If you get hit because the city didn’t put up proper signs, you may be able to file a lawsuit.
When you are out walking — whether it is to work, to school, or just a stroll around the block — you expect that you will be safe. Unless you trip and fall, walking is a reasonably safe form of transportation. But sometimes, accidents happen involving cars, trucks, or other vehicles. Collisions between motor vehicles and pedestrians can result in devastating injuries or even deaths.
In an average year, more than 100,000 pedestrians become injured and approximately 6,000 are killed in accidents involving cars and other vehicles. Even though pedestrians have the right of way in most places, these accidents still happen. They can be the result of any number of things including drunk driving, inattention, bad signs, poorly lit intersections, and more.
Accidents between pedestrians and cars may be the fault of the driver who was not paying attention or was otherwise negligent. But in some situations, even if a car hits a walker or runner, it may not have been the driver’s fault — or at least, not entirely. If a city, town, county, or other governmental entity did not maintain or properly design the road, then they could be held responsible for pedestrian accidents. For example, if a traffic light is broken, a crosswalk is poorly designed, if signs are missing, if the pavement is broken, or if the street is not well-lit, the government could bear at least some of the responsibility for the accident.
Consider this situation. A housing complex is located near a busy road with a speed limit of 45. The city knows that many kids live in this housing complex, and that many of them cross that busy road. If a child is hit by a car while crossing that road, the city may be at fault because it was aware that the road was regularly used by pedestrians — including children — and yet did not install a stop sign or traffic light, did not put in a cross walk, did not lower the speed limit, and did not put up a sign warning drivers that the road was used by pedestrians. While the driver may also bear some responsibility, the city could also be sued for its negligence.
However, suing a government is often more complicated than suing a private individual or business. It often requires following a special procedure with different time limits and rules. That is why it is so important to hire an experienced pedestrian accident attorney if you have been injured in an accident.
At the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker, our attorneys have a 95% success rate. We have helped more than 100,000 people recover more than $2 billion dollars in damages for their injuries. We offer free initial consultations to help you learn more about your legal rights and options, and we never charge a fee unless we recover money for our clients. We aggressively pursue all potential avenues for recovery, which may include suing a city, town, county or municipality for their negligence in designing or maintaining a roadway. Contact us today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys.
