Providing help to the injured in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties

An estimated 70,000 pedestrians were injured and 4,280 were reported killed in traffic crashes in the United States in 2010. According to statistics, a pedestrian is killed every two hours and injured every eight minutes in vehicle accidents on average. These high statistics do not even include crashes that occurred exclusively on private property, such as parking lots and driveways. Because pedestrians are highly vulnerable when exposed to traffic or unsafe property conditions, injuries resulting from accidents often incur costly medical treatment, extensive rehabilitation or long-term disabilities, and substantial lost wages or even earning capacity. Obtaining compensation from the liable party is essential to receiving the care you need and getting your life back on track. At McCarthy & Kroes, our pedestrian accident lawyer is dedicated to guiding you through your insurance claim or lawsuit to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Liability for serious or fatal injuries to pedestrians

The most common cause of a pedestrian accident is negligence by drivers who fail to look out for people in crosswalks, bike lanes, driveways, roadsides and other locations near traffic. Our attorneys help pedestrians recover compensation from drivers and their insurance companies for all types of accidents caused by negligence or recklessness:

Even if you were partly negligent in the cause of your accident, such as by failure to use a crosswalk, you may still be entitled to partial compensation, reduced by your portion of fault.

Pedestrians are not only injured in traffic accidents. You may also suffer injuries from tripping or slipping and falling on a cracked sidewalk, uneven pavement, unprotected construction area or other dangerous property condition. In these cases, our attorney helps you recover compensation from the liable landowner or their insurer, or the city or county in certain situations. To learn more, please see our information on premises liability.

Marathon events

Although for many marathons and similar events, participants must sign waivers of liability, event organizers still need to take reasonable care to protect marathon runners and spectators. For example, clearly marking routes and placing traffic warnings and cones where needed helps minimize risks. Because there are many potentially liable parties in any marathon accident, it is important to discuss your case with a qualified personal injury lawyer who can help you gather the evidence you need to build a strong case for liability and obtain the compensation you deserve from the following parties:

• Landowners who invite marathoners onto their land
• Cities (for certain dangerous and reasonably foreseeable road or sidewalk conditions)
• Race organizers
• Negligent drivers
• Negligent participants and spectators

Common types of injuries

When a pedestrian, including any person on foot, walking, running, jogging, sitting or lying down, is involved in a traffic crash, it can cause serious injuries. In fact, falls and motor vehicle accidents are the leading causes of head injury, accounting for more than 50 percent of all reported cases. At McCarthy & Kroes, we use experience and skills gained during 25 years in practice to help you recover just compensation for all types of common injuries sustained in pedestrian accidents:

Seek assistance you can trust in the Ventura, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo area

At McCarthy & Kroes, we believe pedestrians should be safe when crossing roads, walking or jogging near traffic, participating in marathons and dealing with traffic. If you were injured or lost a loved one in an accident, contact us online or call 805.564.2085 today for a free initial consultation to learn more about how we can assist in your case.