Grafton Pedestrian Accident Attorneys

Walking in Grafton should feel safe. Whether you are going to school, running errands, or enjoying time with family, you deserve to trust that drivers obey the law and that sidewalks are safe. But when negligence causes a driver to strike a pedestrian, the outcome can alter life forever.

At Kaufman & McPherson, we represent people hurt in pedestrian accidents in Grafton and throughout West Virginia. We understand your pain, your medical bills, and your uncertainty about the future. That is why we fight to hold negligent parties accountable, so you can focus on healing rather than worrying about paperwork or the legal process.

Pedestrian accidents often result in severe injuries, including broken bones, spinal damage, or traumatic brain injuries. Victims may require lengthy medical treatment and face financial hardship from lost wages. Understanding your rights and the risks involved is an important step in recovery, and resources like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s pedestrian safety guide can provide helpful information about how these accidents happen and what protections are available to pedestrians.

Why Pedestrian Accidents Happen in Grafton

Every pedestrian accident involves more than just a collision. Behind each crash are choices and failures that result in real harm to innocent people. Drivers may be distracted by cell phones, fail to yield at crosswalks, or ignore speed limits in residential areas. Poorly maintained roads, lack of proper signage, or inadequate lighting can also contribute to dangerous conditions.

Understanding these common causes not only helps you stay alert and protect yourself, but it also strengthens your legal claim if you are ever injured. When negligence, whether from a driver, property owner, or municipality, plays a role in an accident, it is important to identify those factors clearly. Doing so ensures accountability and helps you pursue the compensation you need to recover and move forward with your life.

Distracted Driving

When a driver’s attention slips even for seconds, texting using phone apps, adjusting music, or eating, those seconds can cost lives. Pedestrians have no protection from a vehicle’s force. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of serious injury and death involving pedestrians.

Failure to Yield at Crosswalks

West Virginia Code § 17C-10-2 requires drivers to yield the right of way to pedestrians within marked crosswalks or unmarked crosswalks at intersections when traffic signals are not operating. This law exists to protect pedestrians in some of the most vulnerable areas of the roadway, where they have every right to feel safe.

Unfortunately, many accidents in Grafton occur because drivers fail to respect this basic rule. Whether due to distraction, impatience, or simply disregarding the law, ignoring a pedestrian’s right of way can have devastating consequences. A vehicle does not need to be traveling at high speed to cause serious harm; broken bones, head injuries, and long-term disabilities can result from even low-speed impacts.

Pedestrians often assume that a crosswalk gives them automatic protection, but the reality is that many drivers do not slow down or stop as they should. This makes crosswalks especially dangerous when drivers are distracted by cell phones, speeding through intersections, or trying to beat red lights. When a driver violates the law and strikes someone who is legally crossing the street, they may be held liable for all resulting injuries and damages.

Recognizing the importance of this statute is critical in pedestrian accident claims. It not only reinforces a victim’s right to be in the crosswalk but also establishes the driver’s clear duty of care under the law. By documenting violations of this rule, injured pedestrians strengthen their case and increase the likelihood of receiving fair compensation.

Crossing Outside Marked Crosswalks

If you cross the road at a place that is not a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, you may be required by law to yield to vehicles under West Virginia Code § 17C-10-3. The law is meant to keep pedestrians safe by ensuring they only cross when it is safe and expected by drivers.

Crossing in unsafe places or stepping into traffic without waiting for a clear gap increases the chance of a serious accident. It can also affect how fault is determined and may reduce compensation in a legal claim. Knowing and following this rule helps protect both your safety and your rights after an accident.

Speeding, Recklessness, and Impaired Driving

Higher speeds magnify harm. Impaired driving and reckless behavior like running lights, ignoring signage, or weaving through traffic make pedestrian accidents more likely and more severe. West Virginia sees many of its serious pedestrian crashes occur at night on highways or roads with limited lighting.

Poor Lighting, Road Design, and Sidewalk Conditions

Sidewalks that end abruptly, crosswalks with faded paint, streets without proper lighting, or missing pedestrian signals all contribute to unsafe walking conditions. Municipal responsibility may arise when infrastructure is poorly maintained or known hazards are ignored.

Who Faces the Greatest Dangers

While every pedestrian is vulnerable when a vehicle strikes, some people face special risks because of age, mobility, or physical condition.

Children in Grafton

Children often do not predict a vehicle’s speed well or judge distances accurately. Busy school zones near Grafton and residential areas bring many children on foot. Careful design of crossings and driver vigilance matter deeply.

Elderly Adults

Older pedestrians have slower reflexes, more fragile bones, and sometimes impaired vision or balance. Even a fall that might hurt a younger person severely can cause long-term loss of independence in the elderly.

Pedestrians With Disabilities

People using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility devices travel more slowly. Crosswalk times may be too short, and curb ramps or signal timing may not accommodate them. Laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act set basic requirements, but many intersections still fall short.

Pregnant People

Pregnancy adds unique vulnerability. Trauma from a pedestrian accident can affect both the mother and the unborn child. Medical complications after collisions may include the risk of preterm labor, placental damage, or other injury.

Injuries That Often Result

Pedestrian accidents cause injuries that range from moderate to catastrophic. The absence of protection means every body part is vulnerable.

Head Injuries and Traumatic Brain Injury

Even at relatively low speeds, impact to the head can lead to concussion, skull fracture, permanent brain damage, memory loss, or emotional changes. These injuries often require rehabilitation and long-term monitoring.

Spinal Injuries

Spinal cord damage, herniated discs, or fractured vertebrae can cause paralysis or long-lasting impairment. These injuries impose medical costs, mobility challenges, and often require modifications at home.

Broken Bones Fractures

Legs, arms, ribs hips can all break in pedestrian collisions. Older bodies heal more slowly and may not recover full strength or mobility. Long rehabilitation, loss of income, and pain may persist.

Internal Injuries

Damage inside the body, often unseen immediate may include immediate internal bleeding injury to organs such as the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs. Delay in treatment often makes outcomes worse.

West Virginia Pedestrian Laws You Should Know

Knowing the law can protect your rights after an accident and help you gather evidence that matters.

Driver Obligation to Yield in Crosswalks

Under West Virginia Code § 17C-10-2, a driver must yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and unmarked crosswalks at intersections when signals are off or not in place.

Pedestrians Must Yield in Certain Places

People on foot have duties too. If crossing outside crosswalks or suddenly stepping into traffic where no safe crossing exists, the law requires pedestrians to yield to vehicles. These rules are set in West Virginia Code § 17C-10-3. 

Comparative Fault Can Affect Compensation

West Virginia follows modified comparative negligence rules. If your actions contributed to the accident, your compensation may be reduced proportionately. A skilled attorney can help show how driver negligence outweighs any fault you may have had.

What You Should Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Grafton

The steps you take immediately after a crash matter. They influence your health and your legal rights.

Seek Medical Care Right Away

Even if injuries feel minor, internal or head trauma may show up later. Medical records link the injury to the crash and support your claim.

Document Everything

If you can take photographs of the crash scene, the vehicle damage, your injuries, weather, lighting, traffic signs, crosswalk markings, sidewalks, or curbs. Get names and contact info of witnesses. Request a copy of the police report.

Limit What You Tell Insurance

Insurance adjusters often ask questions designed to reduce liability or settlement. Give basic facts, date, time location. Do not guess about fault injuries or long-term effects until you speak with an attorney.

Contact a Grafton Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

You need a lawyer who knows West Virginia law, who can gather evidence, medical expert testimony, negotiate, and if needed, take your case to trial. At Kaufman & McPherson, we handle each case personally and fight to protect your rights.

Why Choose Kaufman & McPherson

Decades of Experience

We have handled many pedestrian injury cases in West Virginia. Our team knows how to work with accident reconstruction experts, medical professionals, and investigators to build strong claims.

Compassionate Personal Approach

We understand how overwhelming a crash can feel. We promise to listen to your story, return your calls promptly, explain your options in clear terms, and support you every step of the way.

Results That Reflect True Harm

We fight not just for medical bills but for future care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and loss of normal life. If insurers will not negotiate fairly, we will prepare thoroughly for trial.

No Cost Unless We Win

We work on contingency. You pay nothing out of pocket unless we secure compensation for you.

Contact Kaufman & McPherson Today

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a pedestrian accident in Grafton or anywhere in Taylor County, do not try to handle this alone. Medical costs, emotional injury, lost income, and insurance companies can overwhelm you without legal help.

Call Kaufman & McPherson at (888) 888 8888 or fill out our online consultation form. We offer free reviews of your case, personal attention, and strong advocacy so you can focus on what matters: your recovery, your family your peace of mind.