Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
Personal injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “I was involved in a motor vehicle accident with injuries. Do I need a lawyer?”
A report states that early on April 6, 2016, a 52-year-old woman from Raleigh, was walking along I-40 in New Hanover County around 5:30 a.m. A vehicle traveling westbound struck her, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe Gillum had been involved in a prior accident, as a vehicle belonging to her was found in a ditch near the scene of the accident.
Another report indicates that a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on March 26, 2016. The incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night on Old U.S. Highway 70 and involved a number of people celebrating at a birthday party nearby. Allegedly, a prior confrontation involved both the driver and the victim, as well as several other party attendees. When the driver tried to flee, police report that he struck the victim, a woman in her 20s. Both the victim and the driver were transported to WakeMed Hospital, with the victim suffering from a broken leg. As a result of the collision, the driver has been charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Careless & Reckless Driving.
Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents like these happen all the time in North Carolina and across the country. Pedestrians are uniquely vulnerable to injury and death when they are struck by large motor vehicles. If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, reach out to a personal injury attorney in North Carolina right away.
Pedestrian Rights
Pedestrians clearly have the right to use public walkways, crosswalks, and other areas in a reasonable and responsible manner. In fact, North Carolina law guarantees pedestrians the right of way at all intersections and driveways. On roadways with no sidewalk, the North Carolina Department of Transportation urges pedestrians to walk facing traffic. Pedestrians should always remain vigilant and aware of oncoming traffic, even in situations in which pedestrians have a guaranteed right of way.
However, even when pedestrians obey traffic laws and exercise due caution, drivers can be unaware of a pedestrian’s presence. Both of the examples above indicate just how easy it is for a pedestrian to be injured or killed by a motor vehicle, even when a pedestrian is not at fault.
If you have been injured by a motor vehicle while walking on a street or highway, or even across a neighborhood driveway, you have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries. If you or a loved one has been the victim of this type of accident, you need a dedicated personal injury lawyer with experience in this type of case to help explain your rights and what course of action might be best for your circumstances. It is important that you ensure your rights are protected so that you and your loved ones do not suffer additional injury because of the carelessness of a motor vehicle operator.
Sadly, some pedestrian accidents result in fatalities. If you have lost a loved one to this type of accident, you may have the right to pursue compensation for the wrongful death of your loved one. An attorney experienced in wrongful death claims can help explain the process required by law so that you and your family can ensure that your rights, and those of your deceased loved one, are fully protected by the law.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed as a result of a careless motor vehicle operator, contact us today. A consultation with the attorneys of Arnold & Smith PLLC can help explain the complicated laws surrounding personal injuries and wrongful deaths in North Carolina. Serious injuries and the loss of loved ones cause a great deal of pain for victims, but there are ways to ensure that the law works to prevent additional suffering after an accident has occurred. Contact us today for a consultation, now taking cases throughout the Charlotte region with offices in Uptown Charlotte, Mooresville and our new location in Monroe, call us at 704-370-2828.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
Source:
https://wfncnews.com/19534/raleigh-woman-killed-while-walking-on-i-40-near-wilmington
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article228078989.html
https://www.arnoldsmithlaw.com/personal-injury.html
https://transportation.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/wt-ped-laws.pdf
https://www.arnoldsmithlaw.com/wrongful-death-claims.html
Image Credit:
https://www.freeimages.com/photo/zebra-pedestrian-crossing-1448039
See Our Related Video from our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ArnoldSmithPLLC/videos
See Our Related Blog Posts: