Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Pedestrian Killed: When Is a Pedestrian at Fault for an Accident?

At the beginning of the month a woman was killed while crossing Bel Air Road in Baltimore County, Maryland. The Baltimore County Police Department spokesperson indicated that the woman appeared to have been trying to outrun the vehicle to get to the other side of the road when she was struck. The woman was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the vehicle immediately stopped and notified police of the accident.


An accident reconstructionist could help the investigating officers determine what happened. Weather conditions, speed of the vehicle, time of day (i.e. was it dark, lighting?), physical evidence such as skid marks are taken into consideration when an accident is being investigated. An accident reconstructionist should be called in fatal or serious motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents.


There is an abundance of laws in Maryland that address situations involving pedestrians that are injured by an automobile. The key inquiry in such accidents is whether or not the pedestrian was inside or out of a crosswalk. As a general rule, pedestrians have the right of way when they are in a crosswalk. However, in the event that a person is crossing a street outside of a crosswalk that person has an obligation to use the greatest care to protect themselves from injury.


If you, a family member, or someone you know has been involved in a pedestrian related car accident, or if you would like more information on automobile accidents, please contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation. Our Maryland Accident Lawyers are available to provide you with a free legal consultation.



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