Accidents on Connecticut roads are a common occurrence, as many drivers violate traffic laws and make negligent choices on the road. Unfortunately, these actions leave pedestrians like you facing serious injuries and costly bills. Taking action against the other driver can feel impossible, especially when you are trying to focus on healing. That’s where Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC comes in.
Our pedestrian accident attorneys in Connecticut are here to fight for your right to compensation. To speak with us at no cost, contact us today.
Don’t Fight Solo—Our Lawyers Are Here to Defend Your Rights
After an accident, victims often think they can handle their case on their own. While some accidents are quite simple, many pedestrian claims are quite difficult to manage alone. Your injuries can be severe, and insurance companies are not always willing to make fair settlement offers. They may try to blame you for the crash to reduce your payout or use other tactics to get you to drop the claim.
Our attorneys at Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC have made it their mission to help people all over Connecticut seek justice. We do this by:
- Collecting and Analyzing Evidence: While you may be able to gather some photos and videos at the scene of the accident, there could be other forms of evidence available. Our team can collect police reports, dashboard camera footage, videos from nearby residences or businesses, and other relevant data.
- Handling Communications with Insurers: You shouldn’t have to field phone calls and messages from insurers after such a traumatic incident. We will take over these tasks for you, while you focus on healing.
- Helping You Obtain Medical Care: We understand how financially draining medical care can be. Your health is our top priority, so our firm will obtain a letter of protection on your behalf, ensuring you receive essential medical care, regardless of your finances.
- Negotiating for a Settlement: Our lawyers speak with the other party to discuss a settlement offer that meets all of your needs. While the insurer may not immediately offer an adequate settlement, we may be able to come to an agreement that satisfies both parties.
- Representing You at Trial: Sometimes, negotiations are not effective. Our team is ready to go to court and fight for a verdict. Our goal is to get you the best possible results, and we will not back down without a fight.
Victims like you should not have to suffer the costs of someone else’s negligence. Let Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC represent you today.
Pedestrian Accident Victims Can Seek Compensation for Damages
Pedestrians are some of the most vulnerable road users. Even low-speed crashes can cause months of hardship for victims. If you have losses and injuries following a crash with a driver, our attorneys can help you fight for full and fair compensation.
Every accident is unique, and victims with similar injuries can have very different needs. Our team will carefully assess your damages to make sure each and every loss is accounted for. Our lawyers can help you seek compensation for:
- Current Medical Expenses: Whether you are recovering at home or still in the hospital, you are probably dealing with mounting medical bills. A settlement or verdict should help address all the medical services you have received.
- Future Medical Costs: Some victims may still have a long road ahead of them, and a payout should reflect their future needs. If you are expected to have future medical expenses, our team will make sure these costs are accounted for, too.
- Lost Income and Earning Potential: Your injuries probably put you out of work for weeks or months, and you could have lost valuable income during this time. Your injuries could even prevent you from going back to work for the rest of your life. If you lost any income or if your earning potential has been harmed, our team will fight to recover these professional losses.
- Pain and Suffering and Other Intangible Losses: Losses in an accident are not just financial. Your injuries and recovery can hurt your emotional, mental, and social well-being, making it hard to live your life as you once did.
In some rare cases, you could even be awarded punitive damages if the at-fault driver’s actions were excessively reckless or negligent.
What If My Loved One’s Pedestrian Accident Was Fatal?
Unfortunately, many car accidents that involve pedestrians turn fatal. If your loved one passed away because of this accident, we offer our deepest condolences. We understand that your family is going through a lot right now, and we are here to help.
Your family could receive damages to help pay for funeral costs, loss of the decedent’s income, emotional damages, and other economic and non-economic losses. Connecticut’s wrongful death laws are quite nuanced, which can make these cases especially challenging for loved ones to handle. Our Connecticut wrongful death lawyers would be honored to help your family seek closure and justice.
Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Connecticut
Many pedestrian accidents can be traced back to a driver’s failure to uphold their duty of care. Motorists and pedestrians alike have a duty to prevent harm to other road users, and this duty includes the rules of the road. Yet, drivers often breach this duty through:
- Drug or Alcohol Use: Alcohol causes nearly half of all pedestrian-related deaths, whether consumed by the driver or the pedestrian. Intoxicating substances can slow reaction times and cause motorists to drive erratically.
- Higher Vehicle Speeds: When motorists drive too fast, they have less time to react. These high speeds also increase the severity of the injuries a pedestrian could suffer.
- Distracted Driving: Whether the driver is texting, speaking on the phone, adjusting something on their console, or otherwise distracted, these behaviors kill thousands each year.
- Failing to Yield: Drivers often fail to yield at traffic signs, crosswalks, and signals. This includes failing to come to a full stop at a stop sign or running through a red light.
- Failing to Account for Road or Weather Conditions: Bad weather or unsafe road conditions can make driving dangerous. Drivers should take proper precautions to avoid these hazards. For example, if the roads are slick from rain, drivers should drive slower and brake sooner. Drivers who speed or do not give themselves enough time to brake could collide with a pedestrian.
Whatever the cause of the crash, our team is here to hold the other party accountable for your harm.
What Kinds of Injuries Can Victims Suffer in a Pedestrian Accident?
Injuries from a pedestrian accident can vary based on the circumstances of the crash, but they are often catastrophic for victims. Some of the injuries our clients have suffered include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Internal bleeding and organ damage, including punctured lungs
- Multiple bone fractures, especially in the pelvis, legs, or ribs
- Severe lacerations and deep cuts
- Crush injuries, often requiring amputation or reconstructive surgery
- Facial fractures and dental injuries
- Dislocated joints
- Sprains, strains, and bruises
- Road rash and abrasions
These and other injuries can temporarily or permanently affect the quality of your life.
Can I Be Blamed for My Pedestrian Accident?
Being hit by a car is a life-changing experience that could result in long-term disability, expensive medical treatments and time off from work, if not reduced future employment options. As you try to recover, the driver’s insurance company may push back, claiming the accident is fully your fault.
CT Gen. Stat. § 52-572h is Connecticut’s modified comparative negligence rule, which allows victims to seek damages even if they are partially at fault. However, if victims are considered more than 51 percent responsible for their injuries, they could lose the right to damages. Sometimes, the drivers may falsely blame pedestrians for causing the accident or exaggerate the victim’s level of fault. They may claim you were violating Connecticut’s pedestrian laws by:
- Ignoring the “stop” signal at the intersection or failing to follow other traffic rules
- Walking through traffic or quickly darting in front of a vehicle
- Not using crosswalks
- Jaywalking
- Standing in the middle of a road or crosswalk
- Walking in the road instead of a nearby a sidewalk
Our attorneys are familiar with these tactics, and we will fight for the full amount you are entitled to.
What Should I Do When I’m Involved in a Pedestrian Accident?
The aftermath of a pedestrian accident is scary, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed. After the crash, make sure you:
- Call the police right away.
- Wait for help to arrive.
- Get the names and contact information of any witnesses.
- Take pictures of the scene.
- Consider getting legal representation.
Don’t Wait Too Long to File Your Pedestrian Crash Lawsuit
We understand that it can take some time to recover and get your bearings after a crash, but you should not wait too long to act. CT Gen. Stat. § 52-584 establishes a two-year statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit for damages.
While many injury claims are settled without the need for a trial, it’s important to preserve your ability to file a lawsuit. If you miss the deadline, you could lose your chance to seek damages from the at-fault driver.
While two years may seem like a long time, this time will pass quickly. The clock starts on the date of your injuries, so the sooner you can reach out to us, the better.
Pedestrian Accidents Are Rising in Connecticut and Nationwide
We’ve all heard these encouraging statistics from multiple sources: Overall, the number of motor vehicle accidents is going down. Yet, figures only show one side of the story. Pedestrian accidents are on the rise. Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that pedestrian-related deaths increased 50 percent nationally from 2013 through 2022.
Motor vehicle involvement paints an even grimmer picture. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 7,522 pedestrian fatalities in 2022 and 67,336 additional injuries – that’s one pedestrian death every 70 minutes.
Who Is Most at Risk of Being Hit by a Car?
When you break down who’s getting hit, statistics skew to both ends of the spectrum. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- People ages 15 to 64 years of age were the most likely to be killed in pedestrian accidents in the United States.
- Larger vehicle sizes are just one potential cause of these high pedestrian deaths.
- Pedestrian accidents are more likely to be fatal when large SUVs and pickup trucks are involved.
Trends in Pedestrian Collisions
Understanding where crashes occur can help highlight the dangers pedestrians face daily. According to a 2024 report from the NHTSA:
- About 85 percent of the time, accidents happen in urban areas.
- 75 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents happen outside of intersections, with only 16 percent of pedestrian fatalities occurring at intersections.
- Nearly 80 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents occur at night, with the largest percentage happening between 9 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.
When these crashes occur, NHTSA points out that it’s nearly always a single vehicle hitting a pedestrian, and 12 percent of these crashes involve multiple vehicles. The data also notes that:
- Pedestrians frequently get hit by the vehicle’s front rather than the rear or sides.
- Cars and light trucks are responsible for most front-impact accidents.
- For side and rear impacts, a large truck or bus is more likely to be involved.
Connecticut’s Efforts to Curb Pedestrian Fatalities
Connecticut’s Watch for Me CT is a state campaign to help protect pedestrians, bicyclists and other road users from injuries and deaths caused by motor vehicles. The organization reports that there are already 16 pedestrian deaths as of May 2025, with many of them occurring in and around Hartford.
Call Our Connecticut Firm Now for a Free Consultation
No one is ever prepared to deal with the aftermath of a pedestrian accident. It isn’t fair that you are suffering distress and pain from the incident, but you do have legal options. The lawyers at Trantolo & Trantolo, LLC are here to hold negligent drivers accountable for their actions. Call our team now to get started with a free consultation.
