Pedestrian accidents are among our personal injury attorneys’ most dangerous and deadly cases. But child pedestrian accidents in DC can be some of the most callous and unrelenting cases we have encountered in our 70 years of practice. In Washington, D.C., in 2023, there were 19 pedestrian deaths due to traffic accidents and 20 deaths to people in vehicles. This happened despite far fewer accidents involving pedestrians than cases involving just vehicles. Unsurprisingly, this is because there is far less protection and safety technology available to pedestrians than someone in a modern car. The most protection a pedestrian gets is the slight cushion from falling on a puffy coat if the accident happens during the colder months.
As a parent, your ultimate goal is to raise and protect your child from harm. While many harms are avoidable, some are not. While you teach your children the basics, such as to look both ways before crossing the road, some drivers behave so negligently and erratically that predicting their behavior is impossible. Combined with the fact that children are unpredictable, this can lead to catastrophic results. And when a car or a truck collides with a child, the outcome is unimaginable.
In 2021, 162,298 children were injured in general traffic crashes in 2021. This study defines a child as 14 years old or younger. Under those parameters, 2% of pedestrian deaths in 2021 were children. While this is a significant minority, it is also an unimaginable tragedy. 176 children dying in fatal pedestrian accidents, while far less than the 7,388 total pedestrians who died in 2021, is still too many. The good news is that children under the same parameters made up about 18% of the U.S. population in 2021. Accordingly, children are disproportionately represented in fatal pedestrian accidents.
This may be explained by the fact that an older pedestrian may not be able to handle such a severe accident, and a younger person may not be as capable of healing. This reasoning is supported by the fact that an estimated 162,298 children were injured in traffic crashes across the U.S. in 2021.
Interestingly, the child traffic fatalities and fatality rates over the last ten years have remained relatively steady. In 2012, there were 1,173 child traffic fatalities and 1,184 child pedestrian fatalities nine years later.
On some levels, some accidents are unavoidable. There will always be some number of drunk drivers, distracted drivers on their phones, tired drivers, and speeders who cause accidents that no child can escape. On the other hand, our team at Gelb & Gelb, P.C. is committed to protecting child pedestrians and seeking justice for pedestrian accident victims.
To formulate a plan to prevent child pedestrian accidents in DC, we must first understand the common causes. While many of these causes highlight the actions of negligent drivers, there are still things we can do as parents and community members to decrease the number of child accidents.
While there are infinitely more reasons why child pedestrian accidents occur, the eight above highlight the most common causes.
After a child pedestrian accident in DC, you have a right to legal representation to discuss your next steps. Every case is different, and some cases require immediate action. However, here, we will list a general framework so you can better understand your rights.
If you or your child is injured in a pedestrian accident and it is not the child’s fault, you are entitled to medical care. That medical care is compensable by the negligent tortfeasor. However, note that just because they are liable does not mean they can pay it. They may not have auto insurance. Your DC pedestrian accident attorney can help you investigate whether they do, but exchanging information at the accident scene is always best.
Additionally, similar to medical expenses in that it hinges on whether there is coverage, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering. As a child, there is not likely to be a lost wage claim. However, there is compensation due for missing time from school. No child should take time off from their education to go to the doctor. While we do not advise skipping school for doctor appointments, your trusted attorneys will fight to ensure you receive compensation for this inconvenience. You also are entitled to compensation for the pain you suffer due to your injuries. For example, if you fracture your wrist in a pedestrian accident, you are owed some amount of money for having to undergo that pain. How much an injury is worth ultimately depends on what a jury believes, which can vary on any given day and venue.
Remember that while you have a legal right to this compensation, recovering it is not always so simple. A person may not have insurance. Or if they do, the insurance carrier may disagree with you on the value of the injuries suffered. This is why working with a skilled personal injury attorney on your child’s case is imperative.
Education is vital for parents and caregivers. Hopefully, the information above has laid a solid groundwork for you to understand better the common causes of child pedestrian accidents in DC. With that groundwork in place, we can look to prevent accidents in the future. Education is key! Instill safe habits in your children from a young age. This can include the following:
Children are impulsive. Even when they know what to do and what not to do, they still require supervision. If your children are playing outside, even in your front yard, ensure someone supervises them.
Bonus tip: Advocate for safer infrastructure. While this is less direct than educating your children, it can benefit your kids and the community. Some streets do not have adequate sidewalks or crosswalks where they should. Advocating for safer infrastructure for your children can go a long way.
Child pedestrian accident attorneys can be emotionally debilitating. Ensure that you are not fighting alone in this case. Speak with our trusted attorneys, boasting over 70 years of experience handling personal injury cases in Washington, D.C. Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation at (202) 331-7227.