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What is pedestrian injury mitigation in Maryland?

Written by
ruxandra
June 17th, 2016

Each year, in the US, more than 4500 pedestrians are killed in traffic accidents. In addition to this, each year more than 150.000 pedestrians are treated for non-fatal car crash-related injuries. What is worse is that the traffic-related injuries are a growing health threat worldwide. In fact, around $500 billion were spent globally on pedestrian injuries and motor vehicle collisions. But people are working on pedestrian injury mitigation in Maryland and for the safety of the citizens. If you were injured in a car accident, you could contact a personal injury lawyer from Maryland to help you with your claim.

Pedestrian law in Maryland

According to the pedestrian law in Maryland, it is the peoples' right to use the sidewalks and the marked crosswalks whenever possible. But even if it is your right to cross the road (when the sign allows it), you still have to take prevention measures and watch for drivers that are not paying attention to the road. If you were hit by a car while you were exerting your right, you can contact an Annapolis injury lawyer and try to reach a pedestrian injury settlement in MD.

What is mitigation and pedestrian injury mitigation?

Any Annapolis injury lawyer will explain to you that mitigation is the reduction or elimination of the magnitude, severity, or frequency of exposure to risks, or lowering to the minimum the potential impact of a warning or threat.

Pedestrian injury mitigation is the combination of measures and changes that help pedestrians suffer the minimum amount of injuries and prevent losing their life in a pedestrian-vehicle crash. As a result, car engineers have started to develop special vehicle designs that reduce the pedestrian's likelihood of injuries in the event of a collision between a car and a pedestrian. But even with all the improvements in the design of the bumper, windshield, hood, and pillar, it is still possible for people to suffer extensive injuries in a car crash. In that case, the best way of protecting your rights is with the aid of an Annapolis injury attorney that knows the legislation and can help you reach a pedestrian injury settlement in MD.

Changes that help protect lives

Most pedestrian deaths result from traumatic brain injuries. Those injuries are the consequences of the impact of the head with the windshield or stiff hood. But today, the hood of the vehicles is built from a particular sheet of metal that acts as an absorbing structure. In addition to this, there is a 10 cm gap between the hood and the underlying engine, to have enough space for the head to have a controlled deceleration and thus reducing the risk of death.

The limb injuries occur mostly due to the direct impact with the bumper and the edge of the hood. To reduce limb injuries, the bumper has become much softer. Furthermore, by modifying the geometry of the front part of the car, the contact area increases, thus limiting the amount of knee and ligament damage.

In case you were injured as a pedestrian by a reckless driver, you can contact an Annapolis injury attorney to help you with the pedestrian injury claim. Gathering all the evidence needed can prove to be a challenge, and the more time you wait, the harder it becomes to find what you need.

Contact the best personal injury lawyer in Maryland at (443) 569-3950 or by email: chris@annapolisaccidentattorney.com.