If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, your life may have been changed forever. Injuries suffered from being hit by a car can be very serious and the recovery long and painful. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 4,000 people a year are killed by vehicles, and more than 70,000 are seriously injured. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident in South Carolina, you need to talk with a trusted attorney about your rights to file a personal injury claim with a pedestrian accident lawyer.

Our legal team at David Blackwell Law has extensive experience handling pedestrian accident claims and helping injured people seek the full compensation needed to move past the devastating experience of being hit by a car. We represent pedestrian accident victims in Lancaster, Indian Land, Heath Springs, Kershaw, Fort Mill, and throughout South Carolina.

If you have been struck by a car and seriously injured, you may be struggling both physically and financially. Many pedestrians are thrown by the impact into the vehicle windshield and sustain head injuries if the car is traveling at a high speed in accidents involving pedestrians. If an automobile, truck or a motorcyclist caused your injuries, you may have a right to seek compensation to cover your medical bills and other expenses or pedestrian injuries. You to contact need an experienced and compassionate South Carolina pedestrian accident lawyer to provide trusted guidance.

What to Do if You’ve Been Injured

If you or your loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, there are specific steps you should take to protect your legal rights.

If you do not require emergency medical care, you should promptly have a medical evaluation and inform the doctor that you were struck by a car. Hold on to your medical records. A doctor’s objective report of your injuries will provide important evidence if you later file an accident claim.

Call 911, report the accident and wait for law enforcement to arrive on the scene. It is important to have a police report documenting the accident and your injuries. Do not let the driver who hit you talk you out of calling the police, even if the driver promises to pay for your injuries out of pocket. Without a police report of the pedestrian accident, it will simply be your word against that of the motorist.

Make sure that you get the motorist’s name, contact information and insurance information. If the motorist is uncooperative, you can get the information from the police.

If you are able, use your phone camera to take photos at the accident scene including your injuries, your bloodied clothing and damage to the motorist’s vehicle. Keep your torn or blooded clothing as further proof of the accident.

If others saw the accident happen, take their names and contact information before they leave the scene.

Schedule an initial consultation with an attorney to discuss the details of the accident and understand whether you have a valid personal injury claim.

Common Types of Pedestrian Accidents

  • pedestrianChild Running Out into Street — This type of pedestrian accident often occurs in residential areas when a child chases a ball or a pet into the street without giving any thought to oncoming traffic.
  • Older Adults — Older adults are at greater risk of pedestrian accidents. They often move more slowly and require more time to cross a road. They may be unable to get out of the path of an oncoming vehicle.
  • Walking Beside Road at Night — Night is an especially dangerous time for pedestrians walking or standing beside rural roads and highways in South Carolina.
  • Hidden by Parked Cars — A common scenario in pedestrian accidents is a child or adult walking out into the road from behind parked cars. Drivers should slow down and drive cautiously when driving down streets lined with parked cars.
  • Vehicle Turning into Path of Child — A child may assume that a WALK sign or green light indicates it is safe to cross an intersection and not notice a car turning.
  • Child Hidden from View by School Bus — South Carolina requires traffic in both directions to stop when school buses are stopped and have their stop sign activated to warn of students getting on or off the bus. A driver who tries to pass a stopped school bus may hit a child who is trying to cross the road. Student who must cross the street after getting off the bus should walk to the edge of the bus, look both ways and wait for the bus driver to signal that it is safe to cross.
  • Vehicle Backing Up in Parking Lot or Driveway — Each year, many children are injured and killed in backup accidents in driveways and parking lots. Small children behind a vehicle may not be visible to a driver backing up and children may not recognize backup lights as warning lights.
  • Children Hidden by Ice Cream Truck — Excited children may run into the street to flag down an ice cream truck without paying attention to traffic. Drivers should slow down and pass stopped ice cream trucks with caution.