It’s important to be aware of your surroundings when walking in Chester County, PA. Failing to do so can increase your chances of being harmed in a devastating pedestrian accident.

Unfortunately, even if you exercise caution, you could still be injured in a pedestrian accident if a motorist is careless. Contact a Chester County, PA pedestrian accident attorney at the Dan Doyle Law Group if this ever occurs. Our dedicated experts can help you pursue financial compensation for your medical bills and other such losses.

How Pedestrian Accidents Occur in Chester County, PA

The potential causes of pedestrian accidents in Chester County or anywhere else in Pennsylvania are wide-ranging. It’s often the case that negligent motorists put pedestrians in harm’s way. They may do so if they are:

  • Speeding;
  • Driving while intoxicated;
  • Driving while drowsy, which impairs a motorist’s ability to safely operate a vehicle in much the same way that alcohol or drugs can;
  • Driving without paying attention to the road, which is statistically causing more accidents in recent years due to increased smartphone ownership;
  • Not yielding the right of way;
  • Not coming to a full stop at stop signs.

It’s sometimes immediately clear that a motorist caused a pedestrian accident because they were negligent. For example, if there is video footage showing a driver struck a pedestrian because they didn’t stop and allow them to use a crosswalk when the victim had the right of way, it won’t be remarkably difficult for an attorney to show that a victim in these circumstances deserves to be compensated.

However, these cases can be more nuanced than that. Some insurers and liable parties use these complexities to make it more difficult for a victim to recover the compensation which they may be owed. For example, an insurer might suggest you were injured in a pedestrian accident because you were actually careless. If these accusations are false, proving so is a task your Chester County pedestrian accident lawyer can address.

Other Causes of Chester County Pedestrian Accidents

Usually a motorist or a negligent pedestrian is the party whose carelessness results in a pedestrian accident. However, there are exceptions.

For example, maybe a driver struck you while you were legally crossing the street. While this usually happens when a driver is negligent, it could happen if a driver was legitimately trying to avoid hitting you but was unable to do so because a vehicle defect they were unaware of prevented them from stopping or swerving out of the way in time. In this case, the designers or manufacturers of the vehicle might be responsible for compensating you.

Government agencies might also be responsible for causing such accidents. An example of this scenario is a government agency failing to fix a broken traffic signal, resulting in confusion on both the part of pedestrians and motorists in regard to who has the right of way.

Contact a Chester County Pedestrian Accident Attorney

At the Dan Doyle Law Group, our Chester County pedestrian accident lawyers are prepared to ensure the negligent parties who caused your accident is properly identified. This is just one of the many ways we can help you pursue the compensation you may be eligible for. Learn more about your options by calling us at 215-987-3730 or contacting us online to schedule your free consultation.