Crosswalks are designed to protect pedestrians. However, they are often the site of severe traffic collisions. Maryland law requires drivers to stop and yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and often at intersections. Yet driver negligence continues to put lives at risk.
Leading factors in Maryland crosswalk collisions
Understanding how these accidents happen is critical, especially under Maryland’s strict personal injury legal framework. Here are some of the most common causes of crosswalk collisions, including:
- Failure to yield the right-of-way: Motorists often prioritize oncoming traffic over pedestrians in both marked and unmarked crosswalks when turning.
- Illegal passing of stopped vehicles: Maryland law prohibits passing a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Violating this rule often leads to dangerous ‘multiple-threat’ collisions.
- Distracted driving: Texting, checking navigation apps or talking on the phone takes a driver’s eyes and mental focus off the road. Distracted drivers often notice pedestrians too late to avoid a collision.
- Poor visibility and nighttime driving: Low lighting, rain, fog or sightline obstructions make pedestrians harder to spot when drivers fail to adjust their speed for safety.
- Speeding and accelerating through yellow lights: Drivers speeding to beat changing signals often cannot stop in time for pedestrians entering the crosswalk.
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI): Alcohol and drug impairment severely affect a driver’s reaction times, depth perception and spatial awareness.
Maryland’s pure contributory negligence law means that if an injured pedestrian is even at 1% fault, they cannot recover any damages. As a result, fault is often a central issue in these cases.
Securing fair compensation
You don’t have to face the physical, emotional and financial tolls of crosswalk collisions alone. If you or a loved one was injured in a crosswalk, consulting an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney can help you understand your legal options and pursue the compensation available to you.