If you feel as though you’ve been seeing more and more pedestrian on your familiar routes to and from home, work, school and the store, this isn’t just your imagination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of pedestrians has increased by an astounding 24 million between 2005 and 2010.
Of course, with this increased number of pedestrians comes an increased risk of accidents. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that there were 4,302 pedestrian fatalities in 2010 alone.
The good news is that more and more U.S. cities are starting to recognize this phenomenon and are actively taking steps to make things safer for pedestrians, including awareness campaigns, high visibility crosswalks, increased traffic signals that provide more crossing time and additional street lights to name only a few.
Indeed, insurance giant Liberty Mutual Insurance recently released a report naming the top 15 safest U.S. cities for pedestrians based on such factors as government crash data and consumer perception. The top five cities named by the report include Seattle (1), Boston (2), Washington, D.C. (3), San Francisco (4), and New York (5).
Closer to home, it’s worth noting that none of the bigger cities here in Tennessee — Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga — cracked the list, suggesting that we have a ways to go here in the Volunteer State in terms of pedestrian safety.
It’s extremely important to understand, however, that in the event a pedestrian accident results in serious personal injuries complete with extensive medical bills and a lifelong disability, or the loss of a loved one that you can seek justice.
A dedicated legal professional can examine the circumstances of your pedestrian accident and help you seek much-needed compensation for everything from loss of income and pain and suffering to loss of household benefits and loss of consortium. They can also help you pursue a wrongful death lawsuit if the unimaginable has occurred.
If you have been blindsided by a pedestrian accident, please visit our website to learn more about your options and how you can rebuild your life.
