Auto-pedestrian accidents are some of the most tragic accidents you will witness in Los Angeles. With such a heavy volume of automobile and foot traffic, pedestrian accidents happen all too often. There are various reasons that these accidents occur and more often than not the driver is at fault in such an accident. But, pedestrians also have a duty of care to follow.
It is up to pedestrians to exercise a decent amount of care when it comes to their own safety. If the pedestrian is reckless when walking or running near vehicles, it will be difficult to move a claim forward if involved in an accident. The required amount of care should be equal to the danger, so that pedestrians can reasonably anticipate consequences.
Pedestrians can be slapped with contributory negligence if they did not provide a reasonable duty of care, which contributed to their own injuries in a pedestrian-motor vehicle accident. Some of the most common ways a pedestrian can wind up being negligent in such an accident include the following:
- Walking into traffic, which disrupts the flow
- Ignoring the signals at an intersection (walk, don’t walk)
- Darting out in front of a vehicle
- Not using the marked crosswalks
Be sure to call 911 immediately after being involved in a pedestrian-motor vehicle accident. Never leave the scene of the crash, even if it’s to track down the driver.
Have you suffered an injury in an auto-pedestrian accident in Los Angeles? If so, you need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney after you’ve been evaluated medically.
Source: FindLaw, “Pedestrian Accidents Overview,” accessed Dec. 08, 2017