Common Location Scenarios for McKinney Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents often occur in a handful of specific scenarios in McKinney. Understanding the common circumstances around pedestrian accidents can help both walkers and drivers better avoid a collision, and may prove beneficial to a skilled pedestrian accident lawyer in recovering compensation if a crash does occur. Call today to learn more about the common location scenarios for McKinney pedestrian accidents.

Pedestrian Accidents Involving Crosswalks

One of the most common location scenarios for pedestrian accidents in McKinney occurs when pedestrians are crossing the road in a crosswalk. Crosswalks exist to make it safer for pedestrians, those on scooters, and those on bicycles to cross large roadways. One of the important considerations when determining whether a pedestrian accident is actionable is to determine whether or not the pedestrian had the right to cross the road at the time and place the accident occurred.

Because crosswalks were designed to allow pedestrians to cross large, busy roads, one of the complications of these cases is whether pedestrians are using these crosswalks as they were supposed to. If a pedestrian crosses outside of a crosswalk, ignores a pedestrian stop light, or fails to yield to traffic where appropriate, they may be partially at fault for a collision. Typically, there is a lower percentage of fault assigned to pedestrians and a higher percentage of fault placed on the motorist who has a legal obligation to yield to individuals in the crosswalk.

Streets with No Sidewalks

Sidewalks have been required in new neighborhoods and developments in McKinney for several years. In the older parts of McKinney, however, the sidewalk requirement may not have been in place when roads were built. As a result, these streets—which include some of McKinney’s major roads—have no sidewalks.

Sometimes, in places where no sidewalk exists, pedestrian traffic is pushed into the roadway or very close to the edge of the road. Sharing the roadway with cars makes pedestrians significantly more vulnerable to being struck. Drivers in McKinney should be particularly mindful of pedestrians while driving in areas without sidewalks. Individuals who have been injured after being hit by a vehicle on a street with no sidewalk should call a dedicated lawyer.

Stop Sign Intersections in McKinney

Stop signs exist for a reason, which is to force motorists to come to a complete stop. A driver’s failure to entirely stop when directed can put pedestrians directly into harm’s way. Many times, pedestrians see motorists slowing down and believe they are going to stop so they head into the intersection and the motorists do not stop.

In one recent scenario, a child walking to school in McKinney was hit in an intersection a block from his classes. The driver did a rolling stop and ran over the child, causing a brain injury. It is a scenario that happens relatively frequently, and one that motorists must be on the lookout for. If a driver is at a stop sign, they must come to a complete stop and make sure that any pedestrian traffic has cleared before they go through the intersection.

Both drivers and pedestrians should keep in mind the common scenarios for McKinney pedestrian accidents and recognize when they are in a situation that is especially risky or dangerous. For more information, contact a skilled attorney today.