According to Gov.uk, between 2004 and 2021 the number of pedestrians involved in road collisions in Great Britain as reported by or to the police, who suffered fatalities or serious injuries had fallen whilst the amount of pedestrian traffic increased. For the period 2016 to 2021, an average of eight pedestrians died and 115 were seriously injured per week. The most common contributory factor allocated to pedestrians in fatal or serious collisions with another vehicle was ‘Pedestrian failed to look properly’. The most common factor allocated to the vehicles involved was not surprisingly ‘Driver or rider failed to look properly’. In 2021 alone, 360 pedestrians were killed in Great Britain whilst 5032 were reported to be serious injured and 11,261 slightly injured.
If you are interested in the figures, click on this link which provides further information including charts and tables regarding casualty rates.
Our Personal Injury Team is experienced in dealing with all types of accidents. Focussing on road traffic accidents involving pedestrians/cyclists, the following are examples of the different scenarios we have dealt with:
Our client was a cyclist who was on his way to work. He was cycling past the exit of a car park, when the driver of a vehicle, exiting the car park drove too fast and failed to keep a proper look out, colliding into our client. Our client was knocked off his bicycle. His bicycle was damaged beyond repair. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured. However, he has not returned to cycling again following the accident.
Our client was walking home from work. She was crossing the road, near a junction when a car collided into her. The driver of the car had not seen our client as he turned into the road albeit our client was already some distance across the road. Our client suffered a broken wrist and since the accident she has become anxious near roads.
Our client was a cyclist travelling along a main road when a vehicle came out from a side/minor road intending to join the main road, without giving way. The vehicle collided with our client, throwing him off his bicycle. Our client landed heavily on the road, hitting his head. Our client suffered multiple injuries as a result of the accident which required physiotherapy as well as surgeries.
Our client was walking along the footpath on his way to work when he proceeded to cross the road, having looked both ways. The driver of a vehicle exiting a garage did not give way and drove over our client’s right foot. The driver of the vehicle sought to place the blame of the accident on our client. As a result of the accident, our client suffered a fracture in his foot and was absent from work for weeks following the accident. We were able to refute the Defendant’s arguments and secure compensation for our client.
The above are just several examples of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists. In all of them, the third party have ‘failed to look properly’, i.e., driving without due care and attention. The majority of the time, the injuries sustained are not serious and not fatal. However, there have been instances where the injuries sustained were life-long and some may result in a reduction in life expectancy.
If you or a family member have been involved in an accident, you should contact us on 01429 225200 to ensure you have an experienced solicitor fighting your/your loved one’s corner and ensuring that you are properly compensated for your injuries.
Call: 01429 225200