Annapolis, Maryland Pedestrian Injury Lawyer

Protecting the Rights of Injured Pedestrians

Annapolis was designed and built during a time when walking was the primary method of travel people used in cities. Pedestrians are a common sight in Annapolis. Unfortunately, pedestrians are particularly vulnerable to suffering severe injuries due to the negligence of automobile drivers.

If you recently suffered an injury in a pedestrian collision, contact the award-winning attorneys at Portner & Shure, P.A. in Annapolis. The process of obtaining compensation for your injuries could require skilled representation. Insurance companies frequently deny valid pedestrian accident claims with the hope that victims simply give up.

To learn more, call (410) 995-1515 today.

Pedestrian Laws in Maryland

Pedestrians are only legally allowed to use a crosswalk to cross a street. Under Maryland law, a crosswalk is defined as a marked or unmarked portion of a roadway that is connected to a sidewalk. Pedestrians are not allowed to cross a street if a traffic control device displays a “do not walk” signal.

Automobile drivers are also subject to legal restrictions. Drivers must stop their vehicles if pedestrians are in a crosswalk, or if a stop or yield sign is present. Finally, drivers must stop their vehicles if pedestrians are in a crosswalk despite having a right or left traffic light.

Injuries & Financial Compensation in Pedestrian Cases

The injuries that pedestrians suffer are often traumatic and life-threatening. This is because pedestrians have no protection against oncoming automobiles.

Victims of pedestrian collisions frequently suffer:

• Back Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Brain Injuries
• Head Injuries
• Broken Bones
• Severe Cuts
• Muscle Damage
• Nerve Damage

Pedestrian accident victims usually require immediate medical treatment at an emergency room. Often, this is only the beginning of the healing process. Victims may require extensive physical therapy to recover from their injuries. Despite this treatment, many victims of pedestrian accidents are often left permanently disabled.

Worse yet, victims then find themselves deeply in debt as a result of the cost of their medical treatment. Maryland law allows victims of pedestrian collisions to obtain compensation for their medical treatment and the pain and suffering they endured from their injuries, though.

Litigating a Pedestrian Case

A victim of a pedestrian accident must prove that the automobile driver operated their vehicle in a negligent manner, and, as a result, suffered an injury. Maryland law requires a victim to prove both of these elements by a preponderance of the evidence, i.e., 51%. Meeting this burden is not an easy task as Maryland law provides several legal defenses. Additionally, insurance companies often hire aggressive defense attorneys who use these defenses to shift blame onto the victim. They frequently use the defenses of contributory negligence and assumption of risk, which can preclude a victim from recovery anything.

• Contributory negligence requires a defendant to prove that a victim acted negligently, and the victim’s negligence contributed to the accident.
• Assumption of risk requires a defendant to prove that a victim undertook a risky action despite knowing and understanding the risk associated with their action.

A defendant has a better chance of winning if they prove that a victim entered a crosswalk despite a “do not walk” signal being displayed. Skilled representation is usually necessary to overcome these defenses. Additionally, a victim has a better chance of meeting their burden and winning if they obtain strong evidence of the automobile driver’s negligence, such as traffic camera footage or independent witness testimony.

Why Hire Portner & Shure, P.A.?

The attorneys at Portner & Shure, P.A. recently recovered over $2.1 million in a pedestrian accident case. Our attorneys know how to gather critical evidence that can be used to defeat the defenses of contributory negligence and assumption of risk. Our attorneys know how to build strong cases on behalf of our clients.

While past success does not guarantee future results, the attorneys at Portner & Shure, P.A. bring more than 30 years of experience to each case they litigate. Additionally, experience has allowed us to build a reputation for success that can be seen in the numerous Five-Star reviews written by former clients and the awards our attorneys have earned. All personal injury work is performed on a contingency fee basis, which means Portner & Shure, P.A. receives no fee unless our client obtains a settlement or judgment in court.

To schedule a free consultation regarding your Annapolis pedestrian case, contact us at (410) 995-1515 or contact us online. Our staff speaks English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Vietnamese, and Korean. In fact, we have won numerous pedestrian accident cases for clients who spoke only Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.