Denver Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

As a pedestrian, you are extremely vulnerable to injury when walking near traffic or crossing a street. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are seriously harmed in pedestrian accidents in the United States. While some of these accidents are the fault of the pedestrian, many of these unfortunate events are caused by negligent motorists.

If you’ve been hurt in a pedestrian accident, our Denver pedestrian accident attorneys can help. Call Fuicelli & Lee today at (303) 355-7202 for a free consultation.

Why Choose Fuicelli & Lee?

• Fuicelli & Lee is a boutique Denver personal injury law firm that takes the time to get to know every client that we help. This means listening to our client’s needs as we develop their case strategies.
• Our motto is “Experience Matters,” and this is a reflection of how we handle every case. We pursue maximum compensation for every client, even if this means going all the way to trial.
• We handle pedestrian accident claims in Denver on a contingency fee basis. This means that clients do not have to worry about paying legal fees until we successfully recover compensation for their losses.

Colorado Pedestrian Accident Statistics

According to data from a recent year by the Governors Highway safety association, Colorado saw an increase of 17% in pedestrian accident fatalities. In 2020, a total of 87 pedestrian fatalities were registered in the state. While most pedestrian accidents are not fatal, many result in serious injuries.

As with other types of traffic accidents, pedestrian accidents occur most often due to negligent drivers who engage in reckless behavior such as speeding, inattentiveness, violation of traffic laws, and intoxication. In addition, pedestrian accidents are more likely to occur in urban areas. Thankfully, in cases of driver negligence such as these, financial compensation is an option for victims and surviving family members to recover much-needed support.

Colorado State Laws for the Protection of Pedestrians

Colorado state law defines a pedestrian as any person who is walking or using a wheelchair. Just as there are laws surrounding the safe operation of motor vehicles on roads and highways, there are laws concerning the safety of pedestrians. And every pedestrian must obey the traffic rules that apply to them, for their safety and the safety of other road users.

Unless they are otherwise directed by a police officer, all pedestrians must obey any traffic control devices specifically for pedestrians, such as “Walk” and “Don’t Walk” signals at crosswalks.

Pedestrians’ Right-of-Way in Crosswalks

• Where there are no traffic signs or traffic control signals in operation, vehicle drivers are expected to slow down or stop to allow pedestrians already crossing a crosswalk to proceed.
• Pedestrians are prohibited from making sudden entries into the path of moving vehicles in a way that can cause harm to themselves and other road users.
• When a vehicle is stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross a roadway, other vehicles behind that vehicle are not allowed to overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.
• Pedestrians must obey all pedestrian signals directing them to “Walk” or “Don’t Walk.”

Pedestrians Crossing at Areas Apart from Crosswalks

• When a pedestrian is trying to cross a roadway that has no marked crosswalk, the pedestrian must yield to all vehicles on the roadway.
• At intersections where traffic control signals are in operation, pedestrians must only cross at those marked intersections.
• Pedestrians are prohibited from crossing roadway intersections diagonally unless they are authorized to do so by a traffic control device.

Pedestrians’ Duty to Persons With Disabilities

Pedestrians who are not in wheelchairs have a duty of care to other pedestrians with disabilities. They must take precautions to avoid any actions that may cause an accident or injury to a pedestrian with disabilities. Some indications that a person may have a disability include the use of a mobility device like a cane, assistance by a service animal, assistance by another person, or other obvious presentation of physical disability.

Drivers’ Duty to Pedestrians

While pedestrians have road user rules that they must abide by for their safety, drivers owe pedestrians a duty of care and act accordingly. They may use their horns, when necessary, to warn pedestrians of danger.

Drivers must also drive cautiously if they observe children, any obviously confused or incapacitated person on the roadway, or pedestrians with disabilities.

In addition to these duties to pedestrians, Colorado has careless and reckless driving laws that vehicle drivers must also adhere to.

If you were injured by a negligent driver in a pedestrian collision, you may file a personal injury claim to obtain compensation from the responsible party.

Common Pedestrian Injuries We Help Clients With

Pedestrians are incredibly vulnerable when they are on or around the roadway. The reality is that pedestrians have no protection against the force of a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds. Even a slow-moving vehicle can lead to pedestrian accidents with serious injuries. Vehicles moving at higher rates of speed are likely to cause catastrophic injuries.

At Fuicelli & Lee, our team has experience helping pedestrian accident victims in Denver who have sustained a wide range of injuries. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Spinal cord trauma with paralysis
• Other severe back or neck injuries, including whiplash
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Broken or dislocated bones
• Severe lacerations
• Puncture wounds
• Road rash
• Severe bruising
• Internal organ damage
• Significant bleeding
• Scarring and disfigurement

Acute visible traumatic injuries are not the only types of trauma that a pedestrian accident victim is likely to sustain. Often overlooked are the emotional and psychological traumas that these individuals incur as a result of the accident, the physical injuries, and the recovery process. Pedestrian accidents frequently result in individuals not being able to carry out their day-to-day activities. These incidents could change their lives forever, including their ability to spend time with family and go to work.

Our Denver pedestrian accident lawyers help clients who have sustained physical pain and suffering, emotional and psychological suffering, loss of quality of life, and more. We bring up these types of injuries because we want to make sure that our clients are made whole, which includes treating more than just the visible traumatic injuries they sustained.

Getting Compensation for Your Pedestrian Accident Injury in Denver

If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident because of the careless or reckless driving of a vehicle driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. However, it’s very likely that the insurance company will try to blame you for the accident to reduce their liability.

If opposing parties prove that you were partly at fault for the accident, any compensation due to you will be reduced by the percentage of fault that is attributed to you. However, having a Denver accident attorney who knows the law and the tactics that insurance companies can help strengthen your pedestrian accident claim, protect your interests, and obtain fair compensation.

Types of Compensation Available to Denver Pedestrian Accident Victims

There may be a wide variety of compensation types available to pedestrian accident victims in Denver. The team at Fuicelli & Lee strives to recover both “special” and “general” damages on behalf of every client that we help.

Special damages refer to various types of economic losses that are relatively easy to calculate by gathering bills that come in after the fact. Special damages for an injured pedestrian often include medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, property damage expenses, and more.

General damages are typically harder to calculate. These are often referred to as non-economic losses and revolve around more immeasurable types of expenses such as a pedestrian accident victim’s physical and emotional pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, loss of consortium for family members or a spouse, and more.

There is no set amount of compensation available to pedestrian accident victims, but there are various factors that can influence how much compensation a person receives. These include the overall severity of the injuries, whether there was any shared fault for the incident, how long the recovery process will take, and overall property damage expenses.

How Can Fuicelli & Lee Help My Pedestrian Accident Claim?

Our legal team understands that pedestrian accidents involve unique circumstances, varied damages, and potentially multiple liable parties. When you choose to work with an experienced pedestrian accident attorney from our firm, you receive personalized attention and the skill that decades of experience in personal injury law. Our lawyers will examine your pedestrian accident case in detail in order to help you proceed in the way that best serves your interests.

When possible, we will negotiate toward a fair settlement with the negligent driver’s insurance company. If necessary, we will prepare your case for a personal injury lawsuit. In any case, you can be confident that our Colorado pedestrian accident lawyers will keep you abreast of your claim’s progression and fight for you every step of the way.

Contact a Denver Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one was injured in a pedestrian accident, contact Fuicelli & Lee today. Our Denver personal injury attorneys can help you recover full and fair compensation for your injuries and losses. Contact us to schedule your free case consultation with one of our Denver pedestrian accident attorneys.

Fuicelli & Lee, PC – Denver Office

1731 Gilpin Street
Denver, CO 80218
P: (303) 355-7202