Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles
Keeping pedestrians safe at both sidewalks and road crossings is a responsibility of every driver. As some pedestrians have disabilities and cannot cross the road with ease, it is not only the legal but also moral obligation of drivers to ensure their safety by ensuring they are out of the way before proceeding. It is very important to know your rights as a pedestrian in case you get into an accident.
The rights of pedestrians include:
The Right-Of-Way
Motorists not yielding the right-of-way when approaching or going through crosswalks can cause fatal traffic accidents. If drivers do not yield the right-of-way to crosswalks (whether marked pathway or unmarked pathway), they can face charges in court and be held liable for financial damages.
Motorists are required to stop if pedestrians are crossing the road and in cases where pedestrians are not near the traffic signal or a marked crosswalk, drivers are still required to stop for them.
The right to have a clear crosswalk
Motorists must stop their vehicles behind the marked or painted crossway or traffic signal because that part of the road is set aside for pedestrians. They cannot cover the passing area of pedestrians according to Vehicle Code Section 21455.
The right to not suffer damages because of a speeding vehicle
Speeding increases the collision force and distance required to stop a vehicle. Thus it is mandatory for motorists to reduce their speed when approaching a pedestrian area, whether it is a marked crosswalk or not.
A person has a 90% survival rate if they are struck by a vehicle moving with 20 mph. The chances of survival drop to 20% if the vehicle moving at 40 mph hits the person. Therefore, it doesn’t take much on the part of a driver to do serious harm to an unlucky pedestrian.
The right to be safe while crossing the road
Although pedestrians should always use a crosswalk to cross the road, if they are crossing the road through an unmarked area, the vehicle still has to slow down if the driver sees any pedestrian crossing the road. Drivers must exercise due attentiveness to ensure the safety of pedestrians even if the pedestrians are not at a signal or crosswalk. Bicyclists are also required to follow this rule as they have the same level of responsibility as any other driver.
The right to have a sidewalk free from motorists/cyclists
Sidewalks are only made for pedestrians, thus bicyclists are not allowed to ride their bicycle on the sidewalks. In some cities, only children can ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. The age limit in this case is usually thirteen years of age.
Bicyclists can of course dismount from their bicycle and walk on the sidewalk because then they would be pedestrians under the law.
When pedestrian accidents happen, you need to retain skilled legal representation right away from a pedestrian accident attorney in Los Angeles. The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani have handled countless such cases. Our personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles understand just how serious these injury claims are, because the typical victim of such accidents is in considerable debt from hospitalization, including ambulance costs and other expenses.
Call Jacob today to discuss your rights and compensation—(888) 970-3945!