For pedestrians and bicyclists in Missouri, the roads can be a treacherous place. The number of motor vehicles on the road is always a worry, but with people driving while distracted, driving under the influence, being drowsy behind the wheel and committing other dangerous acts, everyone is at risk. This is especially true of people who are walking or are riding a bicycle. Statistics bear out just how much danger these people are in. After an auto accident with a rider or a pedestrian, the aftermath can be costly in myriad ways. Having legal advice to consider a lawsuit is key.

In newly-released statistical analysis, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that there was an overall reduction in road fatalities to 36,750. That is a one percent drop from 2017. It is not clear why there was the reduction, but the substantial rise in 2017 was due to a rise in fatalities of people who were pedestrians, were riding a bicycle or were on a motorcycle. By 2018, the NHTSA found that there was a projected increase of 4 percent in pedestrian fatalities and 10 percent in bicyclists. In 2017, pedestrian fatalities were 16 percent of all deaths. That was 12 percent in 2009.

Distracted driving is a major concern to the NHTSA. It is trying to determine how much of a factor it is, but it is complicated because the information frequently relies on drivers being honest about having been distracted. In 2017, there were 599 deaths of people who were outside vehicles who were killed due to a distracted driver. If a person died within 30 days of a crash, it is considered as having happened because of the crash. Pedestrian and bicycle accidents had declined in 2017 by 1.7 percent for pedestrians and eight percent for bicyclists. In 2018, that changed.

The aftereffects of a pedestrian or bicycle accident can be substantially worse than injuries to those who are in a vehicle at the time of the accident. Because they are so vulnerable, they can suffer catastrophic injuries and fatalities costing them and their families immensely in medical expenses, lost income, long-term care and after-death costs. To recover compensation after these accidents, legal help is a must. A personal injury law firm that has experience in investigating pedestrian and bicycle accidents should be called for help to file a lawsuit.