Ridgeland, MS Pedestrian Accident Attorney
Skilled Pedestrian Accident Attorneys in Ridgeland, Mississippi
Injured Pedestrians
Our Ridgeland personal injury lawyers stand ready to help pedestrian injury clients and their families. Frequently, these types of incidents result in significant medical bills, lost wages, and mounting out-of-pocket expenses. It is not unusual for injured pedestrians to be hospitalized for weeks, if not longer.
Our Ridgeland, MS Pedestrian Accident Attorney, who has been helping Ridgeland injury victims for more than 15 years, understands the laws and rules of the road as they relate to pedestrians and the duties that drivers have to avoid such incidents. Our firm has recovered substantial compensation for pedestrian injury clients, and we are dedicated to fighting for your rights to a full recovery and maximum compensation for your case.
Understanding Pedestrian Accidents With A Ridgeland, MS Pedestrian Accident Attorney
Pedestrian accidents occur when a motor vehicle strikes a person walking, jogging, or standing. These incidents often happen when a pedestrian is crossing a crosswalk, or crossing the roadway at an intersection, or these can even happen in parking lots, including when inattentive motorists are backing from their spaces. These types of accidents can also happen in residential areas and neighborhoods or along any roadway where this is no designated pedestrian sidewalk.
Throughout the City of Ridgeland, the local government has provided numerous trails for jogging and walking. Many of these trails must cross over a portion of the roadway at some point, and there are designated crosswalks where pedestrians have the right of way. Even when not dealing with this type of situation, there are numerous instances where the pedestrian has the right-of-way as it relates to oncoming traffic. In neighborhoods and other areas where pedestrians are frequently present, including in many cases children, there are heightened requirements for a motorist to exercise reasonable care.
The law requires that drivers who are operating a vehicle where children are present essentially expect the unexpected, as the law recognizes that children’s behavior can be unpredictable. Whether it is chasing a ball out into the road, or simply crossing a street without looking both ways, when children are present, drivers must slow their speed and exercise the degree of caution that the situation calls for.
Statistics on Mississippi Pedestrian Accidents
The statistics regarding pedestrian accidents are eye-opening. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Mississippi has one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the whole country. There were over 80 pedestrian fatalities reported in the state in just the year 2023, alone. And, in fact, according to the NHTSA, Mississippi is one of the 10 worst states for pedestrian fatalities per capita. And due to the rise of distracted driving, it is not a surprise that, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), deaths from motor vehicles hitting pedestrians have increased by 83% since 2009. And of all deaths from car accidents, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2024 Fatality Analysis Reporting System found that pedestrian deaths accounted for 18% of such deaths.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Several factors contribute to drivers colliding with pedestrians, but some of those include:
- Distracted Driving: Motorists using mobile phones or other distractions, which can cause the driver to not recognize a pedestrian properly crossing the road, or can cause the motorist to veer from his or her lane of travel and strike a pedestrian
- Speeding: Higher speeds reduce reaction times, with injury severity increasing with every 5 mph.
- Failure to Yield: Drivers often fail to yield the right of way to pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections, whether in marked crosswalks or not.
- Impaired Driving: Alcohol and drug use impair a driver’s ability to see, react, and avoid pedestrians, including those who are walking along the shoulder of the roadway
- Illegal Parking: Vehicles parked in no-parking zones or blocking crosswalks can block a driver’s view, and negligence of both the parked vehicle and the oncoming driver can be a cause.
Mississippi Laws and Statutes on Pedestrian Safety
Mississippi has several laws and safeguards in place to protect pedestrians, including requiring drivers to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections; requiring that drivers slow in school zones and exercise heightened caution where children are present; and reducing speed limits in neighborhoods and other areas with high foot traffic.
Reach Out To Our Ridgeland, MS Pedestrian Accident Attorney
The Hamilton Law Firm has successfully recovered full and fair compensation for countless injured pedestrians over the years. Our experienced Ridgeland personal injury lawyers know the difficulties of proving negligence in these cases, which can oftentimes involve knowing not just the statutory law on pedestrian injuries but also the legal precedent as handed down by our state’s highest courts. In all instances, we work tirelessly to be certain that our clients receive maximum compensation for their injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident in
Ridgeland, contact our legal team today at (601) 974-5900, and let us help put you on the road to recovery.