Pedestrian accidents are more dangerous than regular car crashes. The victims of the latter have an additional layer of protection. People walking take the direct impact of the vehicle coming at them.
Victims of a crash must get immediate medical attention. If they let their wounds progress, the problem will worsen a lot.
On this page, the reader will learn the most common pedestrian accident injuries. That will give them an idea of what to do if this situation occurs.
Parties in fatal pedestrian accidents can seek financial compensation after the crash. That allows them to get money for their medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. People looking for legal assistance in Des Moines, Iowa, can call Tom Fowler Law and schedule a free consultation. This team can also advise on common injuries in a bicycle accident.
Are Pedestrian Accidents Legally the Same As Other Personal Injury Cases?
In a nutshell, pedestrian accidents and other personal injury cases are handled the same way. The two situations involve a victim and someone who negligently caused the damage they are going through. Likewise, people can ask for compensation in both. For more information, a personal injury law firm in Des Moines may be able to help.
Negligence is an important factor when seeking compensation for pedestrian injuries. The legal obligation of the defendant to compensate the victim comes from the fact that they failed to exercise reasonable care.
Personal injury is a legal concept that includes lost wages, property damage, loss of earning capacity, physical injuries, and other factors.
The legal process in all motor vehicle accidents is mostly the same. Victims must hire a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the other party, gather evidence, negotiate with the defendant, and go to a trial if needed. This can also be the case when dealing with common injuries for a slip and fall.
It's worth noting that all personal injury cases are factually different, even if the legal process is the same. Lawyers always know a few strategies that could work in most situations, but they still have to study the specific problem their client is going through and collect evidence to prove their claims.
Most Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
Pedestrian accidents lead to serious injuries. Although many things can happen in a crash like that, victims often experience similar health implications due to the nature of the situation.
Acknowledging the most common pedestrian wounds raises awareness of this problem and reminds drivers how dangerous it is to drive recklessly.
That being said, these are the pedestrian injuries victims should watch out for after a crash:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are one of the things that make accidents so dangerous. They happen when the victim receives a direct hit to the head and develops brain damage.
Regardless of that, TBIs are not always that harmful. They can be classified as mild or severe. Depending on the one the victim gets, the injury could leave temporary or permanent consequences.
The problem with traumatic brain injuries is that it's difficult for people to notice they have one unless they go through a medical examination. This issue can come from falls, sports wounds, or physical fights.
Among the symptoms of TBIs, people can find memory loss, headaches, dizziness, loss of consciousness, or vomiting. If someone experiences these after suffering a direct blow to their head, they should go to a doctor as soon as they can.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are the most common problem victims suffer after pedestrian accidents occur. They are not as severe as traumatic brain ones, but everyone should still keep an eye on them.
Damage to the victim's tendons, muscles, and ligaments counts as soft tissue wounds. Depending on the case, sprains, bruises, and strains could fall into this description.
Although these injuries are not that severe at first glance, they can become a huge problem if they don't receive the right medical attention. Specifically, soft tissue damage can cause limited mobility, permanent disability, and chronic pain.
Some of the symptoms victims may experience if they suffer a soft tissue injury are pain, fever, cracking sounds when they move, and unexplained weight loss.
Broken Bones
If a motor vehicle driving at a fast speed hits a pedestrian, the victim can expect to at least get a few broken bones. Although this is not something to take lightly, it's not as severe as head and brain injuries.
People can break any bones in their bodies if they are hit by a car, but it’s more common to see this happening in the legs, pelvis, or arms. No one needs a lot of symptoms to notice they have broken bones. The victim will experience a lot of pain.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries could be as dangerous as TBIs and are one of the main causes of pedestrian fatalities after accidents. As their name suggests, this includes any damage to the victim's spinal cord.
There are many symptoms that could lead someone to believe they are experiencing this problem. Paralysis, loss of muscle function, and chronic pain are excellent examples of that.
Similar to head injuries, spinal cord wounds can come from many sources. Apart from the symptoms and consequences mentioned before, this kind of injury can create tumors, vascular conditions, and even infections.
If someone suffers a spinal cord injury after a crash, the pedestrian accident claim they will file against the defendant will become highly expensive. The medical treatment to recover from this problem costs a lot of money, and it can cause permanent damage.
As it happens with the other health issues mentioned on this page, victims must treat spinal injuries as soon as they can to keep them from worsening. That could be the difference between getting partial or complete paralysis.
What Are the Most Severe Injuries Pedestrians Can Get in a Car Accident?
The health issues mentioned before are the ones people experience the most after pedestrian accidents, but are they the most dangerous? Well, it depends on the situation and the severity of the specific health issue the victim suffers.
Traumatic brain injuries are among the deadliest health problems people can go through. Yet, not all TBIs are that dangerous.
On the contrary, broken bone punctures or fractures shouldn't be that much of a problem at first glance. However, they can lead to paralysis or disability in extreme cases.
Internal injuries are the most difficult to notice, which makes them highly dangerous for victims. That includes internal bleeding and organ damage.
Getting spinal cord problems counts as internal wounds, though it's different from the other examples mentioned before. Apart from the fact that people can die because of them, what makes this so dangerous is the lifetime consequences it can cause.
Even if it doesn't kill the victim, spinal cord injuries can keep people from walking. That will make it more difficult for them to find a job, which will reduce their earning capacity.
Due to those consequences, the law allows an injured pedestrian in an accident to get as much money as they need to cover the damages they went through. The only thing they need to do is prove how they received their wounds and who caused them.
What Can Victims of a Pedestrian Accident Do to Get Compensation?
When victims with traumatic injuries or bone fractures want to get compensation, they first need to hire a legal expert. Most law firms let clients schedule a free consultation with their attorneys to discuss case details and potential strategies.
After the victim finds the right personal injury lawyers for the case, they must gather enough evidence to support their claims. Once they do, the next step is to file a formal complaint against the negligent driver.
The complaint should include specific details about how the accident went down, the injuries the victim suffered, and how much money they need. Then, the defendant will send a formal response to the court.
Not all personal injury cases must go to trial. Both parties can get to an agreement if they want to avoid that. Actually, most cases end that way.
Who Gets Compensation After a Pedestrian Accident If the Victim Dies?
Fatal injuries are common when pedestrian accidents happen. Even if the victim dies, the liable party can still be held accountable for what they did. This is called a wrongful death case.
Here, the family members of the deceased are the ones getting the money for the accident. That financial compensation should go to loss of income, emotional distress, and burial expenses.
When this happens, the process to file the lawsuit is exactly the same. What changes is who files it and what the victim will ask for.
Final Thoughts
Even if people know the most common injuries they can get after an accident, they still need help from a pedestrian accident attorney to handle the whole situation. Lawyers are experts on the matter and know the strategies the other party may try to win.
Getting money to undergo medical treatment won't reverse life-altering injuries, but it will give the victim enough money to minimize the consequences.
Anyone looking forward to hiring personal injury lawyers in Des Moines, Iowa, should contact Tom Fowler Law. This legal office is ready to take any pedestrian crash case that comes to it.
The legal experts working for Tom Fowler Law have won millions for their customers, and that's what victims deserve. Pedestrian accident victims can contact the firm.
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