Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Springfield, IL
Were You Hit by a Car in Illinois? Call Our Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Springfield, Illinois for Help Today
One of the most traumatic causes of personal injuries is being hit by a car. Also known as a pedestrian knockdown, any time a person is hit by a car it is often devastating or catastrophic. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 7,000 pedestrian fatalities each year in the United States. In considering other traffic fatalities, the same statistics reveal that pedestrian deaths account for nearly one out of every six traffic fatalities. Part of this is because pedestrians have no protection from an impact, not even a helmet like a bicyclist or a motorcycle rider. Unfortunately, the pedestrian accident lawyers in Springfield, Illinois at the Noll Law Office know that this often means that pedestrians suffer permanent, disabling, and sometimes fatal injuries.
What is troubling is that, according to Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the number of pedestrian fatalities has increased by nearly 5% in recent years. Right here in Illinois the first half of last year saw almost 100 fatalities. Other statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reveal that, out of 3,311 pedestrian accidents, there were reported injuries to 3,031 of those victims – almost 92%. This is consistent with other statistics from the CDC, which reveal that there are roughly 104,000 emergency department visits in the United States each year for pedestrians who were hit by a car.
If you or a loved one were hit by a car in Illinois, call the experienced pedestrian accident lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office. They offer dedicated service for victims and their families, working in-house right in your community on your case – not farming cases out across Illinois to a young associate. They also offer FREE consultations and case evaluations, with no obligation to sign up until they recover compensation for you and your family. To learn more about your rights, call the Noll Law Office today at (217) 414-8889.
Common Causes of a Pedestrian Accident in Illinois
There are many different causes of a pedestrian accident or a pedestrian knockdown in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the overwhelming number of pedestrians hit by vehicles occur in urban areas. Collisions involving pedestrians only accounted for approximately 1.3% of collisions in the 2020 Crash Facts and Statistics manual but totaled a little over 15% of fatalities for that year.
Distracted drivers account for a portion of pedestrian accidents. Drivers who are making left-hand turns are focused on whether there is oncoming traffic so they often forget to look for pedestrians. Distracted drivers may be looking at their phones, eating, or otherwise engaging in an activity that prevents them from seeing a pedestrian.
Other common causes of pedestrian accidents include:
- Poorly marked crosswalks that drivers don’t see
- Drunk drivers
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Drugged driving
- Rolling stops
- Inexperienced drivers
- The failure of drivers to slow down in school zones
- Illegal U-turns
- Reckless driving or aggressive driving
- Failure to yield
- Running a red light or a stop sign, and
- Many other common causes that the pedestrian accident lawyer in Springfield from the Noll Law Office can help you recover compensation for in Illinois.
Common Injuries After Being Hit by a Car in Illinois
Pedestrian accidents are likely to be very severe, particularly when the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed. Anytime a pedestrian suffers any injuries after being hit by a car, a pedestrian accident lawyer in Springfield should be called for a case evaluation. This includes any type of injury that a pedestrian may suffer.
Some of the most common injuries from a pedestrian knockdown or from being hit by a car in Springfield include the following:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Internal organ injuries
- Spinal cord injuries including paralysis like paraplegia or quadriplegia
- Amputations or loss of a limb
- Shoulder injuries
- Neck injuries and back injuries, including a slipped disc, herniation, or annular tear
- Knee injuries
- Dislocations or separations
- Need for surgery
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries such as a concussion
- Cuts and lacerations that lead to disfigurement
- Wrongful death, and
- Any other injuries caused by being hit by a car in Illinois that the experienced pedestrian accident lawyer in Springfield at the Noll Law Office can review and handle for you and your family.
Swift medical evaluation is necessary after a pedestrian is struck because some severe injuries are not readily observable following the crash. Radiological imaging is usually necessary to rule out the most severe injuries, and, if all goes well and no severe injuries exist, primary care follow-up for more minor soft-tissue injuries is usually necessary. The damage to muscles and ligaments after being struck by a vehicle is often extensive, requiring physical therapy to strengthen the body parts and return the original range of motion to the injured victim. Some soft tissue injuries, in particular those in the knee and shoulder area, do not heal well following injury and typically require surgical interventions to re-attach or repair the tearing.
What Should I Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Illinois?
You should immediately call 911 following a collision so that an ambulance and police officers are dispatched to your location. Seeking immediate medical treatment is crucial for pedestrians struck by vehicles to ensure that organ damage, hemorrhage, spinal cord injuries, and other catastrophic injuries are quickly ruled out, or alternatively treated as swiftly as possible, to avoid life-threatening complications.
Following medical treatment, you should contact a pedestrian accident lawyer to file a claim for insurance coverage with the company covering the vehicle that hit you. You will want to gather any photographs, medical records, police investigative reports, and other information that you have, and provide it to your attorneys at the Noll Law Office. The information will be used as evidence as the case proceeds. Given that a single trip to the emergency room can now easily total more than $10,000.00, legal representation is often necessary to avoid a severe negative impact on your finances.
Illinois Laws Associated with Pedestrian Accidents
The Illinois Legislature has passed several statutes pertaining to pedestrians and the vehicle code. Generally, pedestrians have the right of way at marked and unmarked intersection crosswalks. If a pedestrian is crossing a roadway at any point other than within a crosswalk, the pedestrian must yield the right-of-way to vehicles. Drivers must also yield to pedestrians in the following circumstances:
- When the driver is making a turn at an intersection
- After coming to a complete stop, the driver is making a lawful right-hand turn at a red light
- At a flashing red intersection signal after the driver comes to a complete stop
- When a pedestrian enters a crosswalk before the traffic light changes
- As a pedestrian enters or leaves a street or highway from a driveway, private road, building, or alley
- In parking lots, and
- In other situations to avoid a collision with a pedestrian.
In addition to these statutory requirements, the common law (or judge-made law) requires motorists to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances in operating a motor vehicle. That means preventing unnecessary harm to another person like a pedestrian – whether or not there is a specific statutory law that applies. Thus, anytime a pedestrian hit by a car in Illinois suffers any type of injury, he or she should contact the Noll Law Office to speak with an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer in Springfield about their case.
How is Fault Determined in a Pedestrian Accident in Springfield
A police report may help determine fault in pedestrian accidents. The insurance companies may conduct independent investigations to determine fault, while your attorney can conduct an inquiry on your behalf. If necessary, the lawyers at the Noll Law Office may obtain the services of a private investigator, attempt to locate video footage of the accident or hire accident reconstruction specialists while investigating your claim.
You may wonder what your claim is worth. Your attorney will calculate your losses, including your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, scarring, and other damages on your behalf. With your approval, the Noll Law Office will submit a demand asking the insurance company to pay those damages. Negotiations then typically commence.
If the insurance company refuses to pay what your claim is worth, the attorneys at the Noll Law Office will typically file a lawsuit, or in some limited cases, arbitration proceedings. Discovery commences, which is just the fancy legal word for compiling evidence such as photographs, police reports, witness depositions, physician depositions, and other information that will be used at trial.
During the trial, your attorney will present your case to the judge or jury. The insurance company, through defense attorneys, will attempt to shift blame and deny your injuries were caused by the collision. If a judge or jury decides in your favor, they will then determine what damages you are entitled to receive. The litigation process is extremely complex, but ultimately, it is usually the judge or jury who determines fault in these proceedings, although the matter may be taken up on appeal. If you have questions about this process, you should contact the Noll Law Office today.
How a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Springfield from Noll Law Office Will Help
If you’ve been injured as a pedestrian, the Noll Law Office can help you make sense of the complicated claims process. The local, central Illinois attorneys are experienced litigators who are well-versed in providing compassionate counseling, and aggressive advocacy. You will meet with a seasoned attorney from day one.
The Noll Law Office encourages you to talk to many law firms in picking out an outstanding attorney. However, if any single firm promises you specific results, you should run screaming in the other direction. Every case should be specifically tailored to the needs of the individual client. Every case, therefore, will have slightly different outcomes, with different strengths and weaknesses that any competent attorney will be happy to explain to you. The Noll Law Office attorneys encourage you to ask complicated legal questions during your initial evaluation of your choice of attorneys and to double-check the physical location of the attorney who will be representing you. Ask how many bodily injury cases that attorney handles, per year. Ask the attorney if he or she has tried any cases recently.
Then come to see the Noll Law Office. If you believe honest communication combined with hard work, local availability, and years of litigation experience leads to successful outcomes, contact the Noll Law Office today for a free consultation. The pedestrian accident lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office will be happy to meet with you to determine if the firm is the right company for you. Located directly across the street from the Sangamon County Courthouse, its attorneys have been helping central Illinois families for years. Let the Noll Law Office fight for you. Call today.
Case Illustration How the Noll Law Office Can Help You
Pedestrian accidents often leave pedestrians severely injured because they have virtually no protection against the weight of the vehicle that strikes them. Simply put, pedestrians hit by vehicles have a high incidence of catastrophic injury and death. Small children and the elderly are disproportionately victims of pedestrian accidents. Consider the following case illustration:
Jessie, an elderly woman, is crossing a street in Springfield, Illinois. Her mobility limitations force her to walk slowly. She is almost to the other side when the light changes to green, and the driver of an SUV strikes her. The driver had been playing on a phone and had not noticed her completing the last few feet through the intersection before accelerating abruptly. Even though the SUV driver had a green light, drivers have a responsibility to use reasonable care on the roadways. After the ambulance transfers Jessie to a nearby hospital and assesses a hip fracture, Jessie’s family members contact an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer to protect Jessie’s interests, and request insurance coverage for Jessie’s upcoming surgical bills.
If you need an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer in Springfield like those at the Noll Law Office, call to schedule your free consultation to learn more about your rights to compensation in Illinois.