Shreveport Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
According to the most recent data in a national study reported by the Insurance Journal, Louisiana is the fourth most dangerous state in the country for pedestrians getting hit by drivers. According to the report, better crosswalks and sidewalks would make walking safer in the state, but pedestrian dangers everywhere have been increasing at an alarming rate over the past few years. It’s likely that the increase in distracted driving car accidents has disproportionately affected pedestrians, who are much less visible to distracted drivers paying attention to their phones instead of watching the road. Louisiana’s high rate of drunk driving car accidents also puts pedestrians at risk of serious injury or death from a drunk driver who fails to notice a pedestrian or take steps to avoid a collision.
At Rice & Kendig, our Shreveport pedestrian accident lawyers know the tremendous physical, financial and emotional toll that a personal injury or wrongful death takes on crash victims and their families. We’ve been helping auto accident victims and their families for over 40 years and have handled every type of car accident and injury claim, including brain injuries and spinal injuries suffered by motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian accident victims. No matter how complex the accident or how severe the injuries, Rice & Kendig fight to see that you get the best quality care and sufficient compensation to deal with your injuries and all the challenges put in your way by a negligent driver.
Pedestrians Have the Right-of-Way in Louisiana Crosswalks
Crosswalks are the safest place for pedestrians to cross the street. They are also the place where most pedestrian accidents tend to occur. Pedestrians are required to obey traffic signals and only cross with the light. However, when traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation, Louisiana law (RS 32:212) requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks. This includes pedestrians in crosswalks on the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling as well as pedestrians in crosswalks on the roadway the driver is turning onto.
Pedestrians, for their part, are forbidden to leave the curb and walk or run into the street when an oncoming vehicle is so close that the driver would not have time to yield. Also, pedestrians do not have the right-of-way to cross the street if there is a pedestrian tunnel or overhead pedestrian crossing available.
A particular danger to pedestrians occurs when a driver has stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross, and a car coming from behind tries to pass the stopped vehicle and hits the pedestrian. Drivers should think about the reason the car ahead has stopped and the possibility of a child or other pedestrian in the road before whipping around the stopped car. This maneuver is not only illegal at a marked crosswalk or unmarked crosswalk in an intersection, but such a driver would be liable to the accident victim or the victim’s family for any harm done, including personal injury or wrongful death damages.
Rice & Kendig Injury Lawyers Hold Negligent Drivers Accountable for Their Actions
While pedestrians should take care when crossing the street, it is the vehicle drivers who are more capable of causing or avoiding a crash. In all instances, a driver’s primary focus should be on safe driving and paying attention to the road, not talking or texting on the phone, arguing with passengers, messing with the radio, putting on makeup or driving when they are too tired or too emotional to drive safely. Drivers have pedestrians’ lives in their hands, and they can and should be held fully liable when their negligence leads to a catastrophic accident that could have been prevented. Rice & Kendig injury lawyers are committed to recovering a maximum amount of compensation to help injured pedestrians deal with the harm done to them, including their pain and suffering and the disruption to their lives and quality of life the driver’s recklessness or inattention has caused them.
Help for Pedestrian Accident Victims in Shreveport-Bossier City and North Louisiana
For help after a pedestrian accident in Shreveport-Bossier City or North Louisiana, call Rice & Kendig injury lawyers at 318-222-2772. We offer a free consultation, advance all costs of litigation, and only take a fee after we are successful in obtaining compensation on your behalf.
