Common Raleigh Pedestrian Accident Scenarios
There are a variety of different ways a pedestrian accident can occur in Raleigh. One of the most common Raleigh pedestrianĀ accident scenarios includes people walking on crosswalks. Often, drivers are distracted and do not see the pedestrians, or the pedestrians try to cross when it is not proper. Some of the factors unique to those situations are more likely to occur in a city. Pedestrian accidents involving cars backing up in Raleigh are fairly common, though they particularly were before backup cameras. Cars backing up into pedestrians are common in parking lots, at sporting events, gyms, restaurants, etc.
An experienced pedestrian accident lawyer can help you seek damages for any harm you may have suffered as a pedestrian on public or private property.
Public Parking Lot Accidents
Cars in a parking lot are not going at an extremely high rate of speed, so there would not be a really severe injury. If the person hit is a child or an elderly person, this can cause more severe injuries. Sometimes drivers go faster than they realize in parking lots, though, because they are focused on finding a parking spot or on their phones. Pedestrians can be distracted in parking lots by examining their bags, looking at their phone, or looking for their cars. This can also create a dangerous situation.
If there was an allegation that the parking lot was in some way negligently designed or maintained, the person may have a claim against the person driving the vehicle and the owner of the parking lot. That is unlikely, though. It is likely that the fact the accident took place in a parking lot would not really impact the personās claim against the driver who hit the person.
These accidents are pretty common. In Raleigh, cars are often pulling out on maybe a four-lane road or a thoroughfare with a speed limit of 35 or 45 miles an hour. Since the driver is typically most concerned about oncoming traffic, they might pull out very quickly to beat any cars that are coming or to get out ahead of the traffic. If there is a pedestrian there and the cars are not paying attention, they can be right in the line of fire.
Accidents on Streets with No Sidewalks
Accidents on streets without sidewalks are unfortunately very common Raleigh pedestrian accident scenarios. More occur outside of the city center, but where you have a two-lane road and no sidewalk. What we see often are folks trying to make it to the bus stop, and there is no way to get from the bus stop to where they need to go that involves sidewalks.
Pedestrians should do their best to wear light-colored clothing and walk facing traffic so they can see any hazards that may be coming. Those types of wrecks are unfortunately more common than about anything else we see because a slight inattention or a slight move out of the middle of the lane, and the car may hit the pedestrian.
Pedestrians and Intersections
If a driver gets a stop sign and there is not a crosswalk, a pedestrian needs to defer to the vehicle. If they try to go ahead and cross, the vehicle may hit them. It is important to be aware of the surroundings at a stop sign. If a car is turning right on red, the pedestrian has the right of way on the crosswalks. If the car is not paying attention and they are just trying to get out, they may be responsible if they hit a pedestrian in the crosswalk because the pedestrian has the right of way.
If there is a steady green light and a car is trying to turn left, that means that the pedestrian probably does not have the right of way. When turning left in front of oncoming traffic, the person is often in a rush to make the light, and so they might accelerate. Common Raleigh pedestrian accident scenarios happen when the driver is not paying attention, they could run into a pedestrian who is lawfully in the crosswalk.
Role of Public Transportation
If a pedestrian is hit by a school bus, then the person is going to have a claim depending on who operates the bus, either against the state of North Carolina if it is a public school bus or against the entity that operates and runs the school buses. Common Raleigh pedestrian accident scenarios involving a charter bus accident lead to a claim against the company that runs the charter buses. It will typically be a claim against the city of Raleigh if it is public transportation.
If a person is a pedestrian at a public bus stop, they have a duty to keep a reasonable lookout. They need to be out of loading zones, out of places where buses may be coming in. Other vehicles passing by the bus stop may not be paying attention or may be weaving around traffic.
