When a pedestrian collision is hard to piece together

Anchor the story to the exact place

Record the closest address, intersection, driveway, parking-lot aisle, crosswalk, transit stop, or landmark. Note which direction the pedestrian and vehicle were moving and where each came to rest if known. A rough sketch can be useful when it is labeled as a memory aid rather than a precise measurement.

Photograph signals, signs, lane markings, curb ramps, lighting, construction, and blocked sight lines when it can be done safely. Conditions may look different by time of day, weather, season, or later repairs.

Describe the crossing in order, with or without visible markings

Begin at the place the pedestrian started: a curb, sidewalk, driveway, parking space or transit stop. Write down the path toward the collision and the vehicle's approach. Separate the pedestrian's location before entering the roadway, at contact and afterward; mark any point or time that is estimated.

Note the street and side, nearby intersection, curb corners or ramps, visible crossing lines, signs and signals. If you did not see a marking or signal, say what you observed rather than filling in the missing detail. Label photographs with their date and viewpoint, and keep later changes separate from crash-day observations.

Place each account beside that sequence: who saw what, where they were and when they observed it. Keep what a driver or witness said distinct from what you saw yourself. Note a signal's state only if you observed it or have a record of it, and identify the source. Leave legal questions about the crossing and responsibility for review of the particular location and records.

The clearest witness may be a camera no one has asked about

Nearby businesses, homes, buses, vehicles, intersections, or doorbell systems may have captured part of the event. Write down camera locations even if you do not have the footage. Witness names and contact information are often easier to preserve early than to recover later.

Do not trespass, pressure a witness, or make a dangerous roadside search. From a safe place, note the camera location, approximate event time and area it might show. Ask the property contact who handles recordings, whether a recording covers that place and time, whether it can be kept, and how a request for a copy would be considered. Keeping footage and receiving a copy are separate questions. If the holder is unknown, the request is refused or no answer arrives, keep the location details and actual request or reply for prompt discussion with a lawyer.

• Witness names and contact details
• Nearby camera and business locations
• Traffic signal, sign and crosswalk photographs
• Vehicle and driver information
• Emergency-response and incident-report references

Record how the collision changed the next ordinary day

Pedestrian injuries can change how a person gets to work, school, treatment, caregiving, or ordinary errands. Save receipts for rides, mobility aids, parking, help, or replacement items, and keep work or school notes. Use dates and specific observations; note what you do not remember or cannot confirm.

Medical symptoms and recovery should be discussed with qualified providers. The website does not offer medical advice. The initial form accepts broad choices and safe contact details, not a medical history or uploads; keep detailed medical records for a later appropriate exchange if one is arranged.

Do not let one statement become the whole account

Statements about a crosswalk, signal, clothing, distraction, visibility, or speed should be compared with the physical scene and available records. The honest answer may include uncertainty; it should not turn one person's statement into a conclusion.

If you are helping an injured family member, use the form's broad choices and your own safe contact details to request a conversation. Keep the relationship and best-contact explanation for that conversation if one is arranged; do not place another person's sensitive details in contact fields.

Common questions