Crosswalk Accidents

Parents always teach their children to use the crosswalk. It’s where pedestrians are supposed to be when they cross the road because it’s the safest place to cross the road. However, even though it’s the safest place, countless accidents continue to occur on crosswalks across the country.

As they approach a cross, drivers are instructed to specifically look out for pedestrians. You can see this many times in the Massachusetts Driver's Manual. Drivers are instructed to slow down when they approach a crosswalk. If someone is already in the crosswalk, drivers must always yield to the pedestrian, regardless of other circumstances. But, drivers don’t always follow the rules of the road, causing accidents that leave pedestrians with serious injuries.

There are many types of crosswalks that have different rules:

• Some intersections have a crosswalk that is controlled by a walk-signal. In these situations, pedestrians are instructed to press the button on the signal and wait until the signal says it’s safe to proceed.
• Other intersections have marked crosswalks with no controls whatsoever. The rules at these crossings are easy: pedestrians always have the right of way.
• Still more intersections have where one would think that there should be a crosswalk, but there isn’t. This would include many lesser traveled roadways including driveways and parking lots. The law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in these situations as if a crosswalk was there.

Some drivers do not see that a pedestrian is crossing the road. Worse, other drivers know that pedestrians are crossing the road, but they don’t want to wait. These careless drivers cause serious, and sometimes deadly, accidents.

The reason for such caution is because cars can cause serious injuries to pedestrians even if they’re not speeding. If a car hits another car at 5 or 10 miles per hour, there’s a good chance that any injuries will be minor. However, if a car going 5 or 10 miles per hour hits a pedestrian, the injuries could be quite serious. If a car hits a child at 5 or 10 miles per hour, the consequences can be catastrophic.

If you or a loved one, especially a child, were hit by a car while you were in a crosswalk, you should hire a lawyer to help navigate the legal and medical landscape. An experienced lawyer can help you deal with the insurance company to discuss the various types of insurance that are available.

For example, many pedestrians are confused to learn that the driver's car insurance will be covering not only the bodily injury portion of the claim, but also the Personal Injury Protection coverage.

At Marcotte Law Firm, we’ve handled cases for many pedestrians who have been struck and injured by negligent drivers. We’ve handled cases for people of all ages. We’ve handled cases for people who have had a wide range of injuries, from sprains to wrongful death. We have the experience needed to successfully get you the compensation you deserve.

If you’ve been injured by a car in a crosswalk, call the Personal Injury lawyers at Marcotte Law firm at (978) 458-1229 or contact us for a free consultation.