Missouri Pedestrian Accidents Attorney

In 2015, traffic crashes killed 5,376 pedestrians nationwide, and emergency rooms treated 129,000 pedestrians for crash-related injuries. Last year, the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety said pedestrian fatalities were on the rise – 83 pedestrians died in traffic crashes, representing about 10 percent of all statewide crash fatalities for the year.

The reasons for pedestrian accidents are complex, and it may take months for investigators to determine the cause of such an accident. In the meantime, pedestrians seriously injured in a crash may have unmanageable medical costs, and families of pedestrians killed in a crash may be struggling with medical costs, burial costs, and the effect of lost wages.
If a driver injured a pedestrian in your immediate family, you can’t afford to wait for investigators to decide your fate. You need an experienced personal injury attorney on your side to ensure the best possible outcome for you and your family.
The Columbia accident attorneys at Bley & Evans have helped many personal injury victims in Missouri get the compensation they need. Attorneys take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning injury victims pay nothing up-front – attorney fees come from any settlement you may receive. To find out if you have a case, call us to ask for a free, no-obligation consultation, at 1-844-443-8385.

The Link Between Infrastructure and Pedestrian Accidents

Often, when a pedestrian accident occurs, investigators blame the pedestrian for crossing the street illegally or stepping out into traffic. But in some areas, there’s no safe way to cross the street.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has identified the most common factors in pedestrian crashes, and many are related to infrastructure. Pedestrians have a higher risk of crash involvement in areas that lack crosswalks, or where crosswalks lack adequate markings, signs, or lighting. Another hazard for pedestrians is inadequate signal phasing, which means traffic lights at intersections are not timed in a way that allows pedestrians to safely cross the street.
While these factors, and environmental factors such as darkness, fog, or rain, may contribute to pedestrian crashes, driver error is a significant factor in crashes of all kinds.

Careless Drivers Put Walkers in Danger

In July, eight months after he struck and killed a pedestrian, a St. Louis man was charged with involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a crash. Police said the man was driving between 71 and 78 miles per hour when he struck the victim at an intersection. A few months earlier, another St. Louis man was charged with involuntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, and leaving the scene of an accident. While drag-racing on a busy street during the middle of the day, he struck and killed a woman who was out running errands.

Speeding, especially when combined with other factors like distraction and alcohol impairment, poses a serious risk to pedestrians, even if they’re standing on a sidewalk. Speed limits are lower in areas where pedestrians will likely be crossing or walking alongside the road. A driver who ignores posted speed limits could easily lose control and veer onto the sidewalk, without having time to react.

Dangers for Elderly Pedestrians

Walking is the most common type of exercise for people older than 60, and regular exercise can help fend off disease and extend one’s life. Sadly, pedestrians in this age group are also most at risk for being seriously injured or killed in a crash.

About 13 percent of the U.S. population is older than 65, but about 21 percent of people killed in pedestrian crashes are over 65. Reasons for their disproportionately higher number of accident fatalities include:

Vision loss – As vision deteriorates, people may have difficulty seeing approaching cars, or judging the speed at which cars are approaching.
Mobility impairment – A person who is 75 can’t move as quickly as someone who’s 25, and when traffic signals change quickly, an elderly person may still be crossing the street when traffic starts moving again.
Overall health – Injuries that might not be fatal in younger populations could cause serious and fatal complications in people older than 65.

Help for Victims and Their Families

People who survive being struck by a vehicle may be left with permanently disabling injuries and require ongoing medical care. Although insurers are aware of those possibilities, they may try to offer settlements to injury victims that would not adequately cover their ongoing costs. But when you have legal representation, you’re more likely to get the outcome you deserve.

Recent posts

Guide to Missouri Wrongful Death Actions / In Missouri, a civil suit for wrongful death is a statutory action authorized by R.S.Mo. § 537.080, 537.085, and 537.090. The statutes created a new cause of action where none existed at common law. In other words, a wr...

Early Winter Weather / Early winter weather struck mid-Missouri late last month. While temperatures remained near 20 degrees with wind chills in the single digits, snow moved into the region. The City of Columbia preemptively deployed a 16 man...

Beware of Deer on Missouri Roads / The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is warning Missouri motorists of deer on roads during the peak months of October and November. MoDOT reported car and deer collisions result in almost 200 deaths and $1.1...

Back to School Road Safety / According to the United States Department of Transportation, 50 millions students will be attending America’s public elementary and secondary schools this fall. Included in that figure is 35 million kids who will be at...

Tips to Prepare for Summer Travel / The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released its list of Cool Tips for a Safe Summer Trip. Following these tips could help avoid a breakdown or even a highway collision. First, before you embark o...

Work Zone Safety: Buckle up Phone Down / The Missouri Department of Transportation wants to remind motorists to buckle up and put phones down. As warmer weather arrives in the region, work zones will become more common on the state’s highway system. While wor...

Missouri Motorist Insurance / According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, the Show Me State requires that all motorists keep liability insurance coverage. Liability insurance is designed to indemnify the policyholder when his or her actions caus...

Aviation Consumer Protection / The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a new website of the Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD). The ACPD receives and reviews consumer complaints directed at airlines. The website contains a wealt...

4 Reasons a Personal Injury Attorney Helps Your Case / One of the most well-known sentiments in the legal field is that someone who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client. One of the central ideas behind this axiom is that even attorneys typically have the go...

Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week / The Federal Highway Administration’s second annual Traffic Incident Response Awareness Week runs from November 13 – November 19. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported a 7.2% increase in ...

Seatbelt Usage on the Rise as MoDOT Reminds Motorists to Drive Safely Around Big Trucks / The Missouri Safety Center and the University of Central Missouri recently released the results of the 2017 Missouri Seat Belt Usage Survey. The results showed that more Missourians are making the smart choice to buckle ...

Annual Fatal Traffic Crash Data / Last week the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its annual report of fatal traffic crashes for calendar year 2016. The NHTSA collected information from ...

Pavement Blow-ups / Columbia has had its first pavement blow-up of the year, according to Barry Dalton, a public information officer for the Columbia Public Works Department. Eastbound Bernadette Drive was closed down for over 24 hours earl...

Takata Airbag Recall / The deaths of eleven people have spurred the expansion of the Takata airbag recall. The recall now includes some 28 million airbag inflators in the United States alone. However, only 8 million bags have been replaced, ac...

Bill in Missouri Legislature May Limit Consumer Protections for Plaintiffs / A bill currently in the Missouri Legislature threatens to limit consumer protections in Missouri. The proposal, Senate Bill 5, specifically changes current laws relating to unlawful merchandising practices, class actio...

Laptop Battery Pack Recall Expanded / Toshiba has recently expanded a recall of Panasonic lithium-ion battery packs that were installed on over 40 models of Toshiba Satellite laptops. The original recall was announced in March 2016, but was expanded in Janu...

Five Injured after Multiple Vehicles Collide on I-70 / Snow and ice once again contributed a number of accidents in early January in the Mid-Missouri area. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that five people were injured in a four-vehicle crash on I-70 near Columbia on Janu...

Snow and Ice Create Dangerous Road Conditions in Mid-Missouri / Snow and ice over the last week has caused dangerous road conditions in Columbia and surrounding areas. Since Friday morning, nearly 400 accidents have been reportedly caused by icy conditions. Additionally, first respon...

MoDOT to Missouri Motorists: Move Over for First Responders / On average, emergency crews working for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) respond to 5,500 traffic accidents per month. Every year, hundreds of these emergency responders, including fire fighters, law enf...

Semi-Truck Accidents Increasingly Common in Missouri / How new and proposed rules may decrease accidents. According to a study conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation in 2011, accidents involving commercial motor vehicles made up 9.2% off all traffic crashe...

Missouri Strikes Down Red-Light Camera Ordinances / Earlier this week, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down local ordinances regarding the use of red-light cameras in St. Louis, Kansas City, and St. Peters. While the Court did not ultimately decide the legality of using...

10-Year Statute of Repose for Medical Malpractice / Missouri Supreme Court Upholds 10-Year Statute of Repose for Medical Malpractice Claims Earlier this year, The Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed a trial court’s dismissal of a medical malpractice claim after a heal...

Flooding Roadways / Flooded Roadways Extremely Dangerous to Motorists Due to the high amount of rain in the past few weeks, many lakes, rivers, and streams across Missouri have seen an increase in water levels and flooding. Because flooded...

Takata Airbag Recall / What you should know and what owners of recalled vehicles should do As of June 12, faulty deployment mechanisms in airbags produced by the Japanese supplier Takata have caused seven fatalities, as well as over one hundr...

Best Practices to Prevent Workplace Accidents / Merriam-Webster's definition of accident is, "an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance." The first example of the word used in a sentence is, "He was injured in an accident at work." Why d...

Viking Gas Range Recall / Hazard: The ranges’ ovens can turn on by themselves, posing a burn hazard to consumers. If you or someone you know has been injured by a Viking Gas Range, contact us immediately. You may be entitled to compensati...

What to Do After a Car Accident / Get your injuries treated If you have injuries at the accident scene, do not drive yourself away. Have yourself fully evaluated and treated by a medical professional. Document your injuries It will be much eas...

Work Safety Guide / The backbone of a safe working environment is a proper injury and accident prevention program that incorporates the aforementioned practices and encourages employees to take safety measures seriously. As an employer, it'...