Every driver has the same duty of care under state law to keep an eye out for pedestrians and stay a safe distance away from them at all times. However, pedestrians also have a duty of care to act responsibly around motor vehicles, and if a pedestrian fails to fulfill that duty right before they are struck by a negligent driver, they may find themselves missing out on civil compensation because they are partly at fault for their own injuries.
As any seasoned pedestrian accident attorney will tell you, avoiding an injury in the first place is always better than recovering financially for one that has already happened. It is important to be careful as a pedestrian, even if you know that you have the right to sue anyone who injures you by not being careful themselves. Here are some important safety precautions for Philadelphia pedestrians that you should keep in mind whenever you travel through on foot.
While pedestrians are not subject to all of the same lights and signs around roadways that motor vehicle operators are, certain signals and traffic patterns are expressly meant for pedestrians, and following those can be crucial to preventing collisions. More specifically, all pedestrians should only cross streets within designated crosswalks, obey pedestrian crossing lights whenever they are available, and make sure there is no oncoming traffic before entering a crosswalk without any electronic signals.
One of the best safety precautions for Philadelphia pedestrians to follow is to stay on sidewalks wherever they are available rather than walking in the street, even if that street is in a residential area with a low speed limit. If there is no sidewalk available, pedestrians should stay as far away from active traffic lanes as possible and walk so that they are facing oncoming traffic.
Generally speaking, it is best to avoid walking at night, through heavy rain or fog, or in any other conditions where visibility is severely limited since even the most attentive drivers simply may not be able to see pedestrians in situations like that. Even on bright and sunny days, wearing brightly colored clothing and clothing with reflective material on it are both good safety precautions for pedestrians in Philadelphia.
One last thing pedestrians should remember while walking near active roadways is that not everyone who drives on public roads is keeping their full attention on the road, which can lead to them striking and injuring someone who was already acting as responsibly as they could be. With that in mind, making eye contact with oncoming drivers and waiting for them to come to a complete stop before entering a crosswalk can be a good way to make absolutely sure a collision will not occur.
Responsible pedestrians can still get seriously injured in crashes that were their fault. While you should be aware of and follow these safety precautions for Philadelphia pedestrians, you should also know that you have the right to file suit against any driver who strikes and injures you through their own negligent driving.
If you are dealing with the aftermath of an incident like this, contacting a skilled pedestrian accident lawyer could be a key first step toward getting paid fairly for your accident-related losses. Call today to set up a meeting.