Philadelphia, PA Pedestrian Injury Lawyers
Portable electronic devices have been around since the Walkman in the 1970's. But they have continued to get more powerful, more useful, more necessary, more addictive—and more distracting. They are contributing to and increasing number of pedestrian and sidewalk accidents.
A Danger to Themselves
The most dramatic examples in the media have involved people killed while walking on train tracks, listening to MP3 players. Walking in front of buses and other transit vehicles is likely to be fatal and is a concern of municipalities, marketers of the devices, and the public at large.
But crossing almost any street while not paying attention is a very widespread, nationwide phenomenon that is resulting in deaths and injuries in sidewalk accidents. "Inattention blindness" is a phenomenon characterized by near obliviousness to what is happening around us.
A study observing intersections at one university showed that 48 percent of cell phone users stepped into the crosswalk as a car approached. That was much higher than those with MP3 players or those without any device.
A Danger to Others
Drivers trying to avoid hitting these pedestrians collide with other cars. Bicyclists trying to avoid oblivious pedestrians crash, or hit others. Even other pedestrians trip over or are knocked over by those texting.
If you are a driver involved in a crash caused by someone not paying attention, we know you are not to blame. Commercial vehicles including vans and taxis need to get where they are going, and should not be blamed when sidewalk accidents are caused by distracted pedestrians. Costs for resulting damages should be paid by the person at fault.
If a sidewalk accident has caused you property damage or personal injury, contact the firm now. Learn how a experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney can help you recover fair compensation for your injuries.
