Mississippi Pedestrian Accident Attorneys

Every year, between 4,000 and 6,000 pedestrians are killed in collisions on U.S. roads, accounting for between 10 and 15 percent of all traffic accident deaths. In 2017 alone, 70,000 pedestrians were injured in the U.S. Pedestrian accidents have the potential to cause death and catastrophic injury to the pedestrian, even when they involve a car traveling at low speeds: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) has found that even cars traveling at less than 20 miles per hour can kill or seriously injure pedestrians. As speed increases, pedestrian accidents become exponentially more dangerous.

Mississippi Pedestrian Accidents can cause Serious Injuries

If you were injured by a vehicle while crossing the street, walking on the sidewalk or along the side of the road, you may have the right to make a financial recovery from the responsible party. The pedestrian accident lawyers at Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. can help you recover the damages to which you are entitled, so that you can recover physically, emotionally, and financially.

Who Is Most At Risk For Pedestrian Accidents In Mississippi

One of the worst things about pedestrian accidents is the fact that they tend to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable in society:

• Children between the ages of 5 and 9 are the most likely to be hit by cars; boys are at a higher risk than girls.
• Elderly people, while not significantly more likely to be hit by cars than other age groups, are the most likely to be killed or seriously injured in a pedestrian accident.

Pedestrian accidents in Mississippi include driver inattentiveness, speeding, failure to yield the right of way, failure to obey traffic signals, and failure to signal a left or right turn. Alcohol is a particularly frequent factor: about half of all pedestrian accidents involve either an intoxicated driver or an intoxicated pedestrian. Mississippi Pedestrian accidents can occur anywhere and anytime; however, there are times and locations known to be particularly dangerous: more pedestrian fatalities occur after dark, whatever the season, and most pedestrian accidents occur in urban areas, where there are higher concentrations of pedestrian traffic.

What To Do After a Pedestrian Accident

After a pedestrian accident, your first priority is your own safety. Get out of the road and to a safe place away from traffic. Call 911 and seek appropriate medical attention. If you are able, exchange information with the driver who hit you, including name, contact and insurance information. This is required by Mississippi law, and is also necessary if you wish to receive any damages for the accident. Unfortunately, some drivers do choose to flee the scene of an accident. If this happens, try to record a detailed description of the hit-and-run vehicle as possible, including make, model, color, license plates, a description of the person driving, and any damage caused to the vehicle by the collision. If you are in any condition to do so, then try to collect evidence at the scene of the accident, such as taking photos and talking to witnesses.

Don’t Become a Victim of the Insurance Companies

Insurance companies aren’t your friends. They’re in business to make money, and they do this by collecting more money than they pay out. It’s in an insurance company’s best interests to avoid paying out on your claim, and sometimes they may try to avoid paying your legitimate pedestrian accident injury claim. When they do pay, insurance companies try to low-ball you so they can keep more of their money for themselves. Things can get even more complicated if you’re injured in Mississippi.

Pedestrian Accident Damages

As with other types of accidents, the types of damages you may collect in a pedestrian accident lawsuit are:

• Economic damages, such as medical bills, damaged property, and lost wages;
• Non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering; and
• Punitive damages, which are sometimes awarded by a jury for no other purpose than to punish an especially egregious offender.

Of course, the actual damages which you are eligible to collect will vary significantly based on the precise nature of your case and the quality of legal representation which you have.

We Work For You

As a pedestrian accident victim, you have rights. If your accident was caused by another driver’s negligence, you have a right to recover your medical bills, lost wages and property damage from the accident. Don’t let the insurer pay less than your accident is worth. Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. is an experienced Mississippi pedestrian accident law firm, and they know how to deal with insurance companies. Let us represent your interests – call today for a free consultation.