Pedestrian accidents can cause extremely serious injuries including broken bones and brain injuries. An individual injured in a pedestrian accident may require hospitalization and an extended period of rehabilitation and physical therapy. You may be entitled to seek compensation from the at-fault driver to pay your medical bills and other expenses related to a pedestrian accident. Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons can review the details of your accident and determine whether you have a claim against the motorist who hit you. If you have a valid pedestrian accident claim, our Oklahoma City pedestrian accident lawyers are prepared to pursue the maximum compensation you are entitled to under the law.
Our Oklahoma personal injury lawyers fight to secure maximum compensation for injured pedestrians. Let us help if you or your loved one has been injured by a negligent motorist in Oklahoma City.
Our personal injury law firm, established in 1984, has been helping people injured in pedestrian accidents and other types of personal injury accidents for 30-plus years. Our experienced Oklahoma City pedestrian accident attorneys take pride in offering one-on-one attention to our clients. While our office is in Oklahoma City, we have represented seriously injured clients in many counties and small towns throughout Oklahoma. If you or someone you love has sustained a serious injury in a pedestrian accident caused by a negligent driver, our pedestrian accident lawyers are ready to use all our resources to pursue a favorable settlement or jury verdict for you.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation review of your accident and a discussion of your legal options.
What should I do if I’m injured in a pedestrian accident in Oklahoma City?
If you are struck by a vehicle and injured in a pedestrian accident, you should report the accident to the police and request medical attention. Even if you believe that you only sustained cuts and bruises from the collision, you should seek a thorough medical evaluation. Some potentially serious injuries including brain injuries may not be apparent immediately afterward. They may take a day or two to be apparent.
Drivers are required to stop and provide aid to people who are injured in vehicle accidents.
If you are able, you should try to get the name, vehicle registration, and insurance information of the motorist who hit you. If the driver refuses to provide the information, wait for the police to arrive rather than get into a confrontation. The police will obtain the information from the other driver and provide it.
Do not under any circumstances let the driver talk you out of calling the police—even if the driver promises to pay you out of pocket. The driver may change his or her mind after driving away from the scene of the accident. If there is no police report of the accident, then it will be your word against that of the driver as to what happened. It will be more difficult to pursue reimbursement of your medical expenses and other losses.
You should not give a statement or sign anything presented by the insurance company representing the at-fault driver without seeking legal advice first.
You should contact an experienced Oklahoma City pedestrian accident lawyer to review the details of your accident and offer guidance about your rights to seek compensation from the driver who injured you and his or her insurance company.
Do pedestrians always have the right of way in Oklahoma?
Pedestrians in a crosswalk in Oklahoma have the right of way over most vehicles, whether or not the crosswalk is marked.
Motor vehicle drivers must yield the right of way to pedestrians in a crosswalk that is in the same half of the road as the pedestrian or when the pedestrian is close enough to the opposite side of the road to present a collision risk.
Pedestrians must yield the right of way to motorists when crossing a road outside of a designated crosswalk or when crossing an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
Drivers should exercise extreme caution and be especially alert around school zones, near school crossings, and around playground areas where children are playing. Without thinking about the risk of being hit by a car, a child may chase a ball or a pet into the street. Drivers in Oklahoma must yield to children playing in the street.
Children getting off a school bus have the right of way to cross the road when the bus is showing flashing red lights or a red STOP sign.
Can a pedestrian be at fault for an accident?
Pedestrians are required by law in Oklahoma to obey traffic signals and traffic control devices. When traffic control devices are in operation, a pedestrian may only cross between two adjacent intersections in a marked crosswalk.
If a pedestrian crosses the road against a light or when a traffic signal says Don’t Walk and is struck by a vehicle, then the pedestrian may be found to be partially at fault for the accident.
A pedestrian may not suddenly step off the curb into the path of an oncoming car that is so close that the driver does not have time to brake and yield the right of way. In an accident involving these circumstances, the pedestrian may be found to have contributed to the accident.
A pedestrian may not cross an intersection diagonally unless permitted by a traffic control device.
Pedestrian accidents may have a variety of causes including inattention, drunk driving, failure to yield, drowsy driving, speeding, poor visibility, and distracted driving.
Determining fault after a pedestrian accident involves an analysis of all the factors including the speed the driver was going and a determination of whether the driver was not paying adequate attention.
Because there is only a limited amount of time to investigate and file a pedestrian accident case, it is important to contact an attorney right away to determine if you have a valid case. You should contact an Oklahoma City pedestrian accident lawyer to investigate the accident and gather evidence if you have been struck by a car while on foot.
Where do most pedestrian accidents occur in Oklahoma?
A pedestrian accident can occur anywhere. But accidents are more likely in areas with large amounts of pedestrian traffic and vehicles such as downtown areas of Oklahoma City.
According to the 2016 Oklahoma Crash Facts report, more than 800 pedestrians were involved in accidents in the most recent year of complete data. Oklahoma City and Tulsa had by far the highest number of pedestrian accidents involving injuries and fatalities in the state.
Pedestrian accidents may involve people walking, people pushing strollers, disabled people using walkers or wheelchairs, children on tricycles, skateboarders, and people on roller skates.
Pedestrians are harder for drivers to spot on the road at night or when visibility is limited. Pedestrian accidents occurring at night cause more serious injuries and fatalities.
Walkable Neighborhoods in Oklahoma City
The downtown area of Oklahoma City and the surrounding urban neighborhoods have become more pedestrian-friendly in recent years. Oklahoma City has built hundreds of miles of new sidewalks to encourage people to use their feet rather than a car and is building a downtown park in two sections linked by the Sky Dance pedestrian bridge.
Among the walkable neighborhoods are:
- Mesta Park — Mesta Park is a historic neighborhood with picturesque houses in the heart of Oklahoma City. Home to approximately 1,600 residents, it is one of the largest walkable neighborhoods in OKC and has small groceries and offices. The community holds activities throughout the year, such as an old home tour.
- Paseo District—Located in north Oklahoma City, the Paseo District has a thriving art scene and has a variety of restaurants and nightlife including the First Friday Gallery Art Walk and shopping. The Paseo District is near Oklahoma City University and has a lot of pedestrian traffic.
- Roberts-Crest—Roberts-Crest is located south of Lake Hefner and near Wiley Post Airport. It has modern townhouses, condominiums, and suburban single-family homes and is considered the most walkable neighborhood in the area. Groceries and schools are within walking distance.
- Midtown—The Midtown area is undergoing a renaissance. It includes restaurants, sidewalk cafes, entertainment, shops, and urban apartments and living spaces and promotes an active pedestrian lifestyle.
Contact Our Oklahoma City Pedestrian Accident Lawyers at Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons
If you have been injured in an accident in Oklahoma City or elsewhere in Oklahoma, you should seek trusted legal guidance from experienced pedestrian accident attorneys. Pedestrian accident cases can be complicated to resolve. You will be at a real disadvantage if you do not have a knowledgeable pedestrian accident lawyer representing you.
The attorneys at Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons are ready to help. Contact us online or call 405.528.4567 to schedule a free consultation with an Oklahoma City pedestrian accident lawyer at Ryan, Bisher, Ryan & Simons.
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