every day in San Antonio transit. Here are some useful tips, as well as some common mistakes made by motorists.

• Cross at designated crosswalks: According to the study done by the Governor's Highway Safety Association, 82% of pedestrian accidents were reported to occur outside of designated crosswalks or intersections.
• Be visible: 74% of all pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. happen at night. Wear bright colors and avoid driver blind spots.
• Avoid distraction: With the considerable rise in personal devices for communication, navigation, and entertainment, such as smartphones, it is not uncommon to see a crowded street filled with pedestrians with heads bowed and eyes glued to a screen. This limits your awareness and significantly increases your chances of being the cause of the victim of injury or even death.
• Watch for left turns: Often during left turns, motorists at an intersection will have a green light at the same time that pedestrians have a walk light. Both parties are usually moving parallel making it easy for the other to go unnoticed. The chances of getting hit at an intersection by a left turning vehicle are three times that of a vehicle coming from any other direction.

Who’s at fault?

Determining who is at fault requires consideration of multiple factors. At crosswalks and intersections, drivers are required to yield to pedestrians. Outside of designated and marked crossways, vehicles do generally have the right of way, but drivers are still required to make proper efforts to avoid hitting pedestrians. This includes obeying speed limits and other traffic laws. In San Antonio, pedestrian accident attorneys with the right experience can be extremely helpful in sifting through the details of a pedestrian accident case in terms of assessing who was at fault and determining if a party is entitled to any medical or injury compensation.

Let Carabin Shaw Help

If you or a loved one in San Antonio has been injured as a pedestrian, whether hit by a vehicle or bicyclist, you may very well need one of our San Antonio injury lawyers with Carabin Shaw to represent your interest. The settlement of any automotive accident can be complex; add a pedestrian hit by a corporate-owned semi-truck into the equation, and the process becomes more challenging. A San Antonio pedestrian accident attorney with Carabin Shaw knows the laws that will protect your interests.

The lawyers of Carabin Shaw law offices are finely attuned at identifying facts impacting your claim. Regardless of how complex your case is, our San Antonio accident attorneys are highly skilled at unraveling the essential elements surrounding the circumstances leading up to your accident. They will diligently work to win the best possible outcome by applying every applicable law of your case; you deserve all allowable compensation for your loss and injuries, and our attorneys will fight to see that you get them.

Carabin Shaw attorneys will review documentation of what occurred submitted by you; in addition, your attorney will need the name(s) of any eyewitnesses you may have taken note of. Securing an attorney immediately is important if we are to preserve evidence from the accident. Truck drivers are required to log time driving, routes taken, load being carried. These logs can be vital in providing evidence; they can also be altered. Securing them through legal means as quickly as possible can be crucial to the settlement of your claim. Only an attorney can request and receive these documents.

If you think you might the services of a Carabin Shaw attorney, do not hesitate to contact us right away. The call is free, as is the initial consultation on your case, where you will get the answers you need in order to know what to do next. Call our San Antonio offices twenty-four hours a day at 210-222-2288 or toll-free at 1.800.682.1260.

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