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Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries & Their Long-Term Impact

Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries & Their Long-Term Impact

Common injuries of pedestrian accident victims can have severe long-term impacts on survivors. We will discuss which injuries are often suffered and their possible chronic impacts. The Victorville pedestrian accident Ewaniszyk Law Firm represents accident victims so they’re fairly compensated for what they’ve endured.

Ewaniszyk Law Firm’s pedestrian accident lawyer, Richard Ewaniszyk helps clients throughout Victorville and the High Desert after they’ve suffered a severe injury. His practice is devoted to litigation, including representing people injured by another’s negligence. Contact us to schedule a FREE case evaluation and consultation so we can discuss your accident, injuries, California law, and your legal options. Call us today at (760) 245-7310 or fill out our confidential contact form.

Pedestrian Injuries Vary for Many Reasons

A 2007 medical journal article discusses the treatment of pedestrian accident victims in emergency departments. According to the article:

  • Frontal vehicle collisions are grouped by the impact’s height relative to the pedestrian’s center of gravity. Most vehicle collisions happen when the person’s center of gravity is above the vehicle’s bumper, but it will be below it if a child is struck
  • For adults, the bumper often strikes the lower leg, which speeds up in the direction the vehicle is traveling, and the person’s body and head hit the hood or windshield. The lower leg, then the thigh are struck, causing the person to rotate, and then the head and shoulders hit the hood and windshield
  • At lower speeds, the victim may remain on the hood. If the vehicle’s going faster, momentum pushes the legs above the head before the person falls onto the hood. At high speeds, the person somersaults, their head hits the car, and they go onto the windshield and roof or completely over the vehicle. The person can suffer more injuries when they hit the roadway, strike an object or another vehicle
  • Many factors influence the injuries and their severity. They include vehicle speed, the angle of impact on the pedestrian, the pedestrian’s center of gravity, the body part first struck by the vehicle, the part of the vehicle hit first, and the vehicle’s design
  • Most adult injuries from vehicle and ground impacts involve the pelvis, leg, knee, and traumatic brain injuries.One study showed that musculoskeletal injuries (broken bones and damage to muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, and related soft tissues) were the most common, followed by head and neck injuries
  • Another study showed that the most common severe injuries in children were of the head and neck (34.6%), followed by musculoskeletal injuries (22.2%). Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) were the most common head injuries in children. They are more likely to be fatal than cause long-term disabilities. The most common musculoskeletal injuries are to the legs and knees, which can cause chronic physical limitations.

Since this article was published, full-size pickup trucks and large SUVs have become more popular, so more pedestrians are being struck by heavier vehicles with taller front ends such as commercial trucks. These vehicles deliver blows to more of the victims’ bodies, with fewer people going onto the hood or into the windshield. Instead, they are pushed forward and land on the roadway.

The Long-Term Effect of Pedestrian Accident Injuries

A pedestrian accident injury may impact the victim for months, years, or the rest of their lives. Here are a few of them:

  • TBI: This can be a serious injury causing injuries to and deaths of brain cells. TBIs are often caused by the head snapping rapidly back and forth causing the brain to strike the inside of the skull. This can cause long-term changes to a person’s personality, impact how the rest of the body functions, cause problems with hearing and vision, and impair a person’s cognitive abilities and emotional functioning.
  • Spinal cord injuries: This can cause total or partial paralysis at and below where the injury occurred. This can result in a loss of income and massive long-term medical treatment and rehabilitation costs
  • Knee injuries: A chronic knee injury can impair a person’s mobility and cause them pain. If the person’s walk is affected, it may lead to back problems. If sufficiently damaged, a knee may be surgically removed and replaced with an artificial joint
  • Broken pelvis: Depending on the victim’s overall health and age, a pelvis may take a long time to properly heal or it may never do so. This can cause chronic pain, prevent someone from walking, drastically impair their mobility, and cause emotional and psychological harm as a result

With the help of a Victorville pedestrian accident attorney, pedestrian accident victims could obtain compensation for their economic losses (lost income and benefits, costs related to the injury, including medical bills) and noneconomic costs like pain, suffering, anxiety, depression, and negative impacts on relationships through an insurance claim or lawsuit settlement or verdict.

Contact a Victorville Lawyer Today

There are many injuries you can suffer if you’re walking and struck by a vehicle, including some that may impact you for the rest of your life. If you or a loved one are in this situation, you need the pedestrian accident Ewaniszyk Law Firm fighting for your rights. Our Victorville pedestrian accident attorneys work quickly and efficiently for our clients so they can rebuild their lives after a devastating accident.

Contact us for a FREE case evaluation and consultation to discuss your injuries and legal options. Call us today at (760) 245-7310 or fill out our confidential contact form.

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