In 2017, nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in collisions with cars, and another 137,000 were injured—that’s a person every four minutes. Given the prevalence of cars in our fine city, many of those people will be looking for a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer. But before you become a person in need of a pedestrian accident attorney in Los Angeles, let’s look at what pedestrians are at more risk for getting in a potentially-fatal accident.

In urban areas, most accidents happen at non-intersections. While it might be tempting to see that and automatically blame the pedestrian for jaywalking, remember that many urban areas have crosswalks across streets between intersections (that drivers not from the area may not be accustomed to, and therefore may not be looking for pedestrians as closely as they should as they approach). This statistic also includes accidents in bike lanes outside of intersections. Still, jaywalking is a problem: one study from Florida found that in 80 percent of crashes involving pedestrians, the pedestrian was jaywalking. Clearly, crossing when it is not your turn to cross puts pedestrians at more risk than any other single factor. Pedestrian accident attorneys Los Angeles know this, so expect that to be one of the first questions at any consultation.

This is not to say that if you get in an accident, you should not call Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers. To the contrary—you may think that you were at fault, but a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer could conduct an investigation that finds that the driver was at fault, and you would be able to get money for your injuries. According to the CDC, nearly half of all crashes with pedestrians involved alcohol. You may not know if the driver that hit you was drinking, but the police report likely includes such a fact, and Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers know exactly where to look. Vehicle speed is also a major factor, but if you got hit by a car, you likely have no idea how fast the car was going; pedestrian accident lawyers Los Angeles can get this information and use it for you.

But instead of needing to call pedestrian accident attorneys Los Angeles, it may be better to change your behavior so that you are not one of the pedestrians at more risk of being hit. Cross only at intersections, and only when you have the “walk” signal. Try not to use earbuds or look at your phone when you are crossing the street. Carry a flashlight or wear reflective clothing at nighttime—many of the worst crashes happen at night. All of these common-sense steps can help you to keep from having to call pedestrian accident lawyers Los Angeles. But if you are hit by a car, do not hesitate to call pedestrian accident lawyers Los Angeles. There are deadlines by which you need to file any claim, and you do not want to lose your claim because you waited too long.