San Bernardino Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Pedestrian Accident Injury Attorney in San Bernardino, California

Walking in San Bernardino is an everyday activity in the daily life of many residents. Many often occupy public walkways, streets, and sidewalks to travel locally and enjoy the weather. Understandably, roads and streets can become reasonably busy with pedestrians and motorists awaiting their right to proceed. If a moving vehicle or object comes into contact with a pedestrian standing on a sidewalk or while crossing the street, the effects are typically severe and sometimes fatal. 

Negligent drivers contribute to serious accidents that leave pedestrians severely injured. In 2018, 893 pedestrians were killed on California’s roadways, and more than 14,000 pedestrians were injured. When these accidents occur, it’s important for injured parties to understand their rights and how an attorney may help them recover the compensation they are eligible to receive. Setareh Law Firm has over fourteen years of experience fighting for clients. Our attorney Daniel Setareh is committed to helping injured clients take legal action against liable parties by filing an injury claim. 

Common Ways Pedestrian Accidents Occur 

San Bernardino is known for its beautiful scenery, national parks, museums, and other attractions within California. Many rely on transportation methods, such as walking, cycling, carpooling, driving, or public transportation. In a heavily populated state, there are risks and dangers that many pedestrians face when traveling on foot. One of these risks is being injured in a collision with negligent motorists. 

Common ways pedestrian accidents may occur in California include:

• A driver is distracted, whether by texting or other means 
• Drivers fail to yield to the right of way when making a turn 
• Speeding and reckless driving
• Making illegal U-turns, or other traffic violations 
• Accidents at intersections 
• Narrow shoulders or areas without sidewalks 
• Accidents involving Jay-walking 
• Accidents on shared paths or trails 
• Failing to yield to the right of way
• Failing to stop at a stop sign or red light 
• Low visibility on roads and streets 
• Striking a pedestrian while reversing 

Although various risks are associated with other transportation, being struck by a vehicle is severe and catastrophic. Depending on the circumstances and the impact an individual may endure, the injuries and damages one sustains can vary greatly. With the help of a resourceful legal team, many injured pedestrians have been eligible to recover total compensation for the grievous harm a negligent driver caused them. 

Typical Injuries Sustained From Pedestrian Accidents 

Varying circumstances can add to the severity of any collision, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated, disobeying stop signs and traffic lights, or other traffic violations. How a pedestrian was struck, how fast a car traveled, and the impact level matter. In any case, direct trauma to the body with force as strong as a moving vehicle may result in death for some victims. 

Common injuries sustained in a pedestrian accident include: 

• Muscle or ligament strains and damage 
• Injuries to the neck, face, and head 
• Traumatic brain injury 
• Concussions 
• Spinal cord damage 
• Cuts, lacerations, and bruising 
• Broken or fractured bones 
• Severe upper and lower extremity damage 
• Paralysis 
• Amputations 
• Traumatic organ damage 
• Internal bleeding 
• Fatal injuries

For those who survive these traumatic events, sustained injuries often require short- and long-term recovery periods. Some pedestrian accidents cause the individual struck by a car to break through the windshield, resulting in severe trauma. At times, immediate medical interventions do not compensate for the injuries a victim endures, and these fatal accidents leave families with sorrowful damage and loss. A skilled lawyer with years of practice in personal injury and pedestrian accident cases within the San Bernardino community may be able to help you file a claim. 

Determining Liability in a San Bernardino Pedestrian Accident 

If you are seriously injured after being struck by a car, you may wonder how liability is determined in these cases. Personal injury cases involving recovering monetary compensation may become complex because of insurance negotiation, proving liability, refuting any insurance tactics, and handling the legal proceedings for an injury claim. With the help of your attorney, you may obtain the legal resources that guide your claim successfully. 

Possible liable parties in a pedestrian accident include: 

• The motorist that struck a pedestrian 
• Other motorists involved in the accident 
• The pedestrian 
• Other parties in specific circumstances 

In California, the comparative negligence rule holds each party liable for an accident accountable. This means that multiple parties can share liability and may be proven negligent in any case, regardless of the level of injury and damage. Pedestrians are often not held liable for being struck by a car. However, in some cases where a pedestrian crosses the street illegally, disobeys the right of way, or fails to yield when necessary, they may share liability with motorists. 

Regardless, if you are injured due to another’s negligence, your attorney can fight for your rights and work to help ensure that you may recover your eligible compensation. 

What Kind of Compensation do I Recover in an Injury Claim?

When you file an injury claim, you may be eligible to receive different categories of damages and losses that you have endured because of a collision. The damages may vary significantly for pedestrian accidents since the impact is almost always severe in these cases. These are the types of damages that you be able to recover by filing a California personal injury claim:

• Current and future medical treatment expenses and costs for accident-related injuries 
• Costs of surgeries, life-saving interventions, and other medical-related costs 
• Rehabilitation and occupational therapy 
• Mental health therapy 
• Pain and suffering 
• Loss of wages, employment, and earning capacity 
• Loss of household contribution 
• Disability and disfigurement 
• Home health and at-home care services 
• Loss of companionship or consortium 
• Wrongful death 
• Punitive damages 

Traumatic and catastrophic events cause effects and results that don’t go away after a short hospital stay. These accidents and collisions affect an injured person’s mental, physical, emotional, and social aspects of life. Though we cannot reverse the accident, many find consolation and some ease with the help of the monetary compensation they are entitled to receive. Whether you have a long road to recovery or need the steps to get back on your feet and return to a state of normalcy, our attorneys can review your case and guide you honestly in filing a successful claim. 

Get Professional Legal Aid at Setareh Law Firm for a San Bernardino Pedestrian Accident Case 

At Setareh Law Firm, our experienced attorneys know the law and understand the challenges that injured clients face daily after an accident. Our team is eager and available to provide the legal resources and defense to aid them in their compensation recovery, and we can do so in either English or Spanish. If you are facing the challenges and hardships of enduring a pedestrian accident, don’t hesitate to get our knowledgeable attorney on your case. To schedule a free consultation, complete a contact form or call our office at (310) 659-1826.