When pedestrians get hit by vehicles, the injuries are often serious. If you’re struck by a speeding driver after a game at Rocket Arena, you may have expensive medical bills and a long road to full recovery. If your child gets hit while walking home from school around Clark-Fulton or Ohio City, you deserve justice.
After a serious injury, you need pedestrian accident lawyers here in Cleveland who will hold reckless drivers accountable and seek maximum compensation for your recovery. The team at Tittle & Perlmuter will put in the work for you.
Our attorneys have proudly represented families throughout Northern Ohio for years, always striving to help the little guy and provide peace of mind. For a free consultation, contact our law firm today.
Where Pedestrian Accidents Often Happen Around Cleveland
Many pedestrian accidents happen in Cleveland and throughout Cuyahoga County each year. Here are some of the most dangerous places for pedestrians in our area.
- Busy Intersections in Cleveland: There are numerous intersections around Cleveland where multiple lanes and heavy traffic can cause serious injuries to pedestrians. These intersections include Euclid Avenue & East 9th Street, Detroit Avenue & West 117th Street, and Lorain Avenue & West 25th Street.
- Busy Roads in Cleveland: Certain arterial roads in Cleveland have a reputation for being high-crash areas that put pedestrians in danger. These major roadways include St. Clair Avenue, Kinsman Road, Superior Avenue, and Detroit Avenue.
- Busy Parts of the City: When there are a lot of people walking around certain neighborhoods or parts of the city, there’s an increased risk of pedestrian injuries. Common areas where these accidents occur include Downtown Cleveland, Ohio City, and Tremont.
- Risk of Accidents on Residential Streets: Even though major pedestrian accidents tend to occur in busy multi-lane roads in Cleveland, there are still dangers around residential streets and school zones in places like Lakewood or Shaker Heights.
Factors That Increase the Risk of Pedestrian Accidents
A Pedestrian collision can happen anywhere in the Cleveland area. That said, there are certain factors that increase the likelihood of these incidents.
- Street Crossings: Many pedestrian collisions occur while a person is crossing the road. When you are crossing the street, please be extremely careful. Whenever possible, avoid jaywalking and only cross at marked crosswalks.
- Walking During the Nighttime: More than half of all fatal pedestrian crashes in Ohio occur at night. This is a striking statistic because the vast majority of driving (and walking) is done during the day. Whenever visibility is impaired, pedestrians need to take additional safety precautions.
- Urban Streets/High-Traffic Areas: Unsurprisingly, urban areas with heavy traffic or multiple lanes are high-risk locations for pedestrian accidents in Cleveland. Do not assume that an oncoming driver will act in a safe manner. Stay alert and protect yourself.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Some of the most common causes of pedestrian collisions in Northeast Ohio include:
- Speeding and Reckless Driving: When drivers break the speed limit or drive aggressively, it puts pedestrians in danger.
- Drunk Driving/Intoxicated Drivers: OVI accidents involving pedestrians can cause severe injuries. Anyone who gets behind the wheel under the influence needs to be held accountable.
- Distracted Driving: Texting while driving, making a call without a hands-free kit, or eating behind the wheel could distract a driver and lead to a pedestrian injury.
- Brake or Vehicle Problems: Bad brakes, poor steering systems, or other flaws in a vehicle’s design or function could mean the difference between a pedestrian injury and a near miss.
- Poor Weather Conditions: Rain and snow could affect vehicle traction at intersections and crosswalks. Similarly, fog can result in poor visibility and a greater risk of accidents.
- Bad Road Conditions: Some roads may have damaged streetlights, malfunctioning traffic signals, or structures that obscure pedestrians from a motorist’s view.
Potential Injuries in a Pedestrian Accident
Pedestrians can be severely hurt if they’re struck by a car, often experiencing catastrophic injuries with long-term effects on their lives.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): Many pedestrians suffer severe concussions, brain contusions, or brain bleeds from being struck by a car.
- Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): Injuries to the spine can cause varying degrees of paralysis, including paraplegia and quadriplegia (tetraplegia).
- Broken Bones and Joints: The force of impact from a collision can cause broken ribs, compound fractures, and severe damage to various joints.
- Loss of Limbs: Some pedestrian accidents result in the loss of a limb at an accident site or the need for a limb to be amputated in the emergency room.
- Injuries to Internal Organs: The impact from a pedestrian collision can harm numerous internal organs, including the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs.
Special Care When These Accidents Affect Children
When pedestrian accidents occur around parks or schools, the injuries to children can be severe. In addition to physical injuries, the emotional trauma can have lasting effects on a child’s growth and development.
Tittle & Perlmuter can support parents and guardians in seeking justice after a reckless driver harms their children.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident
There are certain steps you can take after a pedestrian accident to protect your well-being and help maximize the value of your claim.
- Call 911/Report the Accident: Under Ohio law, all motor vehicle accidents that result in injuries must be reported to state or local highway enforcement officers.
- Get Contact Info and Evidence at the Accident Site: Secure evidence at the scene of your accident to the best of your ability. This includes contact information from the at-fault driver and any witnesses, and photos or videos of the accident site.
- Seek Medical Attention Immediately: Pedestrian accidents have the potential to result in very serious injuries. Even if you feel fine, get yourself to a physician for an immediate, in-depth medical evaluation. You will only be able to pursue a claim if you have seen a doctor.
- Speak with an Attorney at Tittle & Perlmuter: Do not speak to representatives from any opposing insurance company until you’ve gotten in touch with our lawyers in Cleveland. Our pedestrian accident attorneys can help during the claims process and litigation.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Pedestrian Accident?
Various parties can be held liable for a pedestrian accident. The lawyers at Tittle & Perlmuter can help you hold all liable parties accountable.
- The Negligent Driver(s): A reckless or intoxicated driver can be held accountable for causing major injuries and fatalities.
- The Driver’s Employer: The employer of a driver could be held liable if their policies or hiring practices contributed to a pedestrian accident.
- Automakers or Parts Companies: When poor vehicle design, faulty brakes, or defective self-driving controls lead to a pedestrian injury, we can hold automakers liable.
- Local Property Owners: If business or residential owners have property features that obscure visibility to increase the risk of pedestrian accidents, they can be held accountable.
- Government Entities and Road Authorities: The City of Cleveland or another government agency with legal responsibility for the street can be held responsible for poor roadway design, not repairing streetlights or traffic signals, and other dangerous conditions.
Compensation in a Pedestrian Accident Claim
When a pedestrian accident occurs, you have the same right to seek financial compensation as any motorist. Compensation for economic and non-economic damages may include:
- Medical Expenses: This covers hospitalization, stabilizing care, and other medical treatment you’ve already undergone.
- Future Healthcare Needs: This covers estimated costs of ongoing physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and other kinds of procedures.
- Damage to Any Belongings: This covers damage to or destruction of personal belongings at the time of an accident.
- Lost Income: This covers loss of wages due to time off from work recuperating from injuries.
- Changes in Future Earning Potential: This includes estimates of future lost earnings due to a long-term or permanent disability from the accident.
- Pain and Suffering: This includes emotional distress, mental anguish, chronic pain from lingering injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Reduced Quality of Life: This includes changes in feelings of contentment and the loss of enjoyment in hobbies and other daily activities.
Compensation After a Fatal Pedestrian Accident
Many pedestrian accidents result in death. If you’ve lost a family member in a fatal accident, you have our deepest sympathies. When you feel ready to talk about what happened, the lawyers at Tittle & Perlmuter can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Damages after a fatal pedestrian accident can help cover funeral expenses, grief counseling, the loss of a family member’s income, and the pain associated with the loss of a loved one’s companionship.
Options After a Hit-and-Run Accident
Hit-and-run accidents pose numerous challenges for injured pedestrians and their families. If you were injured by a hit-and-run driver in Cleveland, our pedestrian accident lawyers can help try to identify the vehicle or the motorist. Whether or not the hit-and-run driver can be found, the team at Tittle & Perlmuter can discuss your options for compensation.
How Partial Fault Affects Pedestrian Accident Compensation
Per Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2315.33, the state follows a modified comparative negligence system. This means you can still receive compensation as long as you are 50% or less at fault. Your compensation gets reduced by your share of liability.
For example, say that you are awarded $100,000 after getting hit by a driver following a concert at Jacobs Pavillion. However, you were found to be 10% at fault for the accident. Since modified comparative negligence applies, you would still receive $90,000.
Insurance companies will often try to shift more blame onto the accident victim as a way to reduce payouts. Tittle & Perlmuter can help push back against these claims of fault, backing up your side with evidence.
Statute of Limitations: Deadline to File a Pedestrian Accident Claim
Per Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2305.10, you typically have two years from the date of a pedestrian accident to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. When that two-year statute of limitations has passed, you will no longer be able to take legal action.
Two years is shorter than it sounds. It’s best to speak with our Cleveland pedestrian accident attorneys as soon as possible. The team at Tittle & Perlmuter can start looking for crucial evidence before it’s erased or degrades, which can help maximize the value of your claim.
Why Choose Tittle & Perlmuter for Your Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit
Families throughout Northeast Ohio know that they can trust Tittle & Perlmuter after a serious accident. Our lawyers are ready to put in the work to secure compensation and offer you peace of mind.
- A History of Representing the Underdog: Tittle & Perlmuter is proud to fight for the little guy. We can help ensure better odds of achieving maximum compensation while negotiating with insurance companies and other powerful interests.
- Personalized Representation for the People of Cleveland: National law firms will treat you impersonally. The team at Tittle & Perlmuter is based here in Cleveland. We know the dangerous intersections and roads in the area and how to look out for the best interests of Buckeyes.
- A Commitment to Getting Results: Over the years, Tittle & Perlmuter has secured millions for our clients. Browse through our verdicts and settlements to get a sense of our past successes.
Contact Our Cleveland Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Today
If you got hurt by a reckless motorist or a hit-and-run driver, you need Tittle & Perlmuter on your side. We work hard for local accident survivors and families because they deserve help during a difficult time. For a free consultation with our pedestrian accident lawyers in Cleveland, contact our Northeast Ohio law firm today.
