Gulfport Pedestrian Accident Attorney

The law requires drivers to exercise caution when driving near pedestrians. However, carelessness or recklessness by a motorist can put pedestrians at risk of a life-altering accident. When you’ve sustained injuries after a negligent driver hits you, you may have the right to recover compensation.

Even when a driver clearly caused the accident, insurance companies can make it challenging to obtain financial relief. Turn to a Gulfport pedestrian accident attorney from Haug, Farrar, Franco & Ruiz, PLLC, for help pursuing the compensation you deserve.

Our attorneys stand ready to fight for the money and accountability you deserve after suffering injuries due to another party’s actions. Even though most pedestrian injury claims in Gulfport settle, we’ll devote the time and resources necessary to prepare your case for trial. By doing so, we can effectively advocate on your behalf in insurance claims and settlement negotiations. Our team has the trial experience to pursue Mississippi pedestrian accident lawsuits in court when necessary. We’ll aggressively fight for the compensation you need to put your life back on track after devastating injuries. 

At our firm, you can expect to work with reliable, honest, knowledgeable, and professional attorneys devoted to helping you face and overcome challenges. After getting hit by a vehicle in a pedestrian accident, you deserve to seek financial recovery for your injuries and losses. Contact our legal firm at (228) 872-8752 or complete our online form for a free initial claim review. You can discuss your legal options with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer for pedestrian accidents. 

Why Hiring a Gulfport Pedestrian Accident Attorney Is a Smart Choice

After getting into a pedestrian accident, you may have a long road to recovery from severe injuries. However, you also need financial compensation to help cover the cost of your medical care and make up for lost income if you can’t work. You may find balancing your time between treatment/rehabilitation and pursuing insurance and legal claims in a pedestrian accident case challenging. 

A Gulfport pedestrian accident attorney from Haug, Farrar, Franco & Ruiz, PLLC, can help you recover from catastrophic injuries suffered in a collision with a motor vehicle by handling the details of your case while you focus on healing. We have over two decades of legal experience fighting for the rights and interests of injured accident victims throughout the Gulf Coast. 

When you turn to our firm after a pedestrian accident, you can expect our legal team to pursue the compensation you need and deserve by:

• Investigating the crash and recovering evidence we can use to build your case, including police crash reports, surveillance/traffic camera footage, accident scene photos, and eyewitness testimony
• Identifying all potentially liable parties and evaluating options for pursuing compensation for you, including applicable insurance coverage
• Preparing your case for trial, even if litigation doesn’t become necessary, to ensure we have the strongest possible arguments in support of your right to compensation
• Documenting your injuries and losses and working with medical/vocational/financial experts to determine your future expenses and needs
• Preparing and filing insurance or legal claims on your behalf and handling communications with insurance adjusters or defense lawyers to take the stress of the case off your shoulders
• Aggressively pursuing maximum financial recovery, whether through a negotiated settlement with the at-fault driver or insurance company, or by taking your case to court when a lawsuit gives you the best chance for obtaining compensation and accountability

What Compensation Could I Recover After a Pedestrian Accident?

Compensation for pedestrian accident victims can include money for:

• Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation
• Costs of home health care or support for prolonged or permanent disabilities
• Lost wages/income from missed time from work or due to reduced earnings in a part-time/light-duty position
• Lost future earning ability and job benefits after becoming permanently disabled from work
• Pain and suffering
• Lost enjoyment or quality of life because of physical disabilities or permanent scarring/disfigurement

In rare cases, a pedestrian accident victim might also receive an award of punitive damages. Juries can award punitive damages in cases where a driver causes a pedestrian accident due to willful, wanton, or reckless conduct. Punitive damages do not compensate an injured pedestrian for losses but rather are meant to punish the at-fault driver for their conduct and deter others from engaging in similar behavior.

How Long Do I Have to File a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Mississippi?

The statute of limitations for pedestrian accidents in Mississippi usually gives you three years after a pedestrian accident to file a lawsuit against the driver who hit you and other liable parties. However, if you get hit by a state or local government vehicle, the law requires you to file your lawsuit within a year of the accident and provide the government with notice of your claim at least 90 days before filing suit. 

Your best move is to speak with a pedestrian accident lawyer from Haug, Farrar, Franco & Ruiz, PLLC, as soon as possible to ensure you can file your claims on time. That’s because if you file your lawsuit after the limitations period expires, you may lose the right to seek compensation in court. 

How Many Pedestrians Are Killed in Gulfport Each Year?

According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, 94 pedestrian fatalities occurred statewide in one recent year. Mississippi had the sixth highest rate of pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States. Nationwide, a pedestrian suffered injuries in an accident every nine minutes on average, while a pedestrian fatality occurred every 71 minutes on average. 

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Pedestrian Accident?

In most cases, a driver who hits a pedestrian will bear liability for the pedestrian’s injuries and losses. However, determining fault in pedestrian accidents can be tricky, as other parties may also share liability for a pedestrian accident under certain circumstances. For example, if a driver hits a pedestrian while driving for work, the driver’s employer may bear responsibility for the pedestrian’s losses under vicarious/employer liability. 

The owner of the driver’s vehicle may also bear liability for a pedestrian accident if the owner negligently entrusted their car to the at-fault driver. A vehicle owner may negligently entrust their car to someone when they know or should know that the driver poses a substantial risk of causing an accident. These instances include the likelihood of alcohol/drug intoxication or the driver’s extensive history of motor vehicle accidents. 

What Are the Mississippi Pedestrian Laws?

The Mississippi government has enacted laws to protect pedestrians from accidents with motor vehicles. Important Mississippi pedestrian laws include:

• §63-3-1101 – Pedestrians must follow traffic control signals when present at intersections.
• §63-3-1103 – At intersections without functioning traffic control signals, drivers must yield the right of way to pedestrians. Drivers may not overtake vehicles stopped at a crosswalk or intersection to permit pedestrians to cross the road. 
• §63-3-1105 – Pedestrians crossing the road somewhere other than a crosswalk or intersection must yield the right of way to vehicles. Pedestrians may not cross the road between intersections with operable traffic control signals except at a marked crosswalk. 
• §63-3-1107 – Pedestrians shall walk upon the right half of a crosswalk when possible. 
• §63-3-1111 – Drivers approaching a visually impaired pedestrian attempting to cross the road shall take all precautions to avoid endangering that pedestrian, including stopping the vehicle, if necessary. 
• §63-3-1112 – Drivers must exercise due care to avoid collisions with pedestrians, including taking proper precautions when encountering children or obviously confused, incapacitated, or intoxicated people and giving audible signals when necessary. 

What Are the Main Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Gulfport?

Many pedestrian accidents occur due to negligent or reckless behavior by motorists. Some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents include:

• Speeding or driving too fast for road/traffic/visibility conditions
• Reckless driving, including excessive speeding or swerving around traffic
• Aggressive driving/road rage
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Running red light/stop signs or disregarding yield signs/lights
• Distracted driving, including texting while driving
• Drowsy/fatigued driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs
• Turning without signaling, checking mirrors, or looking for crossing pedestrians
• Backing out of a driveway or parking spot without looking

Other factors that can cause or contribute to pedestrian accidents include poor visibility due to weather or low lighting, vehicle mechanical issues like brake failure, or unsafe/defective road/intersection design.

What Are Common Injuries Someone Can Sustain in a Gulfport Pedestrian Accident?

Because pedestrians have no protection from a collision with a motor vehicle, pedestrian accidents frequently cause severe or life-threatening injuries. Examples of pedestrian accident injuries and damages include:

• Lacerations and scarring
• Abrasions/road rash
• Degloving injuries (skin torn away from bone/muscle)
• Burns
• Broken bones
• Dislocated joints
• Ligament, tendon, and muscle injuries
• Whiplash injury
• Nerve damage
• Crush injuries
• Herniated spinal disc injuries
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
• Facial injuries and eye damage
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Traumatic amputation/dismemberment or limb loss

Contact a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Gulfport Today

When you’ve suffered injuries in a collision with a motor vehicle while crossing or walking down the street, get the legal help you need to demand accountability and compensation. Contact our office at (228) 872-8752 or complete our online form today for a free, no-obligation consultation. You’ll learn how a Gulfport pedestrian accident attorney can help you pursue the money you deserve for your medical bills, lost income, physical pain, and emotional distress.