Portsmouth, VA Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

As soon as they get behind the wheel and start their vehicle’s engine, drivers have a legal responsibility to act with care to avoid putting others at risk of harm. A failure to live up to this responsibility is known as a breach of duty. If such a breach is the direct cause of an accident, that driver can be considered legally negligent, and therefore, financially liable for the compensable losses of other people involved in the incident.

Negligence leading up to pedestrian accidents can come in many forms. For instance, a driver who runs a stoplight or does not yield for pedestrians in a crosswalk has violated state traffic law, which constitutes negligence if it proximately causes a crash. A Portsmouth, VA attorney could help obtain police reports, surveillance footage, and other documentary evidence proving that the driver who struck and injured a pedestrian broke the law while doing so.

Sometimes, though, establishing liability requires evidence from other sources, such as eyewitnesses and cell phone records. For example, subpoenaed cell phone records might show that a driver was using his or her phone when they hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk, even if the police report filed at the accident scene does not include a citation for texting while driving.