You normally think that you’re pretty safe as a pedestrian walking along the pavement. After all, the pavement is the designated route for you to safely navigate around. We all know that crossing roads can be dangerous, so aside from the occasional cyclist who chooses to ignore the rules of the road and cycle on the pavement, most of us expect to walk along pavements trouble free.
However, even on a pavement there are dangers of being hit by a car. The most common circumstance is when you’re walking past a driveway or an entranceway to premises. You can normally spot them as the curb will drop down to allow vehicles to pass freely along the section of the pavement.
The Highway Code puts a duty on both road users to take extra care and look out for pedestrians, and equally for pedestrians to be aware of road users. As a pedestrian, you should treat the driveway or entrance as you would any junction or crossing. Look both ways and only cross when it is safe to do so. This is the best course of action to take for the sake of your own health and safety.
Road users should take extra care when navigating entranceways and driveways and keep a constant look out for pedestrians who may cross. Drivers should edge out (or in) very slowly and keep both hands on the steering wheel to maintain full control, and constantly look left and right to spot any oncoming pedestrians. It goes without saying that when reversing in to an entranceway or driveway, even more care needs to be taken. Keep to a very low speed, never make any sudden movements or rev the engine if the pedestrian is crossing slowly, and check all mirrors and look behind you carefully.
If we all stuck to this simple set of guidelines we’d have no issues at all – but sadly it’s normally the vehicle drivers who don’t pay enough attention at entranceways and driveways and end up hitting a pedestrian walking on the pavement. As a pedestrian, if you are hit in such circumstances, you should have a good claim for compensation. We can certainly look to help you out as we deal with these sorts of claims on a fairly regular basis.
In law, the duty posed on drivers is often a heavier burden than that posed on pedestrians, so in the majority of circumstances there is usually the eligibility to make a claim for personal injury compensation. It’s a legal requirement (as I’m sure you’re aware) for drivers to have insurance for accidents, and the insurance covers you as a pedestrian in the same way it would cover you if you were innocently hit in a car.
We often find that the injuries sustained in these sorts of claims can be quite severe. Being hit by a huge metal car, even at low speeds, can do some serious damage. That’s why it’s important to get a quality specialist personal injury lawyer to deal with your claim for compensation.
Give us a call on our free claims helpline on 0800 634 75 75 today for the best advice as to whether you have a claim for personal injury compensation. The process is quite straightforward, and we will do all the legwork to make the whole process as easy and as quick as possible for you.
