West Des Moines Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Recognized pedestrian accident representation for injured clients throughout West Des Moines, IA.

If a driver hit you while you were walking in a crosswalk, on a sidewalk, or near a parking lot in West Des Moines, the injuries are usually serious and the recovery is rarely quick. A West Des Moines, IA pedestrian accident lawyer at Law Group of Iowa can take the legal side off your shoulders. Our founding partners have practiced plaintiff-side injury law in Iowa for more than two decades, and they understand how carriers approach pedestrian cases. Consultations are free.

Pedestrian Accident Lawyer West Des Moines, IA

A pedestrian accident case is, fundamentally, a negligence claim against the driver and the driver’s insurer. The injured pedestrian has to show that the driver owed a duty of reasonable care, breached that duty, and caused the resulting injuries and losses.

Pedestrians are at a structural disadvantage in these cases. They carry no airbags, no crumple zones, no metal cage. The injuries are almost always more severe than the driver’s. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 7,080 pedestrians were killed in U.S. traffic crashes in 2024 and more than 71,000 were injured. A West Des Moines pedestrian accident attorney works to make sure that the legal process recognizes those realities and that injured pedestrians are paid for what they’ve actually lost.

Types of Pedestrian Accident Cases We Handle in West Des Moines

West Des Moines has heavy pedestrian traffic around Jordan Creek Town Center, Valley Junction’s historic district, Mills Civic Parkway commercial areas, and the trail system that runs through the city. The crashes we see reflect that mix of suburban shopping, downtown foot traffic, and recreational walking and running.

• Crosswalk strikes. Drivers turning right on red, drivers running red lights, and drivers failing to yield to a walker who legally entered the crosswalk. Liability is often clearer than insurers suggest.
• Parking lot collisions. Shopping center lots near Jordan Creek and Valley West are common locations. Backing collisions, drivers cutting through aisles too fast, and inattentive turning all produce serious pedestrian injuries.
• Hit-and-run pedestrian crashes. When the driver flees, your own uninsured motorist coverage may step in. We’ve handled hit-and-run cases where the injured party assumed they had no recovery options.
• Crashes at uncontrolled intersections. Residential intersections without stop signs or signals are higher-risk for pedestrians. Drivers often fail to look both ways before proceeding through.
• Distracted driving strikes. Phones, infotainment systems, and food behind the wheel. We pull phone records and other evidence to show what the driver was actually doing in the seconds before impact.
• Drunk and impaired driving cases. Alcohol is a factor in a substantial percentage of fatal pedestrian crashes nationally. We coordinate the civil claim with the criminal case when both are in motion.
• School zone and crossing guard area incidents. Speed-limit violations and inattentive driving in posted school zones produce serious child pedestrian injuries.
• Trail and shared-path collisions. The West Des Moines trail network crosses roads at multiple points. Drivers approaching those crossings sometimes fail to slow or yield.
• Pedestrians struck while exiting vehicles. Drivers who fail to see someone stepping out of a parked car create a common but often overlooked category of injury.
• Fatal pedestrian accidents. When a pedestrian is killed, the family may pursue a wrongful death claim for the losses they have suffered.

Why Choose Law Group of Iowa for Pedestrian Accidents in West Des Moines, IA?

Founding Partners With Trial Experience Across Iowa

Our personal injury lawyer in West Des Moines, IA represents injured pedestrians and their families. The firm was built around plaintiff work, and that orientation matters when adjusters are deciding which files to defend hard and which to settle.

Christopher Martineau is a founding partner who has been in practice since 2003. He handles automobile accidents, semi-truck collisions, slip and fall claims, and wrongful death matters, and he’s a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization that limits membership to trial lawyers with verdicts or settlements at the seven-figure level.

Christopher Johnston, the firm’s other founding partner, has practiced since 2001 and is licensed in Iowa and Minnesota. He’s admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit and the Federal District Court of Minnesota, and his trial work has covered car accidents, motorcycle wrecks, civil rights matters, pharmaceutical cases, and wrongful death claims. He’s a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, the Minnesota Association for Justice, and the American Association for Justice, and he was named a Rising Star by Minnesota Law and Politics earlier in his career.

What Is Important to Understand About a Pedestrian Accident Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation Under Iowa Law

Iowa law recognizes several categories of compensable damages in a pedestrian accident case. A full recovery accounts for all of them, not just the ones the adjuster wants to focus on.

• Past and future medical expenses, including rehabilitation costs
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent impairment, scarring, or disfigurement
• Loss of consortium in catastrophic or fatal cases

Iowa follows a modified comparative fault rule. Your share of fault reduces your damages proportionally, and if your share exceeds 50 percent, recovery is barred entirely. Pedestrian cases see disputes over whether the walker entered the roadway outside a crosswalk, whether the pedestrian had the walk signal, and whether visibility was adequate. Even modest assignments of partial blame can substantially reduce a settlement. Locking down the liability narrative early matters.

What Are Important Aspects of a Pedestrian Accident Case?

Several points tend to drive case outcomes:

• Get medical attention immediately, even for injuries that feel minor. Adrenaline masks serious harm.
• Photographs of the scene, the vehicle, and your injuries are valuable. So are witness names.
• Avoid recorded statements to the at-fault driver’s insurer without legal advice.
• Social media activity will be reviewed by defense counsel. Be conservative about what you post.
• The two-year statute of limitations for personal injury actions in Iowa runs out faster than people expect.

What Is the Pedestrian Accident Case Timeline?

Most cases follow a similar arc, though timelines vary with injury severity:

• Investigation, medical treatment, and evidence preservation in the months after the crash
• A demand package once treatment has reached maximum medical improvement
• Settlement negotiations, which resolve a significant share of cases
• Filing suit in district court if the insurer won’t pay reasonable value
• Discovery, depositions, and mediation
• Trial when settlement isn’t a workable path

What Should You Bring to Your Pedestrian Accident Consultation?

A short list of items helps the first meeting go quickly:

• The crash report or any police paperwork
• Photographs of the scene, the vehicle that struck you, and your injuries
• Witness names and contact information
• Medical bills and records, including hospital paperwork and discharge summaries
• Your auto insurance declarations page, since UM coverage may apply

The consultation is free. We’ll review what you have, ask follow-up questions, and tell you whether the case warrants pursuing.

What Are Important Iowa Legal Resources for Pedestrian Accident Cases?

Several official sources may be useful for background reading on the rules that apply:

• The Iowa Legislature website hosts the Iowa Code, including the two-year statute of limitations for personal injury actions.
• Iowa’s modified comparative fault rule is set out in Chapter 668 of the Iowa Code.
• The Iowa Judicial Branch maintains court rules, forms, and case search tools.
• The NHTSA pedestrian safety page compiles federal pedestrian crash data and safety information.
• The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau publishes statewide crash data and pedestrian safety reports.

These resources cover the basics. They don’t replace a conversation with a lawyer about the specific facts of your case.

Reach Out to Law Group of Iowa to Schedule a Consultation

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Our consultations are free, and we get back to most callers the same day. Contact us to set up a time to speak with a West Des Moines pedestrian accident attorney about what happened, your injuries, and what your case may be worth.