New Jersey Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Whether on a busy city sidewalk in New Jersey or a suburb street, getting out walking can quickly turn from an enjoyable form of exercise to your worst nightmare when you are struck by a car or truck. New Jersey has one of the highest annual number of fatal and non-fatal pedestrian accidents with well over 100 deadly pedestrian accidents happening every year. At Sarofiem & Antoun LLC we know how to handle these cases to make sure that you are not paying out of pocket for all the expenses that come with a serious personal injury accident. When you hire us, you hire a law firm that truly cares about you—get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
One minute you are walking and the next you are in the emergency room dealing with tremendous pain and life-changing injuries after being struck by a car. While every accident is unique, here’s a look at some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents:
- Drunk driving: A major cause of every type of roadway personal injury accident, when a drunk driver is on the road, they are not in a state to pay proper attention to cars or pedestrians. The highly unpredictable nature of a drunk driver means that even a traffic-abiding pedestrian can get seriously injured or killed by a drunk driver.
- Distracted driving: Eyes and ears should be on the road at all times when you are behind the wheel—this is the universal driving standard everyone should aim to follow. When a driver diverts their attention from their driving duties to check a cell phone, apply makeup or reach down to grab something, their potential for an accident greatly increases.
- Poor lighting: Far more accidents happen at night than in broad daylight for the simple reason that it is much harder for a driver to see and as a result are much more limited in their reaction time when there is a pedestrian they are about to hit. In fact, ¾ of all deadly pedestrian accidents occur at night.
- Jaywalking and outside the intersection: A large percentage of pedestrian accidents occur outside of the designated walkway when a pedestrian is jaywalking or somewhere else unexpected. Drivers are not paying as close of attention to these spots because someone on foot should not be there or is usually not there.
- Children: Unfortunately, children get hit by cars all the time in part because they are small and harder for drivers to see or predict their behaviors.
- Breaking the law: When a driver rolls a stop sign or runs a red light, they are not just breaking an important traffic law, but they are also putting other cars and pedestrians at serious risk of getting injured.
Even the slowest moving car can inflict life-changing injuries on a defenseless pedestrian and most pedestrian accidents occur when a car or truck is driving at 25 miles per hour or less. Known as the statute of limitations, injured parties have two years from the date of their accident to file a personal injury lawsuit and get money to help cover everything from current and future medical bills to missed work. The most important thing you can do following your accident is get any and all medical help you need and then call us. For many, a pedestrian accident requires an emotional recovery as much as a physical one and we are here to ensure that you have the funds to help make you whole again.
Comparative Negligence & Pedestrian Lawsuits
Jaywalking is a major contributor to pedestrian accidents and if that was the activity you were engaging in when you got hit, you can still file a personal injury lawsuit. New Jersey is a comparative negligence state which means that even if you played a role in your accident (i.e. crossing the street where you weren’t supposed to), you can still get money for the percentage of the accident that wasn’t your fault.
These types of cases can be more complicated because the other side will attempt to argue up your role and down theirs in order to limit their financial liability. That’s where we come in—to make sure that you get paid the most following your accident, no matter what or where you were at the time you got hit.
New Jersey Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
When you hire Sarofiem & Antoun LLC, you hire a law firm that truly cares about you. We know how stressful the time following an accident can be and are here to help ease your financial worries. We are ready to get started when you are—get in touch with us at (201) 792-3333 today to setup your initial consultation. We take all our cases on a contingency fee basis so you pay us nothing until we get you paid. We would love to help you!
