We always hear about car accidents in the news, and we don't hear enough about pedestrian accidents. It is estimated that the world will endure 3,700 fatal road traffic accidents every day.1 A portion of those happened to those that were never in a car to begin with.We put together this article to explore everything you need to know about pedestrian accidents. Being forewarned is the same as being forearmed. Should you ever be in the position where you have suffered at the hands of a driver even though you weren't driving yourself, you will now know where to turn.Learning more about pedestrian accidents in OregonLast year in Oregon, more than 50 people were killed while they were out on the roads. These people were either crossing the street, using a crosswalk, or just simply not paying enough attention to the roads. One minute they were checking a text from their friends and the next minute they were fighting for their lives in a hospital bed. Make no mistake, pedestrian accidents can be fatal. They can be just as fatal as car accidents.Some of the most common reasons for pedestrian accidents in Portland include:

• Jaywalking - When people are emerging from between parked cars and crossing out with assigned crossing areas, accidents can happen.

• Crossing the street - a large number of pedestrian accidents every year include crosswalk injury cases.

• Digital devices - digital devices cause a distraction for both the drivers in traffic accidents and for pedestrians who are involved in pedestrian accidents.

• Speeding - speeding kills thousands of Americans every year. We need to do more about speeding controls in our cities if we want to combat this.

• Driving under the influence - Some pedestrian accidents are caused because drivers are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The rate of pedestrian accident deaths attributed to those driving under the influence is 1/3.

• Other reasons for pedestrian accidents in Portland include lack of attention, negligence, and impaired pedestrians.

So, as you can see, there are multiple reasons why a pedestrian might get into an accident when they are using the public highways.

Pedestrian walk signal for crosswalk; image courtesy of AJEL via Pixabay, www.pixabay.com

What to do if you've been involved in a pedestrian accident?If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, there are things you can do to make sure that you are protected. For example, you should be gathering evidence from any witnesses at the scene and making sure you take their contact details. You should also return to the scene and take photographs of where the vehicle that hit you was and where you were going at the time. You should try to report the incident to the local police and receive a report. The report is your legal record that the incident actually took place at the time when you said it did. You should also visit the hospital for the exact same reason. Finally, make sure that you have a good pedestrian accident lawyer to represent you should your case progress.Source:

1. Road Safety Facts