Safety Precautions for Rancho Mirage Pedestrians

Although walking is an excellent form of exercise and allows you to breathe fresh air and absorb vitamin D from the sun, you need to be cautious if you veer off the path and venture into heavily trafficked areas. As a pedestrian, you share the roads with cars and trucks, and you should minimize your risk of getting struck by taking the proper safety precautions for Rancho Mirage pedestrians.

Unfortunately, accidents still occur even when you do your best to be careful. If you or a loved one sustained harm after being struck by a motor vehicle, a skilled pedestrian accident lawyer at Walter Clark Legal Group could help you seek damages in a lawsuit.

Precautionary Measures That Pedestrians Could Take

Pedestrians who walk in areas frequented by cars and trucks should take certain measures to ensure their safety in Rancho Mirage.

Visibility

Walkers should make themselves as visible and noticeable as possible to drivers. Good visibility is essential when walking in areas without sidewalks or crossing roads away from dedicated and well-lit areas. For example, if someone needs to go for a walk at night, such as needing to walk their dog, they should avoid wearing all black or dark clothing. They should walk with a flashlight or a headlight and wear bright or reflective clothing to make themselves more visible to motorists. Conversely, when someone walks in the bright sun of midday, they should wear bright clothing to avoid blending into the background in the sunlight.

Obey Traffic Rules

Pedestrians must obey traffic rules just as motorists should. Pedestrians should do the following:

• Avoid jaywalking
• Cross the road at designated crosswalks or intersections
• Walk on sidewalks whenever possible
• When there are no sidewalks, walk facing the traffic on the side of the road, as close to the edge and as far from the oncoming traffic as possible
• Avoid distractions—pedestrians should not walk in the road or cross the street while texting or using headphones

If an accident occurs—even if a pedestrian took proper precautions—a well-practiced lawyer from Walter Clark Legal Group could offer knowledgeable guidance.

What Happens When a Pedestrian Does Not Take Proper Safety Precautions?

Accidents may occur when a Rancho Mirage pedestrian fails to take preventive safety precautions to protect themselves. However, even if a walker bears some degree of fault for failing to make themselves visible to drivers or crossing the road outside a dedicated crosswalk area, they may still be able to seek damages.

California courts follow a pure comparative fault doctrine, which means that an injured pedestrian could pursue a legal claim against the driver who struck them, even if the pedestrian were to blame. For instance, a court may determine that a pedestrian crossing the road at night while wearing dark clothes outside of a crosswalk is 60 percent to blame for an accident. In that situation, the pedestrian could sue the driver, but only be eligible to collect 40 percent of the potentially recoverable damages.

A qualified local attorney could explain how comparative fault rules may affect a pedestrian’s damages and help them maximize their recovery award.

Call a Rancho Mirage Lawyer About Pedestrian Safety Measures

You should exercise caution whenever you walk on or near the same roads as cars. Unfortunately, safety precautions for Rancho Mirage pedestrians are not foolproof, and accidents still occur.

Call a seasoned attorney from Walter Clark Legal Group to learn about your legal options after being injured in a pedestrian accident.