Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Charlotte, NC

Charlotte Pedestrian Injury Attorney Ensuring Justice for Pedestrians in Mecklenburg County, Wake County, Guilford County, and Throughout North Carolina

In a collision with any kind of motor vehicle, a pedestrian is completely vulnerable. Few victims of pedestrian accidents in North Carolina walk away unscathed, and many suffer life-changing or life-threatening injuries. For families going through this ordeal, Schehr Law PLLC’s pedestrian accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, is here to help. Our team will guide you through the legal process, handle all aspects of your claim, and pursue maximum compensation for your family. You just focus on getting better.

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Pedestrian Accident Injury Claims in Charlotte, NC

Every day in North Carolina, cars strike victims on foot, often changing their lives forever. Joggers, runners, and even people simply walking from their vehicles to their destinations are at risk of suffering severe harm. In Charlotte, pedestrian accidents are common at marked crosswalks and intersections, as well as in parking lots and parking garages.

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles reported 2,311 total pedestrian crashes in 2022, including 280 fatal crashes and 1,981 non-fatal injury crashes.

Nearly 98% of pedestrian crashes in 2022 led to reportable injuries, which means that the vast majority of victims incur at least some medical expenses. In many cases, the costs of care are significant, and the financial hardship is compounded by lost wages when injuries keep the victim out of work, temporarily or permanently.

Common Injuries Due to Pedestrian Accidents in North Carolina

The inherent vulnerability of victims on foot to the crushing forces of collisions with moving vehicles makes severe injuries likely. Schehr Law PLLC’s pedestrian accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, has extensive experience assisting pedestrians with serious and sometimes life-altering injuries in holding drivers accountable and securing full compensation.

Our team routinely handles claims involving injuries such as the following:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): A sudden blow or jolt to the head may cause damage to the brain that can potentially lead to cognitive issues, physical impairments, and other long-term complications. Pedestrians sustain TBIs not only when a vehicle strikes them in the head or knocks them down, causing them to hit their head, but also when the force of impact causes the brain to move inside the skull, even if no direct head impact occurs.
• Spinal cord injuries: Accidents that damage the spine are among the most serious, often leading to loss of mobility, function, and sensation. Depending on the location and extent of the injury, paralysis that results from spinal cord injuries may be partial or total and may affect only the lower limbs or all four limbs.
• Amputations and limb loss: In severe cases, the trauma from the accident may lead to the loss of a limb or other body part. During the collision, a body part may be partially or fully severed, and reattachment may not be possible. Injuries, such as crush injuries, may also damage a limb so severely that it necessitates surgical amputation. Limb loss in any form is often life-changing and may affect how you’re able to get around, work, and live independently, potentially for the rest of your life.
• Fractures and broken bones: The force of a collision can break bones anywhere in the pedestrian’s unprotected body. Broken bones in pedestrian crashes most commonly occur in the arms, legs, ribs, and pelvis.
• Internal injuries: The impact a car accident has on a pedestrian can cause internal bleeding or damage to internal organs. Internal injuries might not always be immediately apparent, but just because they aren’t visible doesn’t mean they aren’t serious. In fact, internal injuries can be life-threatening and require immediate medical care.
• Facial and dental injuries: With no protection, pedestrians are particularly at risk of suffering serious injuries to the face. These injuries include broken jaws, nose fractures, lost teeth, and facial disfigurement.
• Lacerations and abrasions: Cuts and scrapes are common among pedestrians struck by cars. Both the initial impact of the vehicle and subsequent injuries from being thrown or knocked to the ground can cause lacerations that may be serious enough to require medical care. Even cuts that seem minor can lead to significant blood loss or infections if not promptly treated and may result in permanent scars. Pedestrians may also suffer road rash injuries.
• Soft tissue injuries: Sprains, strains, and torn ligaments can occur when the body is thrown or twisted during an accident. These injuries aren’t always minor and can sometimes require extensive rehabilitation and even surgical repair.
• Emotional and psychological trauma: Beyond physical injuries, victims often experience emotional distress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or anxiety following an accident. Like physical injuries, the effects of emotional and psychological trauma can be managed with the intervention of appropriate healthcare professionals.

Anyone involved in a pedestrian accident in North Carolina should seek immediate medical attention, even if they believe themselves to be uninjured immediately after the crash. The symptoms of some injuries, even severe injuries, may not manifest until hours or even days later. Waiting to seek medical assistance can worsen the consequences of your injuries and weaken your claim for compensation.

Pedestrian Accidents and Fatal Injuries

The consequences of a pedestrian accident can be downright tragic. Many common accident injuries, if severe, can prove fatal. Grieving families should know that they may have the ability to hold the driver accountable for the deadly pedestrian accident through a wrongful death claim. This legal action can ensure the driver faces the consequences for their negligence while financially providing for the victim’s surviving family members.

Frequent Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in North Carolina

What makes pedestrian accidents so prevalent on NC roadways and in parking lots? Although both the pedestrian’s actions and the motorist’s conduct can contribute to these crashes, along with hazards related to their surroundings, drivers owe a particular duty to pedestrians in their vicinity. Pedestrians struck by cars can often hold the driver who hit them accountable.

A variety of factors and circumstances contribute to pedestrian accidents, making each collision unique. Examples of the causes of crashes our pedestrian accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, may be able to assist you with include the following.

Distracted Driving

Drivers who are focused on texting, talking on the phone, adjusting their radio, or engaging in other distractions might not notice pedestrians in time to stop. In some instances, a driver may be so distracted that they don’t even attempt to stop or swerve, hitting the pedestrian with full force. Just as drivers can be distracted, pedestrians who are texting or just not paying attention to their surroundings also contribute to accidents.

Failure to Yield

State law requires motorists to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and at intersections. However, in many cases, drivers do not yield the right of way to pedestrians at crosswalks, whether due to distraction, impatience, or simply neglecting to notice the pedestrian. Failing to yield to pedestrians can constitute negligence.

Speeding

Drivers traveling at high speeds have less time to react to pedestrians in crosswalks, potentially preventing them from braking in time to avoid an accident. When an accident does occur, high speeds generate a greater force of impact that is more likely to cause serious injuries to the pedestrian.

Driving Under the Influence

Alcohol or drugs can impair a driver’s ability to recognize and react to pedestrians. Even if a drunk driver is not over the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit of 0.08% and is not charged with DUI, a Charlotte pedestrian injury attorney can help you hold them accountable in a civil claim for compensation.

Ignoring Traffic Signals

Traffic signs and signals are essential for ensuring all forms of traffic move as safely and efficiently as possible in Charlotte. When drivers run red lights or stop signs, their unexpected conduct behind the wheel puts everyone around them in danger. Ignoring these traffic signals often leads to hitting pedestrians who are crossing the street with the right of way.

Poor Visibility

Pedestrian accidents are especially likely to happen during low-light conditions, such as at dawn, dusk, or nighttime, especially if pedestrians aren’t wearing reflective clothing. Poorly lit intersections and crosswalks are hazards that can contribute to serious collisions.

Weather Conditions

Rain, fog, snow, or icy conditions can reduce visibility and make roads slippery, increasing the chances of accidents. Although poor weather conditions can’t always be avoided, motorists have a responsibility to adjust their speed, following distance, and other conduct behind the wheel in response to the potential hazards that arise from dangerous weather conditions.

Poor Road Design and Lack of Pedestrian Infrastructure

Inadequate signage, poorly placed crosswalks, and roads lacking sidewalks, crosswalks, or pedestrian bridges can increase the risk of pedestrian accidents.

In some instances, it may be possible to name a company or government entity responsible for designing or maintaining the road, crosswalks, or infrastructure as a defendant in your claim for compensation. These cases are complicated and require the guidance of a skilled pedestrian accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC.

Injured Pedestrians’ Legal Right to Compensation in NC

If you’ve been injured as a pedestrian in an accident in North Carolina, understanding your legal rights is essential. Victims have the right to seek financial compensation for their damages, but to successfully recover a payout, they must establish that someone else’s negligence caused their accident.

Types of Financial Compensation for a Pedestrian Accident

Our seasoned pedestrian accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, can help you pursue various types of compensation, including:

• Medical expenses: Our team will seek compensation for all of your current and future medical bills that result from the accident, including doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and any necessary medical equipment.
• Rehabilitation costs: Serious injuries might require ongoing physical or occupational therapy. These costs can be part of your claim for compensation.
• Lost wages: If the injury has caused you to miss work or impaired your ability to earn a living in the future, you can receive compensation for lost income.
• Pain and suffering: Your losses don’t have to have a measurable cost associated with them to affect your life in significant ways. Pain and suffering is an example of your non-economic damages. You deserve compensation for the physical and emotional harm you experienced due to the accident.
• Emotional distress: Traumatic accidents can lead to psychological impacts like anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Victims may be compensated for the emotional and psychological toll of the accident.
• Loss of Consortium: A serious injury can adversely affect the relationship between the victim and their spouse. Damages for loss of consortium constitute compensation for this loss of spousal companionship.
• Permanent disability or disfigurement: If the accident results in a lasting physical change or disability, additional compensation might be warranted. A Charlotte pedestrian injury attorney at Schehr Law PLLC can fight to ensure your award reflects the permanent impact of your injuries.
• Wrongful death: In wrongful death claims arising out of pedestrian accidents, the victim’s family may pursue compensation for funeral expenses, loss of financial and non-financial support, and emotional suffering.
• Punitive damages: In rare cases in which the defendant’s actions were particularly reckless or malicious, a court may award punitive damages. The main purpose of awarding punitive damages is to punish the defendant and deter similar behavior in the future.

The compensation you can expect to recover through your claim is fact-specific, depending on the nature and extent of the losses you suffered as a result of the accident. Schehr Law PLLC’s experienced pedestrian accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, can provide guidance on the specific compensations you might be entitled to based on the unique details of your case and fight for the maximum payout you deserve.

How to File a Pedestrian Accident Claim

Filing a pedestrian accident claim involves several crucial steps to ensure victims receive the compensation they deserve. Although it may seem obvious that the driver is at fault for hitting you, you will need to establish their negligence through evidence.

Proving negligence is more than just a formality, especially for injured pedestrians in North Carolina. The state’s “contributory negligence” rule means that if you’re found even partially at fault for the accident, you might be barred from recovering any compensation. If the defendant’s insurance company can put even the smallest portion of fault for the accident on you, they may not have to pay you for your damages at all. It’s important to have a Charlotte pedestrian injury attorney fighting to protect you and your legal rights.

Your attorney will guide you through the claims process, negotiate with insurance companies, and ensure all necessary documentation is submitted within the required timeframes. At Schehr Law PLLC, our ultimate goal is to secure full compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and any other damages you’ve incurred due to the accident.

How Schehr Law PLLC Can Help

An experienced Charlotte pedestrian injury attorney at Schehr Law PLLC can assist you with claims arising out of all types of collisions. We have experience handling matters involving:

• Backing-up accidents: Drivers reversing in parking lots or driveways still have to be aware of their surroundings and yield to pedestrians when appropriate, but these motorists often fail to notice pedestrians behind them. Although reversing motorists tend to be moving more slowly, the impact of a crash can still cause serious injuries.
• Left-hand turn accidents: While cars proceeding straight can strike pedestrians, many collisions between vehicles and victims on foot occur when the motorist is turning. Drivers making left-hand turns at intersections may be more focused on oncoming traffic than on checking for pedestrians crossing the street.
• Right-hand turn accidents: A driver turning right, including making a right on red at a traffic light, may not pay adequate attention to pedestrians in the crosswalk, resulting in a collision.
• “Multiple threat” accidents: The more lanes of traffic a pedestrian must cross, the greater the risk of an accident. Just because a vehicle in one lane stops or yields the right of way to the pedestrian doesn’t mean those in other lanes will do so. The result may be that a pedestrian begins walking across a crosswalk only to get hit by a vehicle in another lane when that driver fails to stop.
• Dooring accidents: Pedestrians may also be at risk of careless drivers and vehicle occupants opening their doors directly into the victim. Although this impact is typically less severe than that of a collision with a moving car, it can still cause significant harm.
• Hit and run accidents: A driver involved in a collision is required to stay at the scene of the accident until first responders arrive and, generally, render reasonable assistance. By leaving you injured on the scene, the driver is not only breaking the law but putting your health at greater risk. Hit and run cases can be complicated, but the knowledge of a Charlotte pedestrian injury attorney can help you pursue the compensation you’re entitled to.

After any type of pedestrian accident, victims and their families often struggle under the weight of the medical bills and emotional trauma, uncertain about the path to justice and their rights in the wake of the hardships the accident has caused. The guidance of a pedestrian accident lawyer is indispensable.

Why Choose Schehr Law PLLC?

With an in-depth grasp of Charlotte’s local laws and a commendable history of advocating for accident victims, Schehr Law PLLC stands at the forefront of pedestrian accident injury representation in Charlotte, NC. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that your rights are protected and fighting for the compensation you rightfully deserve.

Meticulous Case Preparation Based on Individual Facts

Our approach to winning maximum compensation for injured pedestrians begins with a thorough review and investigation of the facts involved in your unique situation. This evidence is essential for making your claim a success.

Readiness for Trial

Schehr Law PLLC will always take the option of going to trial if the need arises. Although our team is often able to settle cases out of court through our strong negotiation skills, we won’t hesitate to fight for you in court. We prepare your case for the possibility of a trial from the beginning.

No Fee Guarantee

You need support and guidance right now, not another financial burden. Schehr Law PLLC assists the injured on a contingency basis, with a No Fee Guarantee that ensures all wounded pedestrians can afford legal assistance. We begin each case with a free initial consultation and represent injured clients at no upfront cost.

Contact a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Charlotte, NC, Today at Schehr Law PLLC for a Free Case Evaluation

Getting through the aftermath of a serious pedestrian accident, including the medical interventions, financial hardships, and demands of the claims process, is challenging. Having a trusted legal partner on your side throughout this difficult time can make all the difference.

For skilled, compassionate help from a pedestrian accident lawyer in Charlotte, NC, contact Schehr Law PLLC online or call us today.