DC Pedestrian Accidents and Runners

There are a lot of runners on the streets in DC at all times of both day and night. With that said, there are no different rules or laws concerning runners versus pedestrians as legally, a runner is deemed a pedestrian and is required to follow the rules of the road pertaining to pedestrians. This is particularly important when a runner tries to cross the street, even within the crosswalk. The DC municipal regulations prohibit a pedestrian from running or jetting out into an intersection such that it would prohibit a vehicle from avoiding the collision.

Therefore, if you have a jogger who “jumps the light” and runs into an intersection as soon as the signal turns to walk, while a vehicle is turning right or left in a lawful manner, it will be for a judge or jury to determine whether that runner was contributory negligent or had assumed the risk of his or her injuries due to the particular circumstances of that accident. If you have been involved in this type of injury read on to learn more about runners and pedestrian accidents, before calling and discussing your case with a DC pedestrian accident lawyer.

Responsibility of Runners in DC

A lot of runners in the District of Columbia run in and through Rock Creek Park. Sometimes trails that originate in Rock Creek Park cross over some of the public streets. These types of crosswalks must be traversed by both drivers and runners in a safe and prudent manner based upon the circumstances as they present themselves.

If any of the crosswalks have signs or traffic signals that would regulate the pedestrians or the joggers, the pedestrians and the joggers are required to conform to those traffic signals. If a jogger originates from Rock Creek Park, which is a forested area, and follows the path along Rock Creek Park until it comes to a street, there can be a stop sign that controls the runner along the path. The runner must stop before he/she crosses the street.

A stop sign requires the jogger to stop, look and ensure that it is safe for him or her to cross the street. If the jogger were to ignore the signal that were controlling his or her lane of travel to cross the street, than, a judge or jury  may decide that the jogger was contributory negligent.

Are Crosswalks Always Available to Cross The Road?

There are situations where crosswalks are both marked and unmarked. Even where a crosswalk is unmarked a pedestrian in DC is required to cross at the corner of the intersection and travel straight towards the corresponding corner directly across the lanes. If there is some marked indication for a pedestrian to cross somewhere else, the pedestrian has to follow any of the signage that controls the manner in which they cross.

Driving Behaviors That Can Put Runners At Risk

There is a number of driving behaviors that can put runners at risk. Inattentiveness is often the primary risk to pedestrians and runners here in DC. Inattentiveness can be caused by any number of things, such as use of a cell phone, reading the newspaper or eating or drinking. The use of drugs or alcohol may also cause a driver to be inattentive, if the alcohol level is such that the driver is impaired.

Steps to Take If Hit By a Motor Vehicle While Running

The important thing for a runner to keep in mind after being involved in a motor vehicle accident is to stay calm and be safe. If the runner is able to stay calm then they are better able to assess the situation, determine whether or not they are injured and determine whether or not they can remove themselves from a particular location that maybe unsafe. If the jogger has been knocked down, he or she may want to do whatever is possible to ensure the pedestrian is not run-over by an unsuspecting second vehicle.

The jogger should do his/her best to collect all of the pertinent information from the  driver involved in the accident along with any witness(es) information. A jogger should, if they feel necessary, request medical attention immediately. Sometimes people involved in these situations can be so nervous and upset about what has just happened that they may not fully appreciate any injuries that they may have.

If a person feels it necessary for any reason, they should seek medical attention to ensure that there are no underlying injuries.

Should Runners Take Pictures After An Accident?

If a jogger or a pedestrian is able to take photographs then they certainly should. They should try to take photographs of the vehicles involved in order to ensure their identity at a later time. They should also try to document the vehicle as it relates to the intersection at that time.

They should take photographs of the vehicles as they came to rest in the intersection. You want to take photographs of the vehicles before they are moved either voluntarily or moved at the instruction of a police officer who may want to clear traffic. This information can be very informative to anyone involved in evaluating the case at a later time.

Many people involved in motor vehicle accidents have strong memories of certain aspects of their accident but may become somewhat unclear or unsure of other parts of incident as time passes. When a person has the photograph it will help them remember some important aspects of the accident that they may have otherwise forgotten.