Charlotte, NC Personal Injury Lawyer
According to an investigation of data from the South Carolina Department of Transportation, hit and run accidents in the state are more likely to involve utility poles than people. Based on an analysis of data from 2010 through May of 2015, there were more than 10,000 hit and run incidents, 7,000 of which involved moving cars. Stopped cars accounted for 2,0006 incidents, and parked cars constituted 1,359 hit and runs. While 300 incidents involved utility poles, only 226 pedestrians were struck by hit and run drivers.
At-risk pedestrians
Under South Carolina law, any person on foot is considered a pedestrian. It can also be someone on roller skates or a skateboard, or a person with a disability on a tricycle, quadricycle, or in a wheelchair.
According to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, there are three types of persons who often become pedestrian fatalities: small children, older persons, and the drinking public. With all three common pedestrian fatalities, walking from behind parked cars is a very common occurrence. Additionally, children are often inattentive to oncoming traffic, and older persons may have sight or hearing impairments or are unable to move out of oncoming traffic with sufficient speed. As to drinking pedestrians, alcohol may impair his or her senses and judgment.
Under South Carolina law, when drivers are coming upon a crosswalk, he or she is required to yield by slowing or stopping for a pedestrian who is on the driver’s side of the roadway or who is close enough to that side to be in danger. Pedestrians are required to yield to vehicles unless they are at an intersection or within a marked crosswalk. When a driver is turning left or right at an intersection on a green signal, he or she is required to yield to pedestrians on the cross street lawfully within the intersection and must not stop at crosswalks.
Blind pedestrians are provided additional protections by South Carolina law. Drivers are required to stop and yield the right of way to a blind person who has entered a street carrying a white cane or is accompanied by a guide dog.
SC Still Among the Most Dangerous States for Pedestrians
By analyzing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, commuting data and poverty figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, and walkability ratings from Walk Score, USA Today reported the top ten most dangerous states for pedestrians. South Carolina ranked number 3, just behind Delaware and New Mexico. According to the report, 34 percent more residents were killed in traffic accidents per 100,000 residents between 2010 and 2012. In 2012, there were 123 total pedestrian fatalities, which amounted to 2.6 fatalities per 100,000 people. Forty-one percent of South Carolina’s workforce spent between 15 minutes to 30 minutes commuting to work, which, according to the report, may increase the likelihood of traffic accidents.
In contrast, Delaware, the most dangerous state for pedestrians, has 2.94 pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people. A pedestrian was the victim of nearly one in every five fatal traffic-related accidents in the state.
If you or a loved one is a pedestrian who has been injured by in a vehicular accident, the personal injury attorneys at Bice Law, LLC can help you seek compensation for your injuries. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Contact the Personal Injury Law Firm of Bice Law
The personal injury firm of Bice Law will examine your case to determine the type and amount of damages that your injury warrants, including payments for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and any permanent disability. We’ll determine whether an out-of-court settlement or trial is the best strategy to obtain maximum benefits for you or your family. If you have suffered injury or harm because of someone else’s actions, take the first step to protect your legal rights – contact the personal injury firm of Bice Law serving both North and South Carolina. You only have a limited time after your injury to file a claim, so act quickly. Call 877-BICE-877 today or submit an online request to get a free consultation with a personal injury attorney. We serve families across both North Carolina and South Carolina.
