A Chicago Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Fighting For Clients For Over 30 Years.
Pedestrians are probably the most vulnerable group on crosswalks and streets. According to many statistics, a pedestrian is hit by an automobile every seven minutes, and the fault is almost always that of the driver.
Due to lack of protection, pedestrians often suffer extreme or fatal injuries as the result of collisions with automobiles. The victims of these car accidents often require ongoing medical and rehabilitative treatments, and they also deserve compensation for lost wages and personal pain and suffering.
In some scenarios, the at-fault driver of the motor vehicle may commit a hit-and-run offense after colliding into a pedestrian.
It is important to act quickly to retain an effective Chicago pedestrian accident lawyer who will conduct a thorough investigation of the scene, interview witnesses, and obtain copies police reports to support you or your loved one who was injured in a pedestrian accident. Even if you receive compensation from an insurance company, it may not cover all your medical expenses, rehabilitation, and future medical procedures.
In the event that you have been injured or lost a loved one in an accident involving a pedestrian and auto vehicle, it is important to seek experienced legal representation that can aggressively prosecute your case, and to seek compensation for your personal or physical loss.
Tips for Walking Safely
Once every eight minutes, a pedestrian is injured in the United States. While some pedestrians simply walk into traffic – or into trees, utility poles, or buildings – far too many injured pedestrians are the innocent victims of negligent car and truck drivers. Pedestrians often suffer spinal cord, brain or head injuries as a result of the car accident. These injuries are serious, and could affect you for years after the accident. If you or someone you love has been injured as a pedestrian while walking in or near Chicago, speak at once with an experienced Chicago pedestrian accident attorney – Joseph M. Dooley – about your legal rights and options, including a possible personal injury lawsuit. If your loved one was killed in a pedestrian accident, speak to an attorney about your right to file a wrongful death claim. If you’re a pedestrian in Chicago, here are ten tips for staying safe while walking from pedestrian accident lawyers:
- Walk on a sidewalk instead of the street wherever possible.
- If there’s no sidewalk, try to walk facing traffic but as far from it as possible.
- Walk with awareness of your surroundings and be prepared for the unexpected.
- Cross only at intersections and marked crosswalks. Cross only when the traffic control indicates it is safe to walk. DO NOT SIMPLY FOLLOW OTHERS. Oftentimes others are crossing against the light because they are careless or in a hurry. You may follow without paying attention to the traffic controls and end up being the one who is hit.
- Stop and look left, right, and left again before crossing. Don’t be in a hurry.
- Be careful walking near parked vehicles. They can move abruptly and unexpectedly and begin driving in your path.
- Don’t do anything that might surprise drivers, like darting from between parked cars.
- Don’t let your vision be blocked by anyone in front of you or by items you’re carrying.
- At night, wear bright colors and carry a flashlight.
- Fifteen percent of pedestrian/vehicle accidents involve impaired pedestrians. If you’re intoxicated, it might be a good idea to postpone that walk. Intoxication can affect your judgment and cause you to lose balance. Impaired pedestrians could easily slip and fall in the street or walk in front of oncoming traffic.
Walkers aren’t the only ones who are at risk of being injured. People go jogging for their health, so the last thing anyone wants while jogging is to sustain an injury. Nevertheless, scores of Chicago-area joggers have been injured over the years by negligent car, truck, and bus drivers. If you jog anywhere near traffic, face the traffic so that you can see what’s coming. It’s also smart to leave the music devices at home – you need to be thoroughly alert and to see and hear everything clearly. When you have access to a jogging path or a sidewalk, use it. Consider jogging in a park or somewhere away from traffic altogether.
If you are a pedestrian in the Chicago area, defensive walking is one strategy. Don’t use your cell-phone – distracted talkers and texters sometimes walk right into traffic. Don’t listen to music with earplugs or earphones – you need to hear traffic as well as see it. Never jaywalk, and wear bright colors after dark. If you are injured in the Chicago area while you are a pedestrian, you’re going to need the advice and services of a good Chicago pedestrian accident lawyer – someone who will aggressively fight to have your medical expenses and lost wages fully and promptly compensated. That lawyer is Joseph M. Dooley, a Chicago attorney with more than 25 years of experience representing the victims of injuries caused by negligence and recklessness. After receiving medical treatment, contact Chicago pedestrian accident lawyer Joseph M. Dooley immediately.
Chicago Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Hello, I’m Joseph M. Dooley, and I am a Chicago pedestrian accident lawyer with more than 20 years of experience.
Through my legal practice, The Law Office of Joseph M. Dooley, I represent pedestrians injured while crossing a crosswalk or who lost loved ones in accidents involving negligent drivers. The physical and emotional trauma of these injuries can be crippling, making it necessary to hire efficient and aggressive legal representation.
I have received the AV Preeminent rating, which is the highest peer review rating under Martindale Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating process*.
Contact a Chicago Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today
As an advocate for my Cook County clients who have been injured as a result of pedestrian accidents, I believe it is important to be available to my clients and their families. I maintain a low volume of pedestrian accident cases so that I can treat your personal injury circumstance with the care and attention it deserves.
I am the only attorney at my Illinois law firm, so I will handle every aspect of your case from start to finish. This one-on-one involvement means you can be assured that I will be familiar with every aspect of your case, and my contingent fee arrangement ensures that I will do everything in my power to get you full compensation for your injuries. It is not required that personal injury victims work with attorneys, but it is highly recommended if you want to receive the compensation you deserve.
I have years of experience representing clients in cases involving bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, premises liability, and product liability. If you seek legal representation or would like more information about my legal services, please call my office at 312-236-7282 today to set up your free initial consultation. You may also contact my Chicago law firm online by filling out the form on this website.