Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries

Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries

More than 12 walkers and joggers are killed by motor vehicles every day on U.S. streets and highways, and another is injured every 8 minutes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2014 alone, 4,884 people died, and 65,000 more were injured on public roadways. *source

In a study of pedestrian injury patterns published by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, researchers found that the most common pedestrian injuries were to the lower extremities, followed by head injuries and then injuries to the upper extremities.

The most common lower extremity injuries were to the leg, knee, and ankle, followed by injury to the foot, thigh, and hip.

Brain trauma and head injuries frequently occurred with loss of consciousness the most reported, followed by intracranial injury, injury to the scalp, face, and eye, skull fracture/injury and neck injury.

Upper extremity injuries occurred in more than 26 percent of the cases, with the shoulder and arm being injured most, followed by the elbow and forearm, and then wrist and hand.

Internal injuries to the thorax occurred in 281 cases and abdomen in 89 cases, most frequently including broken ribs, fractured sternum, pierced and punctured lungs, followed by kidney, liver, stomach and intestinal, spleen, vascular and even esophageal injury.

Broken Bones including pelvic bone breaks are common, though the rates for some types of fracture increased with age.

Soft tissue injuries in people who have been hit by a vehicle tend to be severe and long lasting. Despite not seeming as serious as other types of injuries, soft tissue damage can take longer to heal and may remain an area of weakness for the rest of the victims’ life.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) were not as common in pedestrian injuries, though damage to the cervical spine, the thoracic spine, or lumbar occurred in 139 of 3289 cases studied.

If you have been hurt in a motor vehicle accident, having to worry about medical costs, bills, daily living costs, and supporting yourself and your family will only slow recovery and healing. Fortunately, financial compensation may be available to you for your injuries, suffering, lost wages, and other damages. Fill out the form for a free consultation and learn more about how to recover compensation for your injuries and losses.


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