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Two people walking across a marked crosswalk on a wide city street

Pedestrian accidents

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Walkers

If you were hit while walking, the person searching for help is often not you. It is a daughter or a husband in a hospital hallway. We talk to families as much as we talk to clients.

Tell us what happened What to do this week

What usually happens

Pedestrian crashes come in a few common shapes. A driver turns left or right and does not check the crosswalk. A driver backs out of a space in a parking lot. A driver rolls through a stop sign.

A person on foot has no protection at all. Injuries are often serious: broken legs and hips, head injuries, long hospital stays.

The insurer's first move is often to blame the walker. They say you were outside the crosswalk, wearing dark clothes or looking at your phone. We look at what the driver should have seen.

What the insurer says, and what we do

  • “She was not in the crosswalk.”

    Under Ohio law, most intersections have a crosswalk, painted or not. And drivers must still take care to avoid people crossing mid-block.

  • “He was wearing dark clothes at night.”

    We check street lighting, the driver's speed and headlights. A driver going the right speed with working lights can usually stop.

  • “She stepped right out.”

    Bus stop video, store cameras and the driver's own phone records often show a very different few seconds.

If you are calling for someone in the hospital

You can start a claim for a family member who cannot talk yet. Here is what helps most in the first days.

  • Keep a simple notebook

    Doctors' names, what they said, medicines and dates. It helps the medical care and the claim.

  • Do not speak for them to an insurer

    Adjusters may call the family early. Take a name and number, and say a lawyer will call back.

  • Save their things

    Clothes, shoes and phone may be evidence. Put them in a paper bag and keep it.

  • We come to you

    Thomas meets families at the hospital or at home, any day, so nobody has to leave a bedside to sign papers.

Checklist

What to do this week

  • Get the police report number. Pedestrian crashes almost always get a report.
  • Write down the exact spot: which corner, which lane, which store or bus stop was nearby.
  • List anyone who stopped to help. Witnesses scatter quickly.
  • Keep every hospital bill and discharge paper in one folder.

Who may pay

  • The driver's liability insurance The main source when a driver hit someone on foot.
  • Your own auto policy Uninsured or underinsured coverage can apply to you as a pedestrian, even though you were not in a car.
  • A household member's policy If you do not own a car, a relative you live with may have coverage.
  • A property owner, in some cases A badly lit lot or a hidden crossing can add another responsible party.

Questions we hear about pedestrian crashes

My mother was hit and cannot sign anything yet. Can we still start?

Yes. We can start gathering evidence right away. If she cannot sign for a while, we talk with the family about a power of attorney or other options.

I crossed against the signal. Do I have a case?

Maybe. Fault is shared in Ohio. If the driver was speeding or not paying attention, you may still recover, reduced by your share.

More answers on the questions page.

An example outcome

Example outcome Trial, reduced by shared fault
Pedestrian accidents

Hit while crossing mid-block at night

A man crossed mid-block, away from the corner, and was hit by a driver going over the limit. He broke his leg.

What happened: The case went to trial. The jury found the driver mostly at fault, but held the client 40 percent at fault for crossing where he did. His award was reduced by that share.

What we took from it Shared fault is real. We tell clients early how it may cut a recovery, so nobody is surprised.

These are invented examples for a sample website. They show the kinds of results a road injury firm might describe. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any other case. See all example outcomes.

Talk it through with Thomas

Thomas Rowe leads our pedestrian work. Start the free case evaluation with this crash type already picked, or call the intake line any hour.

Free case evaluation Next: Rideshare accidents

Call any hour. A lawyer calls you back.

Tell us what happened in five short steps, or call the intake line. A free case evaluation costs nothing, and you do not have to hire us afterwards.

Start a free case evaluation (614) 555-0163

No fee unless we recover money for you. Answered 24 hours a day, every day.

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