The beautiful Southern California weather and the many amazing sights and experiences Santa Barbara and its surrounding communities offer invite locals and tourists alike to take in the area on foot. Regrettably, doing so comes with the risk of a vehicle hitting you. Because vehicles are vastly bigger, faster, and heavier than pedestrians, these collisions often inflict major or fatal injuries on the pedestrian. These kinds of harm can create lifelong difficulties for an injured pedestrian or for the family of a fatally injured pedestrian. Obtaining full and appropriate financial compensation can be crucial to your family’s future. A knowledgeable Santa Barbara pedestrian accident lawyer can help as you seek to go about pursuing that recovery.
According to the Office of Traffic Safety, California’s pedestrian fatality rate is “almost 25% higher than the national average” and no state has “more pedestrian deaths on its roadways than California.” In 2021, the state logged 1,108 pedestrian fatalities, up 9.3% from 2020’s total. 39 of the state’s injury or fatal pedestrian accidents occurred here in Santa Barbara County.
A pair of recent local incidents further highlight the dangers pedestrians face. The first one, which occurred in late February, took place just west of Santa Barbara. According to Noozhawk, a 68-year-old man was crossing Hollister Avenue at Auhay Drive when a 78-year-old man behind the wheel of an Oldsmobile sedan traveling eastbound on Hollister struck him. The California Highway Patrol indicated that the northbound pedestrian was inside the crosswalk at the time of impact. Emergency responders transported the pedestrian to Cottage Hospital with critical injuries.
Less than two weeks later, the site was State Street near La Cumbre Plaza. According to Edhat, the driver of a “small bus transporting senior citizens back to their community” hit a male pedestrian. The victim lost consciousness and was transported to Cottage Hospital.
The Critical Components of a Pedestrian Accident Case
One of the key steps in your pedestrian accident case is identifying the people and/or entities who may be liable and owe compensation to you. Depending on the specific facts of your accident, this may include the driver who hit you, the driver’s employer if that person was “on the job” at the time of the crash, a municipality or local government that was responsible for the roadway where the crash happened (if the evidence shows that the road conditions were unreasonably dangerous,) and possibly a vehicle or vehicle part manufacturer (if a mechanical failure was to blame for the crash.) Some cases involve only one negligent party, while others involve numerous ones. The right legal team, armed with the results of a prompt and thorough investigation, can ensure you pursue all the people and entities who were responsible.
Another crucial element is determining how much harm you have endured. Your losses likely span multiple areas, from massive medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering (both and future), along with additional forms of available damages that potentially add up to hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Having an accurate and reliable estimate of your case’s “value” is vital so that you can better analyze settlement offers and differentiate fair ones from low-ball ones.
Whether your case involves seeking $10,000 in damages or $10 million, entails working out a settlement or taking your case to trial, and one negligent party or 10, you can count on the experienced Santa Barbara pedestrian accident attorneys at the personal injury law firm of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, LLP to provide skillful, knowledgeable, and determined advocacy to ensure you get justice. Contact us at 805-617-1365 or through our website to get a free case consultation today.
