When a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle, the result is almost always catastrophic. If you’ve been hurt in a Seattle pedestrian accident, call our firm.

For pedestrians, there are few situations worse than strolling down a busy street and getting hit by a reckless motorist. Following a serious accident, you will likely find yourself inundated with a number of newfound concerns related to your physical and financial wellbeing, none of which can be easily resolved.

Fortunately, the state of Washington allows pedestrians who have been injured in an accident to recover compensation for their various injuries and losses. To begin your journey to a full recovery, contact a Seattle pedestrian accident lawyer at Craig Swapp & Associates today.

Pedestrian Responsibilities in Washington State

While drivers have certain laws they must follow on the road, so do pedestrians. Some legal responsibilities of Seattle pedestrians include the following:

  • Obeying all traffic signs and signals, unless directed otherwise by a traffic or law enforcement officer
  • Not leaving a curb and bolting into traffic
  • Using sidewalks when available; if not available, walking on the left side of the road or its shoulder facing traffic
  • Yielding to vehicles on the road when outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk

Violating any of these rules of the road may result in liability on your part in a collision, making it significantly more difficult to receive adequate compensation.

This is due to Washington state’s use of the standard of comparative negligence for apportioning liability in personal injury cases. Comparative negligence allows a pedestrian, should he or she be found at least somewhat at fault, to hold liability in an accident.

This imposition of liability may ultimately result in losing compensation in a civil trial. Typically, damages lost are proportional to an individual’s level of fault. Holding 40 percent liability would mean relinquishing 40 percent of a potential award amount.

Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries in Seattle

Seattle pedestrian accident victims may experience an assortment of injuries, many of which are serious or life-threatening in nature. These include the following:

  • Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
  • Spine injury
  • Face and eye damage
  • Limb loss
  • Neck and shoulder injuries
  • Cuts and lesions
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Broken or fractured bones
  • Organ damage
  • Internal bleeding

The most serious of accidents may result in a pedestrian passing away from his or her injuries, which could warrant a wrongful death suit.

How to Recover Compensation

Pedestrian accident victims in Seattle will want to examine all losses they have sustained, including medical expenses, lost wages and earning potential, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and diminished quality of life. Your lawyer will help you place an appropriate value on your claim for these damages.

You will be eligible to sue for not only injuries and losses incurred in the past and present, but any that may reasonably occur in the future.

Contact a Seattle Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Whether you’ve been hit at a crosswalk, on the sidewalk, or elsewhere, getting better should be your biggest priority. Without sufficient financial support, however, your prospects of receiving the quality of care you need to feel 100 percent again may feel grim.

To maximize your chances at adequate compensation, contact a Seattle pedestrian accident lawyer at Craig Swapp & Associates as soon as you can. Call us at 1-800-404-9000 or fill out the form below to get started.