Patterson is a rural town providing residents with abundant outdoor activities, such as walking, jogging, and hiking. However, pedestrians face significant risks of traffic accidents resulting in severe injuries or death. Pedestrians have minimal protection against motor vehicles, making it crucial to always remain vigilant and aware of one’s surroundings. Despite being a relatively small city, Patterson’s streets can become busy, especially during peak traffic hours, posing a significant threat to pedestrians. It is imperative to exercise extreme caution while walking on the roads to avoid catastrophic injury or worse.

If you were hurt in a pedestrian accident in the Patterson area, you might be entitled to pursue a personal injury claim. Our experienced legal team can help you recover monetary compensation for your damages. Call our law office today at (209) 227-1931 for a free consultation to discuss your potential claim with one of our experienced injury attorneys.

The first thing you must do is to make sure you are okay. If you have been injured, call 911 immediately and seek medical attention. Next, try to document everything if you can. That includes getting contact and insurance information from the driver, taking pictures of your injuries, and gathering witness statements. Take notes of any crosswalks, stop signs, or traffic signals in case the driver tries to put the blame on you.

Sometimes your injury may not be apparent until hours or days after the accident, so see a doctor immediately, even if you don’t think you are injured. Waiting for medical care can affect your compensation if you pursue an injury claim. The insurance company will say that your injury must not have been that serious since you waited for treatment.

If you or a witness could get the make, model, or license plate number of the vehicle, that would help in catching a hit-and-run driver. However, in these situations, it’s essential to know that even if the driver flees the scene and nobody sees the vehicle’s license plate number, the injured party can still seek compensation for their injuries. When this happens, your medical insurance will cover any medical expenses, and you can still file a claim with your insurance company if you have uninsured motorist (UIM) coverage.

California is a pure comparative negligence state. That means your compensation may be reduced if you were partially at fault. For example, if the value of your settlement is $100,000, but you are found to be 25 percent at fault in the accident, you would only receive $75,000. You can avoid false attribution in an accident by documenting everything.

By law, motorists must watch for pedestrians and exercise due care to avoid hitting them. When drivers fail to do that, they can cause severe crashes. According to California Vehicle Code, a motorist must abide by specific laws regarding pedestrians, and include the following:

• Yield to someone crossing the street inside a crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
• Do not pass a car at a crosswalk, as that person may have stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross.
• Do not drive on the sidewalk unless entering or exiting a garage or alleyway.
• Do not stop in a crosswalk because it can endanger pedestrians when walking around your car.
• If a blind person pulls their cane inward and steps away from the curb, they rely on the vehicle’s sound to tell how close the car is, so stop within five feet of an intersection.

Both pedestrians and drivers must be aware of their surroundings. The driver must exercise due care to prevent hitting a pedestrian, even if the person crosses the street outside a marked crosswalk. Pedestrians can not suddenly step off the curb or obstruct impending traffic even if they have the right of way. Just because a pedestrian was in a crosswalk doesn’t exempt them from fault in an accident. Although the driver is responsible for not hitting someone, the pedestrian must take extra precautions to cross the street safely.

Watch the YouTube video below for more road safety tips for drivers and pedestrians.

When you suffer from a devastating injury, it can be challenging to file a personal injury claim alone. You are more likely to accept the insurance company’s low settlement. Having an experienced Patterson pedestrian accident attorney on your side to negotiate with the insurance company can ensure that you get the maximum compensation you need and deserve.

When a lawsuit becomes necessary to recoup damages, hiring an experienced Patterson pedestrian accident lawyer for your case is essential. If you or a loved one were seriously injured as a pedestrian, call our law office at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice.

Since 1982, our Patterson personal injury law firm has helped Northern California residents obtain fair compensation for auto accident and wrongful death cases.

We encourage you to explore our impressive record of achievements of our Verdicts and Settlements page.

^{Editor’s Note: updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 5.25.23]
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
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