Most of the time, you might travel throughout Texas by way of motor vehicle. Whether you’re commuting to and from work each day, driving your kids to friends’ houses or sporting events, or running errands in your community, your car is no doubt your main means of transportation. However, you might enjoy traveling as a pedestrian on occasion as well.
It’s nice to take an evening stroll or walk around town on a weekend. Maybe you and your friends like to meet up for lunch and do a little window shopping while you’re at it. You might also be one of many Texas residents who walk for exercise. Sadly, many motor vehicle collisions involve pedestrians.
You’re at risk for severe injuries if a car hits you
A motor vehicle doesn’t have to be moving at a high rate of speed to cause you severe injuries in a collision. If you’re an adult who is standing upright at the time, a moving vehicle that hits you is likely to make contact between the car’s front bumper and your leg or knee areas.
Such impact might land you on the hood or crashed into the windshield of the vehicle. If the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed, the initial force of impact might catapult you through the air, not only causing injuries to your legs or pelvis but also to your neck, spine or head as well.
Monitor your condition if you’re a pedestrian victim of collision
If a moving vehicle hits you, it can take weeks, even months, to fully recover from your injuries. In fact, some injuries could leave you with partial, or full, permanent disabilities. Injuries such as internal organ damage or traumatic brain injury often have delayed symptoms.
This is why it is imperative that you pay close attention to how you feel in the days and weeks that follow a collision. If you have pain or discomfort, feel fatigued or like your emotions are out of control, or you are having trouble speaking, seeing, eating or sleeping, it might be due to an underlying injury that was not immediately apparent after your accident. When reporting such injuries to a doctor, make sure he or she knows of your recent accident.
Motor vehicle collisions involving pedestrians are often fatal
Perhaps, you’re reading this after recently losing a loved one in a pedestrian accident. Motor vehicle collisions involving travelers on foot often result in fatal injuries. The shock and intense grief associated with such tragedies can affect the families and friends of victims for the rest of their lives.
If you’re grieving the loss of an immediate family member who received a fatal injury in a pedestrian collision, it is important for you to know where to seek support as needed. Your support network might include law enforcement officials, licensed counselors, medical professionals who cared for your loved one before he or she died, and experienced legal representatives who can explain the options available for seeking justice against a negligent driver.