Pedestrians face risks with each walk. Whether this is your primary form of transportation or just a way that you choose to get around every now and then, you have to ensure safety is a priority.
Unfortunately, there is a chance that you will still be involved in an accident because there isn’t any guarantee that drivers are going to watch for pedestrians.
There are many different impacts that pedestrian crashes can have on the victims. People may not realize it, but these victims are likely going to need extensive medical care. Often, this involves a lengthy stay in the hospital.
Vehicle speed matters
The speed of the vehicle at the time of the crash has a direct impact on the severity of the injuries the victim suffers. While you might think that slow speed crashes aren’t that serious, they can lead to severe injuries. You must remember that a pedestrian accident puts the fragile human body up against a vehicle that is made with crash safety in mind.
Besides the speed of the vehicle, the location and direction of impact also matter. A low-speed crash that causes a direct hit to the pedestrian’s abdomen can cause internal bleeding and organ damage that leads to a life-threatening situation. A lifted pickup truck or a large delivery vehicle may strike a person in the chest, which could result in a fatality.
Other factors that affect pedestrian injuries
The impact of the vehicle is only one of the factors that affects pedestrian injuries. Some might stem from the person hitting the ground. When they are knocked down, the head can slam into the surface. This sometimes leads to a traumatic brain injury. There is also a chance that they will fall on their back, which may injure the spinal cord.
A victim’s age and size also affect what a person has to deal with after being hit by a car. Senior citizens usually have more brittle bones, which makes broken bones probable. Children are smaller and will likely have more severe injuries from impacts that wouldn’t hurt a healthy adult as much.
The aftermath
With the lengthy hospital stays and intensive medical care necessary after a pedestrian accident, the victims are often left with costly medical bills. Since they are probably unable to work during their period of recovery, the financial situation may become dire. They might choose to turn to the civil court system to seek compensation from the driver who hit them.
