Fatal Pedestrian Vs. Car Accidents 5th in Nation in Louisiana

From 2003 to 2012, 1,028 pedestrians lost their lives on the streets of Louisiana. Of all the traffic deaths that occurred during that period, 12 percent were pedestrians. This puts Louisiana fifth in the nation for fatal pedestrian vs. car accidents.
When the numbers between these 10 years are broken down by metropolitan area, three of the top locations with the most pedestrian fatalities were New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette. It may not be surprising that New Orleans leads the pack with 270 reported deaths. Baton Rouge was next in line with 163 fatalities. Seventy-four pedestrian deaths were reported in Lafayette.
The fact that Louisiana ranks third in the pedestrian deaths of children is even more discouraging. For every 100,000 residents, 1.43 children died as the result of an accident. Many people assign at least a portion of the blame on a lack of sidewalks and crosswalks in the state. Some are calling for city planners to correct the problem in order to save lives.
In an urban setting, pedestrians often have no choice but to share the roads with vehicles. This puts them in a particularly vulnerable position. When an accident is between an unprotected individual and a vehicle of any size, it does not take much for a pedestrian to suffer serious or fatal injuries.
Sadly, these statistics only relate to individuals that lost their lives as a result of pedestrian vs. car accidents. Many people are left with permanent injuries after becoming victims in these incidents. Whenever there is evidence that suggests that an injury or a fatality was the result of another party’s negligent actions, a victim or victim’s family retains the right to file a civil claim in a Louisiana court. Monetary damages awarded from a successfully litigated lawsuit can be applied toward medical bills, burial costs and any other expenses that are being incurred as a result of the unfortunate incident.