When a pedestrian accident occurs, it can cause serious injuries and even death to those who are involved. A report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) suggests that pedestrian fatalities reached its highest levels in 2019 for the first time in over 30 years. It is important to recover the rightful compensation that is owed after a pedestrian accident. If your loved one died as a result of these circumstances, it is crucial that you retain the services of an experienced Pennsylvania personal injury attorney for legal assistance.
What Does the Report Entail?
In the GHSA report, “Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State,” preliminary data is provided by all 50 states’ highway traffic safety offices as well as the District of Columbia. The data in the report show that the number of pedestrian deaths in 2019 was the highest it has been since 1988. In the report, there is a 5% increase from pedestrian deaths in 2018 to reach an amount of 6,590 killed in 2019.
It is an unfortunate reality that the majority of personal injury accidents, such as pedestrian accidents, occur as a result of negligence. The report states that the accidents in 2019 were as a result of unsafe road crossings, distracted or impaired driving, and large SUVs and trucks on the road.
What Do I Do if I am Involved in a Pedestrian Accident?
When an injury or death occurs in a Pennsylvania pedestrian accident, it is important to implement certain steps to ensure a successful claim in the future. This includes the following:
- Call the necessary emergency services (police and medical)
- Obtain contact information from any witnesses to the incident
- Take pictures and videos of the scene of the accident
- Obtain medical documentation after receiving treatment
- Retain the services of a skilled personal injury attorney to recover additional evidence for a case
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?
If you or a loved one sustained an injury or was killed in a pedestrian accident, it is important to pursue the rightful compensation that is owed. In doing so, you should not wait too long, as a statute of limitations places a deadline on the time a person has to file a claim. In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for both personal injury and wrongful death cases is two years from the date of the injury or death.
Contact our Firm
If you or a loved one has been in a personal injury accident in Pennsylvania, it’s important that you contact an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney to help you with your case and to make sure that you are not taken advantage of. Contact Spear Greenfield to get the right attorney in your corner.
Call or text (215) 985-2424 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
