Sherman Oaks is a bustling neighborhood that can get even busier when the traffic of greater Los Angeles mixes in. It’s dangerous enough on the 405 and Ventura Boulevard in an SUV, but try being on foot at rush hour.

The crosswalks and greenways are meant to give a pedestrian safe passage throughout Sherman Oaks.  But we all become pedestrians when we drive somewhere and then get out of our cars. It can leave us vulnerable to that notorious Southern California traffic.

Pedestrian Dangers Around Sherman Oaks

ABC7 TV reported on the issues in greater Los Angeles.  They found Sherman Oaks saw 41 pedestrian accidents in 2019.  Luckily, no cases ended in a fatality.

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Of course, with just stretchy clothes and skin and bone as protection, we know how vulnerable joggers and walkers are in an encounter with a vehicle.  An accident caused by a careless driver can land you or a loved one in the hospital for a potentially long stay. You may be left to wonder how to hold the at-fault driver responsible for your recovery.

Adult Pedestrian Impacts

As you’d imagine the impact points and injuries differ between adult victims and child victims.  An adult is taller, of course, and research shows the strike will usually come as a collision between the lower leg and the bumper of the car.

An adult victim’s thigh will then take a hit from the hood of the car. This hit rotates the body and the next impact is often to the head, neck, and shoulders.  Speed is now the determining factor.  If it’s a slower speed accident, the victim may remain on the hood or fall off the side. Higher speeds may send the victim up and over the roof.

Common Injuries for Adult Pedestrians

Most injuries arising from these vehicle and ground impacts in adults are trauma to the head, legs and pelvis.  Musculoskeletal injuries were most commonly reported, making up over 40% of injuries suffered. Head and neck trauma accounted for nearly 27% of the injuries.

In these devastating incidents, every part of the body is at risk for injury. Here is a partial list of the trauma experienced by victims.

  • Musculoskeletal Injuries (involving muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, and cartilage in limbs, neck, and lower back)
  • Head and Neck Injuries (including traumatic brain injuries)
  • Spinal Cord Injuries
  • Internal Bleeding (Can include a brain hemorrhage)
  • Upper Tibia or Shin Bone Fractures
  • Pelvis Fracture
  • Knee Damage

Children in Pedestrian Accidents

A child’s small body is particularly at risk for pedestrian collisions.  They can be tiny, hard to see, and unpredictable.  If children aren’t being monitored they can quickly dart in front of a car.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that 18% of child fatalities in 2018 were the result of pedestrian accidents.

Children are smaller than an adult and have a lower center of gravity.  An impact with the front of a vehicle can push them outward and sometimes lead to them being run over or left under a car. Many of the most deadly incidents are the result of tragic “Back-Over Accidents.”  Children go unnoticed right outside their own homes or in parking lots and get backed into.

Contact a Sherman Oaks Pedestrian Injury Attorney

A victim in a pedestrian accident should demand compensation for damages such as hospital bills, lost wages from missing work, future rehabilitation, and mental anguish.  Your goal as a victim should be to get back on your feet again.  With an attorney on your side, you can let the insurance company for the at-fault driver worry about paying for your recovery.

The best thing to do when you or a loved one are injured as a pedestrian in a collision with an automobile is to talk to a Sherman Oaks Pedestrian Injury Attorney who understands the law and has experience getting injured victims the compensation they deserve.

Call the Law Firm of Steers & Associates at (818) 851-1911 or click here to contact us online. We have attorneys with years of experience dealing with every type of personal injury, and we get results against the insurance companies and their highly-paid lawyers. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation to learn about your legal options.

 

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