Escalon may be a small town, but it has a lot to offer its residents such as being safe enough to take a walk anytime you want and its enticing climate and proximity to Manteca and Modesto. Walking is as popular here as it is elsewhere in the area. Still, accidents do happen, and pedestrian injuries can be severe, causing soaring medical costs and time away from work. It’s times like these when you can benefit from the help of an Escalon pedestrian accident lawyer.

In 2019, the latest year for accident statistics by the California Office Of Traffic Safety, there were 253 pedestrian injuries and fatalities in San Joaquin County. Thirty-six accidents involved senior citizens, and 29 involved youngsters under 15. In a high number of accidents in the county overall, speed was a factor. In addition, San Joaquin ranked first in the number of hit-and-run collisions.

At AutoAccident.com, our injury lawyers have assisted many injured pedestrians in obtaining fair compensation when they’ve been harmed by a negligent motorist or because of poor roadway maintenance. We understand how difficult it can be to be hospitalized as your medical bills mount, as well as being unable to work. Soon, you find you can’t pay your bills, which is unfair when the accident wasn’t your fault.

What Can AutoAccident.com Do for Me?

We gather the evidence needed to support your claim and handle the negotiations with the insurance company for you to ensure all of your expenses and losses are covered. In addition, by using an injury lawyer, you can recover damages for your pain and suffering. By doing this, you can spend your time recovering without the added financial distress.

The plus side is that you owe us nothing until your case is won, and injured clients often receive up to three times the compensation they would have gotten if they had handled the claim themselves. Call us at (209) 227-1931 today to set up a free consultation with an Escalon pedestrian accident lawyer.

Negligence that can lead to a pedestrian accident can occur in several ways. Most involve the driver of a motor vehicle, a negligent home or private property owner, or a government entity that isn’t doing its job in maintaining streets, intersections, and crosswalks. Some of those reasons include:

• Distracted driving is a significant cause of traffic collisions, including those involving pedestrians. The driver accessing their GPS, texting, talking on a phone, and other distractions isn’t paying attention to their surroundings.
• Failure to yield leads to pedestrian accidents. When a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, the driver must yield to avoid a collision.
• Speeding causes many accidents because, although the driver may see a pedestrian ahead, they won’t have enough time or distance to stop before striking them.
• Running a red light is a common cause of a pedestrian accident.
• Defects in the crosswalk, such as mistimed lights or other malfunctions, can prevent pedestrians from crossing safely. Other dangers may include overgrown foliage that prevents a driver from seeing a pedestrian. In these cases, a claim may be placed against the driver and against the government entity. However, the time limit to file against a government entity is only six months, so getting help from an Escalon pedestrian accident attorney is a good idea.
• Drunk driving commonly causes collisions because the motorist has poor reflexes, and their vision is affected.
• Dangers in a home or business can range from problems outdoors that could cause a fall to trip hazards, poorly lit stairwells and others. In these instances, a premises liability claim may be filed to recover damages.

Absolutely. Most pedestrians feel that crosswalks make them safer, and most of the time. However, older or disabled pedestrians, someone pushing a cart or baby carriage, and children require a longer time to cross a street than others. Due to federal standards, more time to cross has to be allotted to make a crosswalk safe for these pedestrians, too.

Some towns and cities have not addressed this issue, which can lead to serious pedestrian accidents. If someone is struck in a crosswalk because they didn’t have sufficient time, an Escalon pedestrian accident attorney may be able to help them recover compensation from the negligent government entity.

There are several ways that a pedestrian can improve their safety, including:

• Pretend you’re invisible. It may sound odd, but by pretending you’re invisible, you will keep a closer eye on dangers, especially around traffic.
• Wear light-colored clothing at night and carry a flashlight. During the day, bright-colored clothing makes you more visible to others.
• Always use sidewalks whenever possible.
• Don’t cross in the middle of a street. Drivers don’t expect to see a pedestrian there, and you may be hidden by cars at the curb when you step out. Besides, it’s illegal.
• Obey crosswalk signals. If no crosswalk is available, wait to cross until you are sure the way is clear.
• Don’t distract yourself by using your cell phone or listening to music.
• Wait at a corner until you are sure all the vehicles have stopped at the crosswalk.

An Escalon pedestrian accident lawyer’s job is to obtain the maximum compensation for you to cover your medical expenses and lost wages and to reimburse you for your pain and suffering. To do that, the lawyer must investigate to recover evidence to support your claim. Without proof, you may not be able to recover compensation. Some of the areas where an investigation is conducted include:

• Examining the accident site is an essential first step for our investigators. Not only is the area photographed, but the physical roadway is checked for signs of a signal light malfunctioning, overgrown foliage, and other dangers to a pedestrian that might have contributed to the accident.
• Surveillance cameras are examined to see if the collision was captured on film. If it was, that video provides strong evidence of how the accident occurred and who was at fault.
• The police report is checked for mistakes because they can affect the possibility of filing a claim.
• Witnesses are interviewed.
• The investigators conduct accident reconstruction, which indicates how the collision occurred and often shows who was at fault.

As soon as all the evidence has been gathered, our pedestrian accident lawyers in Escalon will put it to use to build a compelling case to support our client’s claim. It is unfair for anyone to be penalized for financial costs caused by another’s negligence. The injury lawyers at AutoAccident.com have been helping clients in Northern California recover damages for pedestrian accidents for many years.

Attorney Ed Smith offers advice on how to find a lawyer to handle your case in the video that follows:

When you or a family member is injured in a pedestrian accident, we can provide free and friendly advice. Call us to consult with our injury lawyers at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400. We can also be reached online. Discover how we’ve helped others by clicking on our link for Settlements and Verdicts.

^{Editor’s Note: updated 11.7.23 Photo attribution: Horacio Lozada from Pixabay cd llo [1250]}