How Can Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Get Compensation for You?

Pedestrian Accident in Michigan Road safety is important for drivers and pedestrians alike. However, in instances of car accidents, pedestrians are put in a higher state of risk. According to the Michigan State Police, more than 80 percent of the pedestrians struck by a vehicle were either killed or were seriously injured.  In the first half of 2017, Michigan is the 23rd state with the most number of pedestrian fatalities per population, with 0.74 deaths per 100 thousand. The State itself implements law enforcement training, law enforcement mobilization, public education, and crosswalk treatments, as safety measures to prevent accidents from occurring.

Pedestrian Safety Risk Factors

As pedestrian injuries become a growing threat to national public health, it is a must to ensure the safety of pedestrians. The morbidity and mortality rates of these accidents vary depending on the person’s age and socioeconomic status. The most affected individuals are children, the elderly, and those belonging to lower socioeconomic status.

Aside from age and socioeconomic status, another risk factor of pedestrian injuries is the time of the accident. According to the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration, in 2004, most fatalities occur between 6:00 pm and midnight. Some factors that contributed to this are the lack of daylight, pedestrian traffic, and alcohol consumption by either the drivers or the pedestrians.

Another risk factor would be the type of community and roads. Urban areas generally have a higher rate of pedestrian injuries. Likewise, most incidents occur in non-intersections. The suspects for these can be attributed to a lot of factors, which includes the pedestrian’s lack of safety awareness, the driver’s noncompliance with speed limitations, and the city’s poor urban planning.

Pedestrian Injuries Caused by Driver Error

Pedestrian accidents are the cause of many traumatic injuries, which often manifest as neurological or musculature conditions. Common conditions include brain and spinal cord injuries, fractures, wounds and bruises, and internal injuries.

Perhaps the most contributing risk factor above all is human error. According to the World Health Organization, the most common risk factors caused by human error are:

Things to Look for in a Pedestrian Accident Situation

Most of the time, the people involved in the accident are required to look for necessary pieces of evidences to support your case. Such proof must be obtained via accident reports from police and crash experts, surveillance videos, and testimonies from eyewitnesses.

It is essential for an injured pedestrian to fight for their legal rights. They must seek advice from an experienced Pedestrian Accident Attorney in Michigan to help in gathering these shreds of evidence.

Michigan No-Fault Insurance and Compensations You Are Entitled To

In Michigan, every car owner must buy basic policies to purchase their license plates. In cases of auto accidents, the no-fault insurance pays for damage expenses, medical expenses, replacement services, and additional wage loss benefits. The no-fault law has three parts, which are the following:

  • Personal Injury Protection (PIP). This insurance protection will pay for all reasonable medical expenses with no maximum limit. Also, this pays for up to 85% of your income that you could have earned for up to three years if you haven’t been in an accident.
  • Property Protection Insurance (PPI). This insurance will pay for up to $1 million for the damages your car causes to other peoples’ properties, except for damages to vehicles not correctly parked.
  • Residual Liability Insurance. This partially protects the insured person from being sued brought about by accident.

Priority Rules of the No-Fault Insurance Policy

For pedestrian injuries, the No-Fault policy outlines a set of priority insurers who will cover for the accident. The obligation to pay the benefits, in order of decreasing priority, belong to the following insurance policies:

  • No-fault insurance policy of the injured pedestrian
  • No-fault insurance policy of the injured pedestrian’s spouse
  • No-fault insurance policy of an immediate relative of the injured pedestrian
  • No-fault insurance policy of the owner/registrant of the car involved in the accident
  • No-fault insurance company of the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident
  • The Michigan Assigned Claims Facility

Contact Our Pedestrian Accident Lawyers At The Clark Law Office

If you as a pedestrian happen to be injured in a vehicular accident, or if you injured someone accidentally while driving, you may be eligible for financial compensation stated above. Our skillful vehicle accident lawyers will guide you throughout your case, and help you claim your insurance. Contact us today at (517) 347-6900 or fill out our form, and let’s settle your pedestrian accident case as soon as we can.

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