Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Virginia Beach
Need a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Virginia Beach?
Preston, Wilson & Crandley, PLC is a respected personal injury firm, handling injuries resulting from pedestrian accidents and all manner of other accidents in Virginia Beach, VA and throughout Hampton Roads. Give us a call and put our experience and attention to detail to work for you.
Have You or a Loved One Been Hurt in a Pedestrian Accident?
Being struck by a vehicle as a pedestrian can cause catastrophic injuries, like head trauma, spinal damage, hip injuries, fractures, and more. You may be left with an arduous recovery and permanent disabilities. How will you pay for your medical care and support your family? The challenges seem overwhelming. We understand how traumatic and uncertain this time is. The dedicated pedestrian accident attorneys at Preston, Wilson & Crandley, PLC are here to lift this burden from your shoulders. Call today to book a no-obligation consultation with our Virginia Beach lawyers.
Catastrophic Injuries From Pedestrian Accidents
Because pedestrians have no protection against motor vehicles, the injuries suffered are often severe and life-altering. Some such injuries include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Being struck by a car or truck can violently shake and rotate the head, stretching or tearing neural pathways in the brain. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a disruption of normal cognitive function with long-term, if not permanent, consequences, such as:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating or paying attention
- Headaches, dizziness, and fatigue
- Slurred speech and confusion
- Personality changes like irritability or depression
- Disturbed sleep cycles and insomnia
The outward signs may not be noticeable for mild TBIs, but your mental clarity is diminished. Severe TBIs can impair speech and motor skills or lead to seizures, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The blunt force trauma of a pedestrian accident can fracture vertebrae, tear ligaments in the spinal column, and cause other injuries to the spine, the crucial bundle of nerves that control virtually all bodily functions below the injury location.
Below is a list of some severe forms of spinal injuries and the effects that such injuries have on the body:
- Partial paralysis may impair movement and sensation, but some function remains
- Complete paralysis results in loss of all function and feeling below the trauma site
- Loss of bowel and bladder control is common, requiring catheters and colostomy procedures
- Paraplegia causes impairment in both legs
- Quadriplegia causes paralysis in all four limbs
- Spinal cord injuries can also increase the risk of infection, blood clots, chronic pain, and a shortened life expectancy
Broken Bones
Fractures of the arms, knees, legs, hips, ribs, or other bones are common in vehicle collisions with pedestrians. While not all fractures lead to permanent damage, many require extensive treatment, including:
- Closed reduction to realign the broken bone without surgery, with a cast or splint providing stability during healing
- Open reduction using surgery for implants, plates, screws, or rods to set complex or severely displaced fractures
- Physical therapy to regain strength, balance, and range of motion after immobilization
Depending on age, overall health, and fracture severity, victims may never fully recover pre-accident mobility or functionality.
Internal Injuries
The impact of a vehicle on a pedestrian can damage internal organs like the liver, kidneys, and spleen; fracture ribs that can puncture the lungs; and/or cause rapid, uncontrolled internal bleeding. Signs and symptoms include:
- Severe abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Chest tightness and shortness of breath
- Low blood pressure, clammy skin, and weakness
- Bloody urine
Proving Liability of the Driver
While the law often favors pedestrians, particularly when the pedestrian is crossing an intersection in the crosswalk, the mere fact that a car strikes a pedestrian does not always mean that the pedestrian has a right to compensation from the driver. Our personal injury attorneys have the experience you need to analyze your case in its totality, including the issue of liability. In order to make a successful claim for compensation from a car-on-pedestrian accident, the first step is proving that the driver of the vehicle was negligent. Here are some of the more common negligent acts by drivers that led to injured pedestrians:
Speeding
High speeds dramatically reduce a driver’s ability to stop or swerve to avoid collisions, and the faster a car moves, the greater the force it transfers in a crash. As every driver knows, speeding makes an accident more likely and the injuries from an accident more severe, particularly when a pedestrian is involved.
Distracted Driving
When drivers divert attention from the road to activities like texting, eating, or adjusting music, they slow reaction times to potential hazards. When a pedestrian is involved, a distracted driver is not only a menace on the road, he or she is potentially deadly. As explained above, the injuries suffered by pedestrians are often severe, if not life-changing.
Drunk or Drugged Driving
Alcohol, marijuana, and other impairing substances can dramatically reduce driver coordination and reaction times, making drunk drivers extremely dangerous to pedestrians and everyone else on the road. In Virginia, a heavily intoxicated driver who causes an accident may be required to pay punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongful conduct of the drunk driver and serve as an example to others who might consider driving drunk. In contrast, compensatory damages are meant to compensate for the injuries suffered by the innocent victim of an accident. Here at Preston, Wilson & Crandley, PLC, we help people injured by the negligence of drunk drivers get the maximum recovery for their injury claims, including all compensatory and punitive damages they are entitled to.
Aggressive Driving
Weaving through traffic, following too closely, speeding up to “beat” lights, and other reckless behaviors are particularly dangerous when pedestrians are present. Aggressive driving is the cause of many accidents, but as with all manner of automobile accidents, the stakes are higher when a pedestrian is involved.
Failure to Maintain a Proper Lookout
Drivers are responsible for maintaining a proper lookout, which means they have a duty to see what is clearly there to be seen. That means that a driver has the duty to look in all directions for vehicles and persons, to see what a reasonable person would see, and to react as a reasonable person would to avoid a collision. Pedestrians often go unnoticed by careless drivers, particularly in poorly lit areas, and the consequences can be catastrophic.
Your Right to Compensation
In Virginia, pedestrians injured due to the negligence of the driver of an automobile have the right to compensation. Below is a discussion of some of the things injured pedestrians can seek recovery for.
Medical Expenses
- Ambulance transport
- ER treatment
- Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
- Diagnostic scans like X-rays and MRIs
- Orthopedic procedures and implants
- Prescription drugs
- Mobility equipment like wheelchairs
- At-home nursing care
- Physical, speech, and occupational therapy
Lost Income
Few pedestrians can immediately return to work while recovering, resulting in lost earnings. A pedestrian injured by a negligent driver has a right to seek compensation for lost income incurred as a result of the accident.
Pain and Suffering
No dollar amount can undo the trauma and disruption resulting from a pedestrian accident, but “pain and suffering” damages attempt to compensate for profound life changes like:
- Physical pain
- Emotional anguish
- Depression and mood changes
- Loss of enjoyment and quality of life
- Grief, anxiety, and stress
- Loss of ability to perform ordinary activities
Wrongful Death
When negligent drivers take an innocent life, the emotional devastation spreads through entire families. While no amount of money can replace this loss, financial recovery can help the victim’s loved ones move forward.
If your family member was killed in a pedestrian crash, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of income
- Loss of companionship
- Your grief and bereavement
No Upfront Fees
At Preston, Wilson & Crandley, PLC, we believe pedestrians facing devastating injuries through no fault of their own deserve strong advocates in their corner. This is why we handle pedestrian injury cases on a contingent fee basis. This means we only get paid if you receive compensation.
Get Help From an Experienced Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation. Here are Preston, Wilson & Crandley, PLC, our attorneys have the experience to put you in the best position to receive maximum compensation if you have been injured in a pedestrian accident.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“Throughout the case, John always kept us up to date by letter or phone. He told us exactly where we were and what could and could not be done. He doesn’t build it up. John is a top-notch personal injury lawyer who I have recommended to friends and would recommend to anyone needing a great lawyer.”
“I needed a lawyer for a personal injury case. After I did a lot of internet research, my wife’s lawyer suggested John Crandley Jr. from Preston, Wilson & Crandley. I read through their website and liked their style, so I called John.John’s best two qualities are that he’s direct and knows his craft inside out.”
“The law firm of Preston, Wilson & Crandley handled my case very well. Very professional. I’m very pleased with their service. Anytime I needed to reach them, they were either there for me or called me back immediately. Anytime I needed to know something, they explained it to me very thoroughly, very detailed so that I had a better understanding of it.”
“I was very pleased with the way Preston, Wilson & Crandley handled my case. Their services were excellent from beginning to end — answering all of my questions, helping me through concern and stress, and handling my case correctly. I would absolutely use them again if needed.”