I’m sure we all remember the lessons we were taught in school about crossing the road safely. Stop, look, and listen! Whilst there are several crossing we can use, there are still accident claims that we take on on a daily basis that involve innocent pedestrians being hit by vehicles whilst using a safety crossing, such as a zebra crossing.
The thing is, zebra crossings are perhaps not as safe as a crossing where there are lights to stop traffic moving. There are those lovely big orangey / yellow balls which are usually clear to see; but apparently, drivers still miss them.
So, what can you do if you have been injured from being hit by a vehicle at a zebra crossing?
The circumstances are key. As long as you complied with your end of the deal according to law, you should have a successful claim. Legislation states that you should wait until traffic has stopped on both sides of the road before you use the crossing. Whilst it’s your right of way to use the crossing, you have to wait for traffic to halt before you can safely cross. Not all drivers will be considerate; so beware and ensure all traffic has fully stopped before you move.
As you’re crossing, you should proceed with caution and keep looking both ways and listening out for traffic. You never know – another driver may try and overtake stationary vehicles or a motorcycle rider / cyclist may just slip between the gaps in the traffic and fail to notice you. You should of course take extra care when the roads are slippery from rain or ice. If there are islands dividing up sections of a zebra crossing, ensure you repeat the above procedure to ensure you can safely cross.
For more information: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070108
If you have done all the above, and still a driver hits you, then you should have a successful claim for compensation. Crossings like these are often found at the exits of roundabouts, or may be on a new road you a driver is emerging on to. For this reason, you should be extra cautions of drivers coming round a bend or coming off a roundabout and completely failing to spot you.
Ultimately, the larger onus is generally on the road user vehicles to take care and look out for pedestrians. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do all that you can. As I said earlier, if you have done all you could, and you have not just, for example, darted out in to a crossing from the path at the side of the road, you should be able to make a successful claim.
If you have been hit by a vehicle that has failed to follow the Highway Code and has hit you on a zebra crossing, you should definitely give us a call as its likely we can help you out on our Genuine No Win, No Fee agreement, and get you some private medical care fast. Ultimately, as a pedestrian, you are far more susceptible to some serious damage by being hit by a motor vehicle. Our Genuine No Win, No Fee system actually guarantees in writing that you will receive the full 100% of your compensation as we agree to restrict our legal fees to whatever the other side pays us. They could pay us nothing more than a penny, and we still couldn’t physically charge our clients under our agreement!
Your specialist injury lawyer will use their wealth of experience to guarantee a maximum payout for you. We can organise private medical care at absolutely no cost to you whatsoever; even if the case loses. We appreciate and understand that your injuries are probably quite serious, and you need all the help you can get to get you back on the road to recovery!
Give us a call for any further advice you need – we’d be happy to help you out.
