Pedestrian Hit by a Car in a D.C. Crosswalk

A pedestrian hit by a car in Washington, D.C., has certain rights against the other driver and the driver’s insurance company.

First, pedestrians have the right of way in marked crosswalks, so drivers need to stop and yield to pedestrians. This applies to what are sometimes called “unmarked” crosswalks, which are the corners of an intersection, even without the painted crosswalk on the street.

Of course, for intersections controlled by a traffic light, pedestrians need to follow the walk signal and not cross against the light, as well as not cross in the middle of the street.

We represent a lot of pedestrians and cyclists who have been injured in car crashes in D.C. Many times, the question in the case is who was at fault or responsible for the accident. So it is critical for pedestrians and cyclists to get contact information for any witnesses. This can be difficult in a serious injury when someone is taken to the hospital in an ambulance, but if the police are called to the scene to investigate, they should take down witness information.

Unfortunately, if you have been seriously injured in a crash, you cannot count on that.

That is one of the reasons it is important to have experienced lawyers investigating the accident for you. There may be surveillance video footage from a local restaurant or business, red light camera footage, or other video evidence that shows how the accident happened.

Nearly ten years ago, the law in D.C. changed to allow pedestrians or cyclists who are seriously injured to recover damages against the driver who hit them as long as the pedestrian or cyclist was less than 50% at fault. In other injury cases in D.C., the contributory negligence rule is followed, meaning that someone who is injured needs to prove that the other driver was the cause of the accident and that the victim did not contribute to it.

D.C. has made an effort to keep the streets, intersections, and sidewalks safe for pedestrians and cyclists. But let’s face it—there are a lot of dangerous and reckless drivers who run red lights, do not yield the right of way, and speed through intersections.

If you were a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a car, you are probably dealing with serious injuries that have required hospitalization, surgery, therapy, and rehab, and have left you unable to work. Let us handle all of the legal issues regarding your accident case and deal with the insurance company so you don’t have to.

After just one phone call, we hope you will see that we really try to take away the stress, anxiety, and uncertainty in dealing with the insurance company so you can focus on getting better.

If you’ve been in a pedestrian car accident in D.C., click here for a same-day consultation. Reach us at 202-393-3320 or email info@dkllp.com —we’re here to help you recover your rights.