Halloween Can Increase the Risk of Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents are consistently one of the leading causes of personal injury in the United States each year. In fact, according to the National Highway Safety Administration, approximately 11,000 children aged 14 and younger were injured in pedestrian accidents in 2011. Halloween is a particularly dangerous time for young children, as they may walk more than usual, in many cases after dark and while wearing costumes that have the potential to limit their ability to see as well as their visibility to other drivers.
 
Unfortunately, these factors can make the traditional Halloween activity of trick-or-treating risky, and every year children sustain injuries as a result of the negligence of drivers. Thankfully for victims, Illinois law very often allows victims of pedestrian accidents to recover for their injuries through a personal injury lawsuit. For this reason, it is important for parents of children hurt in pedestrian accidents this Halloween or at other times to discuss their situation with an attorney as soon as possible.
 
Driver Negligence Can Cause Pedestrian Accidents
 
Whether it is Halloween or not, drivers have a duty to be aware of their surroundings and drive their vehicles in a way as to not put others at an unreasonable risk of harm. Unfortunately, this does not always occur, and drivers regularly cause serious injury to innocent pedestrians. Examples of the kinds of driver negligence that often results in pedestrian accidents include the following:
 

Parents Can Help Children Stay Safe
 
Fortunately for Halloween revelers, there are many ways in which parents can help children stay safe. Perhaps the most important thing is to make sure your kids are supervised by an adult. In addition, it is important to make sure that they are visible. This can be accomplished by attaching retro-reflective material to their clothing and having them carry flashlights or glow sticks while trick-or-treating. Another way to reduce the risk of pedestrian accidents is to reduce the number of times your children cross the street. The adult supervising your children should not have the group cross from one side of the street more often than necessary, but rather complete trick-or-treating on one side, then cross over, going back on the other side, if possible.
 
Contact A Belvidere Personal Injury Lawyer Today To Retain Legal Representation
 
People who have been hurt in pedestrian accidents that they suspect were the result of driver negligence often are legally entitled to significant recovery. An experienced attorney will be able to review the facts of your case and determine whether you have a legal claim. In many instances, victims are able to obtain compensation for their medical expenses, lost income, loss of quality of life, physical and emotional pain and suffering, as well as for other losses. To schedule a free case evaluation with a Loves Park personal injury attorney, call the lawyers of Fisk & Monteleone LTD today at 815-516-0824.