San Jose Pedestrian Accident Attorneys
Northern California Pedestrian Injuries
According the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, each year in the United States, there are about 5,000 pedestrian deaths and 70,000 pedestrian injuries. On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident every 111 minutes and injured in a traffic accident every 8 minutes. These statistics are startling enough, what makes them even worse, is that often, driver negligence is to blame for pedestrian accidents. In California, about 700 pedestrians are killed and 14,000 are injured each year.
The injuries sustained by pedestrians are often severe, since the human body is unable to withstand the force of a motor vehicle. The most vulnerable areas for impact and injury are the pedestrian's head, spinal cord, arms and legs. In many cases, the injury occurs when the victim strikes the ground or other objects such as a pole or tree.
Some of the pedestrian accident injuries that our law firm has seen are:
Brain Injury - the results of a brain injury are devastating. Brain injury occurs when the head is struck suddenly and violently and comes in contact with an object that may or may not pierce the skull. People who receive injuries to the brain are likely to develop numerous physical, emotional, and mental side effects. These may include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Memory loss
- Personality changes
- Headaches
- Vomiting
- Trembling
- Slurred speech
- Loss of coordination
- Weakness of arms and legs
- Mood swings
- Neurological disorders
- Paralysis
Spinal Cord Damage - this type of injury always results in some level of paralysis and leaves the victim with many physical, emotional, and mental side effects:
- Paralysis
- Loss of mobility
- Loss of control over bowels and bladder
- Numbness in limbs
- Loss of respiratory functions
- Loss of digestive functions
- Loss of reproductive functions
- Nerve disorders
- Lifelong difficulties in coping with this devastating injury
Additional pedestrian injuries include broken or crushed bones, coma and lacerations.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, you will need a skilled pedestrian accident attorney to assist you with this complex legal process. If you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit against the motorist who caused your injury, there will be some question of comparative fault. You will want the very best lawyer by your side. The experienced Northern California pedestrian accident lawyers at Van Der Walde & Associates will aggressively go up against the insurance companies and fight for your rights. We will get the maximum possible compensation package so that you can focus on your recovery. For a free case evaluation, call us today at (877) 862-6288.
