Negligence and Pedestrian Accident Cases

A pedestrian accident case depends on the behavior of everyone involved. The legal term is called negligence, which means a lack of reasonable care. A person can be negligent without committing a crime. They can even be negligent if they’re not clearly breaking a traffic law. You look at the actions of each party to determine who acted without reasonable care. The standard is based on how reasonable people should have behaved in the same situation.

If you’re a pedestrian and a driver hits you because they’re negligent, you may deserve financial compensation. Here are some of the ways that a driver may negligently injured a pedestrian:

• Entering a pedestrian crosswalk when you have the right of way in the crosswalk
• Traveling too fast and hitting a pedestrian
• Failing to notice a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk or side of the road
• Waving a pedestrian into traffic even though they don’t have the right of way
• Trying to make a right turn when there is a pedestrian in a crosswalk
• Road rage and aggressive driving
• An unsecured load that breaks free and injures the pedestrian
• Hitting a pedestrian who is boarding or disembarking from the bus

An evaluation of negligence is an individual determination. The legal standard looks specifically at the actions of each person involved. One person may be negligent, but negligence can also be shared among multiple parties.

The best way to understand your legal rights and options is to speak with an experienced Colorado pedestrian accident attorney. We can study the details of your case and offer you a personalized opinion. When you understand how the law applies to the facts, you can make smart decisions about pursuing compensation.

RELATED: Comparative Negligence vs. Contributory Negligence