The National Safety Council has determined that certain times of day and days of the week are more dangerous for pedestrians. Or, to put it another way, drivers pose a greater threat to pedestrians at certain times.

The Hours of Darkness Are the Most Dangerous

It is harder for drivers to see things when it is dark, including people on foot. While street lights certainly help, they do not provide the same levels of illumination that may be experienced during the day. Older drivers, in particular, can struggle to see at night. Researchers believe this is because the rod cells that allow humans to see in low light weaken with age.

Friday and Saturday Nights Are the Worst of all

Friday and Saturday are the most popular nights of the week to go out. Many consume alcohol when they do, sometimes significant quantities of it. A tipsy or drunk pedestrian may be less careful and do something like step out into the road without looking. Yet the biggest threat is drunk drivers. They are the ones in charge or a vehicle with the ability to kill multiple people in one go.

Accidents can happen, even though it’s rare that a driver sets out to intentionally harm a pedestrian. All the same, driving is a significant responsibility. If you’re injured due to a motorist’s failure to honor their responsibility, you may benefit from exploring your legal rights and options accordingly.

Pedestrians should always have suitable spaces for walking on sidewalks and in parking lots. This means the onus is on property owners to ensure these walkways are sufficiently cleared of snow and ice throughout the winter. 

1: Regular Safety Protocols Are Important

Staying safe through the winter starts with having proper gear. Shoes should be non-slip and fit well so the person walking can remain safe. Snow boots are an example of a suitable footwear choice. Pedestrians should always stay on established walkways and within crosswalks. They should always remain vigilant about watching their surroundings. 

2: Walkways Should Be Cleared

Property owners must have walkways shoveled or plowed. In some cases, salting these spaces might be necessary. Ensuring stairs and slopes are cleared is especially important to help keep pedestrians safe. They should also check handrails to be sure they’re in good condition. 

3: Catastrophic Injuries Are Possible

A person who slips on the ice or snow can fall, which may lead to catastrophic injuries. Brain and spinal cord injuries, as well as broken bones are all possible. This can require considerable medical care, which can be costly. 

Ultimately, the individual who suffers an injury when they fall on a slippery walkway that hasn’t been cleared of snow and ice may seek compensation for the financial damages. Michigan law limits how long victims must act, so taking swift action is critical.

Although Michigan law prohibits it, too many drivers will simply leave the scene of an accident if they can. For whatever reason, they refuse to take responsibility for their part in the accident.

This can be a disaster when a driver takes off after striking a pedestrian. Pedestrian accidents are often extremely serious because of the size difference between an unprotected person and a car.

Unfortunately, because pedestrians usually fare worse in car accidents, the driver of the car may be especially tempted to drive off rather than stop.

If this happens, a victim, or a victim’s surviving family, may be left with no means to pay their medical bills and other costs. A hit-and-run may also leave family without a breadwinner’s income.

While a Detroit-area resident may hope the police find the responsible driver, hit-and-run accidents do go unsolved. Even if the police do catch up with the driver, the driver may have no insurance and no other way to pay compensation.

A Victim or the Family May Have to Find Other Ways to Recover Compensation

While there have been recent changes, Michigan still has a robust no-fault insurance system.

A victim or the family may be able to recover compensation by requesting no-fault benefits through their own insurance carrier. They will have to file a claim with their insurance company and prove their damages.

Sometimes, the insurance company may deny the claim or not pay the compensation a victim needs. Victims and their families should evaluate their legal options in these cases. They do not have to accept the insurance company’s position.

They should also be aware that other people or businesses may be responsible for the accident besides the hit-and-run driver. A careful investigation into the accident could turn up additional paths which a victim can use to pursue compensation.

Pedestrian Crashes in the Early Evening

Many pedestrians take their daily walk or run after work in the early evening. However, the hours between 6:00 p.m. and 8:59 p.m. are when 76% of fatal pedestrian crashes occur, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

During spring and summer, when there are more hours of daylight, motorists may not expect to see pedestrians out as late as quarter to nine in the evening, especially as dusk falls. And, during fall and winter, when there are fewer hours of daylight, motorists may not be aware of pedestrians who are out on the street in the darkness.

Staying Safe

There are ways that pedestrians and motorists can work together to prevent fatal pedestrian crashes.

Pedestrians can wear reflective clothing if they are using the streets in the darkness at night or in the morning before the sun comes up. Pedestrians should use sidewalks if they are available and obey all traffic laws. Pedestrians who travel against traffic and stick to the left-hand side of the road are easier for motorists to see and avoid.

Motorists must anticipate that there could be pedestrians in their vicinity day or night. Motorists should stop before crosswalks and yield to pedestrians. Motorists should obey all traffic laws, especially speed limits. Motorists should avoid distractions while driving and should remain alert behind the wheel.

By working to follow these safety tips, motorists and pedestrians can share the road responsibly and can avoid being involved in a fatal crash.

While their availability may convenience the public for years to come, these modes of transportation come with risks as well.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, through 2020, the number of people who visited emergency rooms because of these “micromobility devices” has increased each year.

In 2017, the CPSC reported 34,000 emergency room visits. In 2019, 54,800 people visited emergency rooms because of micromobility devices.

Unfortunately, even during 2020, the number of people who visited emergency rooms still increased again, this time to 57,800.  The increase happened despite people around the country traveling less in 2020.

The use of electronic scooters drove the overall increase in emergency room visits.  According to CPSC, a number of factors are responsible for the increase.

What Are My Options if I Am Injured in an E-Scooter Accident?

Many e-scooter accidents involve more than just the rider of the scooter.

Sometimes, the rider is not being careful, or just does not know how to use the equipment. In other cases, the rider may have just not checked to make sure the scooter was working correctly before trying to ride it.

As a result of these common mistakes, a rider may strike and injure another person on a micromobility device, a pedestrian or someone riding a conventional bicycle.

Under Michigan law, a negligent e-scooter rider is legally responsible for the injuries they cause. They will have to pay medical expenses as well as lost wages and other damages to those they injure.

These sorts of cases can be tricky.  They are not like traditional car accident cases. To give just one example, the responsible person’s automobile insurance might not cover accidents on e-scooters. They may have other insurance proceeds available to them.

Someone injured by the rider of an e-scooter may have legal options for obtaining compensation. They should make sure they understand the alternatives.

To help ensure that pedestrian accidents do not occur, it is important that drivers understand when they must yield to pedestrians. It also is important for pedestrians to know where they should not cross a street and when they have the right-of-way.

Rules for Pedestrians and Motor Vehicles

In general, pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks at intersections. All drivers must yield to pedestrians when they are lawfully in a crosswalk. Drivers also need to stop before they enter the crosswalk or the limit line if there is no crosswalk.

Pedestrians need to yield to the vehicles on the road if there is a don’t walk sign is either flashing or steadily illuminated. They also must walk on sidewalks whenever there is a sidewalk available for them to walk on. If there is no sidewalk available, they must walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic as far away from traffic as possible.

If pedestrians are involved in accidents with motor vehicles, pedestrians often times end up with significant injuries. Pedestrians have very little protection and as motor vehicles are much larger, they do not need to be driving very fast to cause serious injuries. If the driver causes the accident, the driver may be required to compensate the victim for the damages they caused.

Unfortunately, there are many pedestrians that are in accidents each year. The injuries the pedestrians suffer can cause not only physical injuries, but also financial hardships. Treating injuries can result in significant medical bills and also force people to lose income if they are unable to work. Experienced attorneys understand how important the compensation is to victims and may be a useful resource.

Reports from authorities show that at approximately 7:45 a.m., a 42-year-old male from Grand Rapids was walking near the intersection of South Division Avenue and Wealthy Street SW when he was struck by a car.

The man sustained severe injuries in the accident. Medical personnel responded to the site of the crash and began to render life-saving measures to the victim. However, he passed away at the scene. At this time, the incident remains under investigation.

We would like to offer our warmest condolences to the family of the victim who lost their life in this accident. Our thoughts are with them at this time.

Fatal Pedestrian Accidents in Michigan

Around 900 people lose their lives in accidents throughout the state of Michigan each year. These collisions not only have a detrimental impact on the lives of those involved, but their families are often forced to deal with unimaginable consequences as well. Knowing that your loved one died as a result of another person’s actions just makes accepting the situation even more challenging. In many cases, these accidents are preventable. In fact, over 80% of accidents are a result of drivers who are texting, speeding, impaired, or acting negligently on roadways. Drivers who engage in reckless behaviors or act carelessly while operating their vehicles continue to put the lives of other motorists at risk.

In many cases, families are forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars on funeral expenses, burial costs, and go without wages they have grown to depend upon. Dealing with the unexpected costs after the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming. For this reason, families are able to file legal claims against at-fault parties to hold them accountable for their actions. Working with a wrongful death attorney in Michigan will ensure families are in the best position possible to protect their legal rights after the loss of a loved one. In some cases, families are able to obtain compensation from those at-fault to help alleviate the costs of funeral expenses, the impacts of lost earnings, and more.

We at Vahdat Weisman Law have extensive experience protecting the legal rights of our clients as they move forward after experiencing the unexpected loss of a loved one due to another person’s negligence. Our Michigan pedestrian accident attorneys provide our clients with the most effective legal representation imaginable to ensure their legal rights and best interests are protected. If your loved one lost their life in an accident as a result of another driver’s negligence, contact our personal injury attorneys in Dearborn at (734) 469-4994. Schedule a case evaluation with our team to discuss legal options available for you.

Note: Our team of writers with Vahdat Weisman Law, utilizes secondary sources when compiling the facts surrounding this accident. These secondary sources include but are not limited to the following: Local news broadcasts, Newspaper stories, Local Police Reports, State Police Accident Reports, Social Media Platforms, and eyewitness accounts.  Our team has not independently verified the facts surrounding this accident.  If you see any information that is not correct, please contact our firm right away so that we can update the post with the most accurate information available. If you would prefer that the story be removed from our site, please let us know and we will accommodate the request ASAP. 

Disclaimer: The lawyers at Vahdat Weisman Law have worked hard through the years to become well-respected members of the local business community.  We hope that these accident news posts will remind the residents of Michigan to slow down and use an abundance of caution when operating a motor vehicle in an effort to avoid being involved in a serious accident. This blog post is not meant to be a solicitation for business. This post should not be misconstrued as legal or medical advice. The photo shown in this post is not taken from the actual accident scene.

Reports from the police show that a 53-year-old man was crossing the roadway at the intersection of Pierson Road and Kermit Street, located just east of Fleming Road when he was struck by a westbound Buick SUV.

The man was severely injured in the accident. He was rushed to Hurley Medical Center for the treatment of injuries. Authorities confirmed that he remains hospitalized in critical condition at this time.

The police in Flint are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Our thoughts are with the man injured in this accident. We hope for this full recovery.

Pedestrian Accidents in Michigan

Every year, more than 2,400 pedestrians are injured in automobile accidents throughout the state of Michigan. Although there are many instances in which accident victims sustain only minor injuries, this is typically not the case with pedestrians. These people are generally unprotected, which increases the risk of serious and life-threatening injuries in collisions. The chances of suffering severe injuries are greatly increased when pedestrians are struck by pickup trucks, commercial vehicles, and those traveling at high speeds.

When victims are injured in accidents, they are often rushed to area hospitals for treatment. After undergoing emergency surgery, most victims are admitted and forced to spend several days or even weeks in a hospital or rehabilitation facility. As if being forced out of work to recover were not enough, victims are further burdened by stacking medical bills they need as a result of their injuries. In cases where victims are harmed by negligent or reckless drivers, they should contact a car accident attorney in Michigan immediately. Victims may be entitled to compensation to help alleviate the financial burdens they face for both economic and non-economic damages.

Michigan personal injury attorneys at Vahdat Weisman Law strive to help victims better understand legal options available to them. When victims schedule free case evaluations with our team, we immediately begin reviewing the circumstances surrounding their accidents. We help victims exercise their rights by pursuing personal injury claims against those who cause them harm. Not only do we fight on behalf of our clients to ensure their legal rights are protected, but we take into consideration their best interests and their desires as we move forward with negotiations or demanding compensation from wrongdoers. If you have been injured in a car accident as a result of another person’s actions, contact our personal injury attorneys in Michigan at (734) 469-4994 to see how we can help you get the justice you deserve. Our attorneys are standing by for your call to see how we can help you recover.

Note: Our team of writers with Vahdat Weisman Law, utilizes secondary sources when compiling the facts surrounding this accident. These secondary sources include but are not limited to the following: Local news broadcasts, Newspaper stories, Local Police Reports, State Police Accident Reports, Social Media Platforms, and eyewitness accounts.  Our team has not independently verified the facts surrounding this accident.  If you see any information that is not correct, please contact our firm right away so that we can update the post with the most accurate information available. If you would prefer that the story be removed from our site, please let us know and we will accommodate the request ASAP. 

Disclaimer: The lawyers at Vahdat Weisman Law have worked hard through the years to become well-respected members of the local business community.  We hope that these accident news posts will remind the residents of Michigan to slow down and use an abundance of caution when operating a motor vehicle in an effort to avoid being involved in a serious accident. This blog post is not meant to be a solicitation for business. This post should not be misconstrued as legal or medical advice. The photo shown in this post is not taken from the actual accident scene.