With an estimated population of just under 30,000 people, Atwater is a relatively small community in the heart of Merced County, CA. While Atwater is smaller than nearby cities like Los Banos or Merced, there is still significant vehicle traffic. Unfortunately, this means numerous motor vehicle accidents every year, and these crashes can potentially cause serious injuries. Pedestrians are especially vulnerable in collisions and often suffer trauma that significantly impacts their lives.

As experienced Atwater pedestrian accident lawyers, we help injured pedestrians and their families recover emotionally and financially after life-changing accidents.

Our personal injury law firm focuses solely on cases that involve catastrophic injuries. Because we have four decades of experience, we know how to handle major injury claims with difficult insurance companies. This means that we have the skills and resources to investigate pedestrian accidents and put together cases so that our clients can obtain the full compensation they deserve.

Data from local traffic enforcement groups, including the Atwater Police Department (APD) and California Highway Patrol (CHP), revealed 980 traumatic motor vehicle crashes in the city of Atwater between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2019. Of these accidents, around ten percent (97 collisions) involved a pedestrian. Compared to similarly-sized cities, this is a relatively high rate of pedestrian accidents.

Furthermore, pedestrian accidents in Atwater tended to be much more severe than most collisions. Pedestrian collisions had a fatality rate of about 6.2 percent, while crashes overall were at around two percent. This means crashes involving pedestrians were more than three times as likely to cause fatal injuries. Similarly, pedestrian crashes had a severe injury rate of about 8.3 percent, while collisions were about 4.2 percent overall.

Pedestrians are not protected by airbags, seatbelts, or walls of steel and can be severely injured in even minor accidents. As seasoned Atwater pedestrian injury attorneys, we’ve helped people with many different types of injuries and have seen first-hand how serious they can be. Common pedestrian accident injuries include:

• Bone fractures
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Road rash
• Lacerations
• Spinal cord trauma
• Internal injuries
• Amputation injuries
• Cervical sprains

While it’s impossible to predict where or when a crash will happen, pedestrians can do things to improve their safety. To learn more about what pedestrians can do to avoid being injured in auto accidents, take a moment to watch this short and informative YouTube video:

Pedestrians injured in accidents can face several challenges. Firstly, recovering is often a painful, stressful process that can take months or even years. Injured pedestrians often need multiple surgeries, long-term physical therapy, medications, and other treatments to regain their health. These procedures can be costly and add up to many medical expenses.

Paying for the medical care you need can be even more difficult if being injured has affected your ability to do your job. Many crash survivors cannot continue working either temporarily or permanently, resulting in a sudden loss of income.

Fortunately, pedestrians and their families can reach out for help. By working with an Atwater pedestrian injury lawyer and filing a claim against negligent parties, injured pedestrians can claim compensation for their damages. This often includes payments for the losses described above and compensation for damages related to pain and suffering.

Many people worry that they cannot afford a high-quality attorney to help them with their injury case. However, we handle my cases under a contingency fee arrangement. This means that our clients do not pay any money up-front, and we only charge legal fees if we can successfully resolve their injury case. By running our law firm this way, we can help anybody who needs legal services.

Even if you are unsure whether you need an injury lawyer for your case, it’s still essential to seek advice. Because most attorneys are happy to offer a free phone consultation, there’s nothing to lose by seeking professional help.

Did a pedestrian crash in Atwater, CA, leave you with serious injuries? Our experienced accident attorneys can provide free, friendly advice on recovering compensation through a personal injury claim. Call our law firm at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 to start today.

Our legal team has assisted people in the Atwater area with major injury cases for three decades. You can learn about our history of successful advocacy by reading through our settlements and verdicts.

^{Editor’s Note: updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 8.24.23] Picture: ab ms ds [cs 794]}