Largest Reported NJ Personal Injury Settlement during the Court’s 2022-2023 term

New Jersey Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Urban areas of New Jersey have high volumes of pedestrian traffic including commuters, students, and tourists. The people who live and work in New Jersey often walk or use public transportation rather than driving. That increases the likelihood of pedestrians being seriously injured in collisions with cars and other motor vehicles. Drivers who cause pedestrian accidents due to disregarding traffic signals or other negligent driving should be held accountable for the harm they cause. A New Jersey pedestrian accident lawyer can assist those who have been injured by negligent drivers.

 

What to Do If You Have Been Injured in a New Jersey Pedestrian Accident

5 important steps to take if you have been hit by a car in New Jersey:

Report It

You should report the accident to the police and request an ambulance if you need emergency medical care. It is important to have a police report making an official record of the accident. You should not agree to any request from the at-fault driver to pay you in exchange for not reporting the accident to police.

Gather Info

You should obtain the name and insurance information of the motorist who hit you. If the driver is uncooperative, you can get the information from the police.

Gather Evidence

If you are able to do so, you should take photos of the accident scene including your injuries and damage to the vehicle.

Medical Evaluation

If you do not need emergency medical treatment, you should go to the doctor and have a physical evaluation. Tell the doctor that you were in a pedestrian accident. Some injuries may not be immediately apparent.

You should contact our experienced New Jersey pedestrian accident lawyers for a free case evaluation if you were hit by a car. A pedestrian accident attorney can review the circumstances of your accident and explain your legal options for obtaining compensation.

What Are Common Types of New Jersey Pedestrian Accidents?

Here are some common pedestrian accidents scenarios in New Jersey:

Speeding– Speeding is one of the most common causes of car accidents with pedestrians. While speeding can include drivers going above the legal speed limit, it can also include drivers who fail to use the proper caution during inclement weather or traffic conditions.

When a driver is going faster than the speed limit for the area and causes a car accident with a pedestrian, the pedestrian accident injuries are most likely much more severe, if not fatal. Even when a car travels with a relatively slow speed limit, its impact on a pedestrian can still be severe.

Crosswalks— Some pedestrian car accidents occur when a person is legally in a crosswalk because a motorist fails to look out for people on foot. Pedestrians have a responsibility to obey traffic signals and WALK signs when they are in operation at an intersection. When there are no traffic control signals, motorists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, if a pedestrian is in a crosswalk. Motorists often cause accidents by failing to slow down and look for pedestrians who may be crossing the road within a crosswalk and have the right of way. Pedestrians have a duty not to leave the curb suddenly and walk into the path of an oncoming car that is too close to stop.

Hard to See at Night— Drivers should remain alert for people crossing the road or walking beside the road at all times. But low visibility makes pedestrians especially hard for drivers to see. Pedestrians walking along the road or crossing intersections at night should wear reflective clothing and carry a flashlight to be as visible as possible. People on foot are at greater risk of being hit.

Inclement Weather— Pedestrian accidents are more common in bad weather when driver visibility is reduced. Drivers may be preoccupied with the hazardous driving conditions and not expecting to see people in the road. There are many reasons why the visibility of the driver or the pedestrian may be impaired. Weather conditions such as rain, snow, or fog are some of the most common causes of a driver’s visibility being limited. When visibility remains low for a driver, it requires a greater distance for the driver to see a pedestrian and stop. If a driver fails to drive in a safe and cautious manner, an accident with a pedestrian can occur, resulting in serious injuries and losses.

Manhole Covers Occasionally, manhole covers are not properly replaced after work has been completed by the city or other local entities. Additionally, explosions due to underground utilities have been known to injure nearby pedestrians.

Turning Vehicle—When a driver makes a left turn at an intersection where they have a green arrow, they have the right of way. However, drivers still have a responsibility to first check for pedestrians to ensure that everyone has finished crossing through the intersection safely. If a driver only has a green light (and not a green arrow), they have a legal responsibility to ensure that every pedestrian has safely traveled through the intersection before making their left turn.

Pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks that allow them the light to walk through. In many cases, a pedestrian in New Jersey or New York may also have the legal right of way even if the light does not indicate they have the right to walk through the crosswalk.

Some intersections allow a vehicle to make a right turn at a red light. However, a driver has the legal right to make a right turn at a red light only if it is safe to do so. A driver has a legal responsibility to ensure that all traffic moving in that direction has passed through the intersection, as well as ensure that all pedestrians have also made it through the intersection safely.

It is important to note that many areas in New Jersey and New York prohibit a driver from making a right turn on red due to the amount of foot traffic at those intersections and to avoid the risk of car accidents with pedestrians.

Drunk or Impaired Drivers—Drivers who are intoxicated are less likely to be alert for pedestrians in the road and may be speeding or driving erratically. Our attorneys are especially dedicated to helping victims of drunk drivers because one of our law partners, Steven Benvenisti, was critically injured as a college student in a pedestrian accident caused by a drunk driver. Today, he pursues justice for victims of pedestrian accidents and drunk driving accidents. We recognize that being hit by any vehicle while on foot can cause life-changing injuries that require months of medical care and rehabilitation.

Drugs, alcohol, and various medications are known to impair a driver’s ability to see clearly, as well as use appropriate judgment in dangerous situations. Even a small amount of prescription or illegal drugs or alcoholic beverages can impair a driver’s judgment, causing slower reaction times.

If a driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causes an accident involving a pedestrian, they may have the responsibility to compensate the pedestrian for all the injuries and losses suffered.

What Are Common Types of Injuries Our New Jersey Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Handle?

People on foot in New Jersey, whether they are walking, jogging, or just standing beside the road, are vulnerable to serious injuries in accidents caused by negligent drivers. Victims of New York or New Jersey pedestrian accidents who suffer serious physical or emotional injuries may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, lost income from missed work, and other accident-related losses.

The common types of injuries we often see in pedestrian accidents include:

Bone fractures

A pedestrian hit by car is likely to sustain broken bones in the legs and lower half of the body. Broken bones are among the most common injuries in pedestrian accidents.

View Next

Traumatic brain injury

Pedestrians who are struck by moving vehicles may sustain a severe head injury if their head collides with the hood or windshield of a moving vehicle, the road, or other hard surfaces. The accident victim may remain unconscious for a period of days or weeks after a serious TBI and require extensive rehabilitation.

View Next

Neck injuries

The violent movement of the head upon impact by a speeding vehicle can cause a whiplash injury or another type of traumatic neck injury.

View Next

Spine injury

The impact of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian can cause spinal fractures, ruptured disks or dislocation of vertebrae. A spinal injury may be extremely serious and require extensive rehabilitation and adaptation to a different life.

View Next

Soft tissue injuries

Many individuals who are involved in pedestrian accidents suffer soft tissue injuries such as cuts, lacerations, and muscle tears in addition to other injuries.

View Next

Emotional and psychological trauma

Being struck by a vehicle is a terrifying experience. Pedestrian accident victims may suffer emotional trauma as well as physical injuries from a pedestrian accident. Some survivors may have post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the accident.

View Next

New Jersey State Law Regarding Pedestrian Accidents

According to the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, drivers in New Jersey must stop for all motorists in a marked crosswalk. The failure to do so can result in points on their driver’s license, a $200 fine, 15 days of community service, and possible increased insurance surcharges.

If you experienced injuries or losses as a result of an accident with a driver as a pedestrian at a crosswalk in the states of New Jersey, you may have the right to receive compensation for your economic and non-economic losses.

Are you ready to discuss your case? Contact us now to set up a free consultation.

How A Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in New Jersey Can Help

Our experienced pedestrian accident attorneys in New Jersey can help you understand your legal rights and avoid being taken advantage of by insurance companies. You should never assume that you are at fault if you have been struck by a vehicle while crossing the street on foot.

The driver who hit you may have been speeding, driving distracted, trying to beat a red light, or simply not paying adequate attention. Many motorists are looking for other vehicles and are not watching out for people on foot.  Drivers have a legal duty to take reasonable precautions and pay attention to the road.

Some pedestrian accidents involve hit-and-run drivers who flee the accident scene. A pedestrian who is injured by a hit-and-run driver may make a claim against the uninsured motorist coverage of his or her own auto liability policy, if available.  The uninsured motorist coverage takes the place of the insurance the hit-and-run driver should have provided.

personal injury attorney with client

Our pedestrian accident lawyers at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. will do an investigation of the accident, talk to witnesses and move quickly to gather the evidence before it is lost such as security camera footage that shows how the accident occurred. Our New Jersey pedestrian accident lawyers from our experienced team will identify all parties who may be liable for your injuries and the insurance policies available to provide compensation. Drivers in New Jersey are required to have auto liability insurance to cover the damages they cause.

Based on our years of experience handling personal injury claims, our pedestrian accident law firm will develop an estimate of the full value of your claim and negotiate aggressively with the insurers for maximum compensation.

If you try to reach a settlement with an insurance adjuster on your own, you may make a statement or a misstep that the insurer will use against you to deny your claim. The insurer may make a low offer that is only a fraction of the true value of your claim. We will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and seek a full settlement.

Because many people who live in New Jersey suffer injuries in New York there is an overlap between the New Jersey laws affecting injured pedestrians. Shortly after an accident the injured pedestrian must contact their insurance carrier and may have different options as to the insurance company paying their medical bills. Skilled lawyers familiar with both New Jersey and New York No-Fault insurances have the necessary expertise to determine which election to make.

WARNING: You may be approached by an insurance company to try to shut down your claim by offering you money. Be careful don’t sign anything without talking to the right lawyer first. Real estate, criminal defense, bankruptcy, or divorce lawyers are the wrong people to talk to. You need to call an experienced and skilled personal injury lawyer for free advice. If you try to reach a settlement with an insurance adjuster on your own, you may make a statement or a misstep that the insurer will use against you to deny your claim. Assume that all conversations are being recorded to use against you. The insurer may make a low offer that is only a fraction of the true value of your claim. This conversation could just be a trap for them to get valuable admissions against you to make you think your claim has little or no value. Don’t be fooled. Be cautious. We are equipped to negotiate with the insurance companies to win a full settlement.

Contact Our Pedestrian Accident Attorneys

NY and NJ Pedestrian Accident Lawyers - Davis, Saperstein and SalomonIf you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident in New Jersey, you have only a limited amount of time from the date of the injury to file an injury claim. Evidence will be lost if you do not get an attorney on the case quickly. Contact Davis, Salomon & Saperstein, P.C. to speak with an experienced New Jersey pedestrian accident lawyer. We represent accident victims in New York and New Jersey. Our personal injury law firm does not charge attorney fees unless we are successful in obtaining money for you through an insurance settlement or jury award.

Making an appointment is quick and easy and all consultations can be virtually in person through Zoom, Facetime or Skype.  Do not stress about what to do.  Put yourself at ease by calling us and speaking to a knowledgeable and experienced New York pedestrian injury lawyer for an on the spot no obligation free consultation to learn about your rights.

We are not a referral service. Everything you tell us is strictly confidential and private. We are here to help you. We’re here for you. Contact our dedicated pedestrian accident attorneys today for a free consultation by calling1-800-LAW-2000 or using our online form.

Get Help Today

To learn more about your legal rights and options after an automobile accident, we encourage you to read the extensive car accident resources content on our law firm’s website as well as our book, The Consumer’s Guide to New Jersey Personal Injury Claims. The soft cover version of the book is free to all New Jersey residents who call our office for a copy. You can also download a copy for a minimal fee on Amazon.com.

Call Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., at 1-800-LAW-2000 or reach our law firm online today. Our law firm can provide a timely, free consultation about your accident case. You will pay no attorney fees unless our motor vehicle accident attorneys secure a financial recovery for you.