Most accidents between motor vehicles and pedestrians occur in urban areas. Ordinary people near neighborhood streets don’t consider risks when they leave home and walk on a sidewalk to the corner store down the street. It’s impossible for them to predict when a driver might lose control of a vehicle, leave the street, jump a parkway and crash into them on the sidewalk.
A West Philly Example
One such crash occurred in August 2020 in West Philadelphia. Two women, ages 30 and 58 died, and a 14-year-old girl was seriously injured when they were hit by a 19-year-old female driver while walking on a city sidewalk. They were on their way to pick up carry-out food at about 9:30 p.m. The impact was so severe that the vehicle was lodged into the side of a vacant home. One of the victims was thrown across the street and through the front door of the residence. Her body came to rest in the living room.
Common Causes of Multiple Pedestrian Accidents
These types of crashes are almost always preventable. Aside from distracted driving, here are some other causes of multiple pedestrian accidents:
- Weather Conditions: Driving too fast for weather conditions can cause a driver to lose control of a vehicle and slide into pedestrians.
- Speeding: Excessive speed might not allow adequate time to react and slow down or come to a stop when pedestrians are present.
- Driving Under the Influence: Drivers who are intoxicated or under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs are far more likely to lose control of a motor vehicle.
- Drowsy Driving: Falling asleep behind the wheel is the cause of many single vehicle accidents. Vehicles leave the roadway, cross sidewalks and hit pedestrians.
Hit-and-Runs
Many pedestrian accidents with motor vehicles turn into hit-and-runs. That’s because pedestrians, simply can’t give immediate chase, especially after being hit and injured. Philadelphia police take about 40 hit-and-run reports every day. Some common reasons for hit-and-runs are the recent commission of a crime, driving without a license or insurance or outstanding warrants.
Uninsured Motorist Insurance Can Help
What most people don’t realize is that if they own a vehicle and have uninsured motorist insurance, they’re likely covered as pedestrians in the event of a hit-and-run accident that was caused by a careless and negligent driver. Even residents of their household who are blood relatives might be covered as pedestrians, bicyclists or skateboarders. Unfortunately, uninsured motorist insurance in Pennsylvania is optional. If you own a car and you don’t have uninsured motorist insurance, you’ll want to get as much of the coverage as possible. It might even help you if you’re injured through the fault of an underinsured motorist who doesn’t have policy limits that are high enough to cover your injuries and damages.
Contact a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Multiple pedestrian accidents get complicated quickly, especially in cases involving severe injuries or fatalities. Building a case and identifying the parties who might be liable for the injuries and damages suffered by victims are complicated endeavors. Contact us right away for a free consultation and case review if you were the pedestrian victim of a motor vehicle accident. We’ll listen to you carefully, and your questions will be answered too. Then, we’ll explain all of your legal options to you so that you can make an informed decision on how you wish to proceed. The sooner that you contact us, the sooner we might begin putting your case together for you.