Pedestrian strikes can be life-altering. Unfortunately, the luckiest of survivors typically walk away from an accident with serious injuries. Because vehicles are powerful machines, even a simple accident can result in severe physical and emotional consequences. Unfortunately, there are so many negligent and careless drivers on the road, and pedestrian accidents happen all of the time. Recently, one Wisconsin woman will face four years of prison for killing and injuring pedestrians on a local road.

The story dates back to March 2011. Two Samaritans were assisting an injured pedestrian in the street on the 3300 block of West Lincoln Avenue. The motorist drove home from a bar with friends in her car. She drove around cars blocking the street and struck the two assisting Samaritans. One person died and the other was injured.

Like motorists, pedestrians must obey road laws. Nevertheless, drivers have the responsibility of sharing the road with them. They must watch out for individuals who are lawfully crossing at corners or crosswalks. Unfortunately, careless or distracted driving is a common cause of accidents, and if death or injuries occur, potential negligence suits arise.

Sources say that the driver was not of the legal drinking age. She admitted to consuming four beers the night of the crash. Her blood-alcohol level was 0.088 approximately two hours after the accident. The motorist said that she was driving inattentively.

Careless driving under these circumstances is grounds for a negligence suit against the wrongdoer. Therefore, the family of the dead victim could recover compensation under a Wisconsin wrongful death claim for factors including medical expenses, funeral costs, loss of expected income and emotional loss. Also, the injured victim has a potential personal injury case against the motorist. That person could receive damages for medical expenses related to the accident.

If you have been injured in a pedestrian strike, you may want to look into your recovery possibilities. As you scrap to obtain suitable medical care for your harm, you deserve to be financially secure. Furthermore, if you have lost a loved one to a negligent driver, you should look into a potential wrongful death case.

Source: Journal Sentinel, "Woman who killed pedestrian sentenced to four years in prison," Gitte Laasby, Feb. 6, 2012