In a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, participants indicated that 14 percent of children walk to school. Walking, especially with friends, can be a fun and healthy mode of transportation to and from school. Kids can socialize, get exercise, and save their parents time and even money otherwise spent on gas or bus fees. Walking to school is especially practical in an urban setting, where there are more schools per square mile and children often live in close range to their school.
Many parents do not let their children, however, for a multitude of reasons. Pedestrian accidents happen everyday, and can cause serious injury. Many parents are concerned about the safety risks of allowing their child to walk to school, and the possibility of them getting hit by a car. Still, many parents do allow their child to walk to school, or to the store, or to a friend's house. In the unfortunate instance that your child is involved in an accident as a pedestrian, and suffers injuries, treating those injuries can be costly and hard on the whole family. If your child is involved in an accident, do not hesitate to contact an experienced Fayette County personal injury attorney at Shane Smith Law. We can help you recover for money spent on medical bills for your child and for additional pain and suffering.
In 2008, one in every five children between the ages of 5 and 9 who was injured in a motor vehicle accident was a pedestrian. Education on traffic and road safety is one way to help avoid a pedestrian accident involving your child. Teach your child to practice safe pedestrian behaviors, such as:
- Always walk on a sidewalk if available; if there is no sidewalk, always walk facing the traffic
- Always cross at a crosswalk and look both ways regardless of traffic signals
- Don't assume that drivers will give pedestrians the right of way
- Wear light, visible clothing, especially at night.
If your child is, in fact, involved in a pedestrian accident, you should not hesitate to call a personal injury attorney at (770) 487-8999. Shane Smith Law in Fayette County are here to help ensure that you receive a fair settlement on behalf of your injured child. No one likes to think about the possibility of their child being in an accident, but know that if it happens, there is an experienced pedestrian accident attorney on your side.