PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS

We represent an independent network of personal injury solicitors and we are able to deal with a wide range of accident claims. We are able to arrange home or hospital visits and medical examinations and urgent private treatment can be undertaken at short notice, to assist recovery, with some of the most eminent medical consultants. We believe that it is important that a qualified solicitor is involved from the very start of your claim to ensure that you obtain fair and reasonable compensation. Our lawyers are able to deal with a wide range of claims varying from minor whiplash to spinal injury and brain damage.

Pedestrians casualties continue to be a matter of major concern to the safety authorities. Hundreds of pedestrians continue to be killed or injured every year and people of all ages are affected. School age children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable and almost half of all fatalities occur in the late afternoon. Excessive speed of the vehicle involved is a factor in almost a third of these accidents. Road accidents are the biggest single cause of accidental death amongst children and young people.

Pedestrian casualties continue to show an upward trend with about a quarter of all casualties are either killed or seriously injured compared with about10% of other road user casualties. 90% of all injuries to pedestrians occur on urban roads and about 10% of all road casualties are pedestrians.

Most of the pedestrians killed and seriously injured in road accidents are hit by a car. No legislation exists to set out minimum requirements for pedestrian safety. The European Enhanced Vehicle-Safety Committee has proposed requirements for cars which are incorporated into the draft European Directive which, if adopted could save hundreds of lives per year if all car models performed well in these tests. These requirents include enhanced profiles and crumple zones on car to reduce the effects of impact. Car-makers have made very little progress in pestestrian protection and only the Honda Civic has come close to the requirements.

Compensation includes ‘General Damages’ which represents compensation items that are difficult to calculate accurately and include ‘pain and suffering’ , loss of the enjoyment of life and disadvantage on the open labour market. In addition a claim can be made for ‘Special Damages’ which represents compensation for losses that can be accurately calculated and includes loss of earnings, care and general expenses.

If you’ve been involved in an accident we can help you to preserve your legal right to compensation. We offer free consultations for advice to find out whether you have a good case, how to go about claiming and how much your compensation might be worth. We will give you clear unequivocal advice about your chances of success and the anticipated value of your claim. If after talking to us you decide not to take matters further you are under no obligation to do so and you will not be charged anything at all.