Hit by a Vehicle While Walking in Columbus?
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Key Takeaways
- Stay still unless you are in immediate danger of being hit again and call 911 — pedestrian accidents commonly cause broken bones, head trauma, spinal injuries, and internal bleeding, and moving can make injuries worse.
- Ohio’s statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10), but pedestrian injuries are often severe and the legal process should begin well before the deadline.
- Under Ohio’s modified comparative fault rule (Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33), even jaywalking does not automatically bar your claim — you can still recover if you are 50% or less at fault, since drivers always have a duty to exercise due care to avoid hitting pedestrians.
- Columbus recorded 23 pedestrian fatalities in 2023 and 593 non-motorist accidents, with Cleveland Avenue, Broad Street, High Street, and the OSU campus area among the streets with the highest pedestrian crash rates.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company — they will try to argue you were jaywalking, distracted, not in a crosswalk, or wearing dark clothing to shift blame and minimize your claim.
- Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and work on contingency, and an experienced attorney can obtain traffic camera footage, surveillance video, and witness testimony to counter insurance company blame-shifting.
Call 911 and don’t move unless you have to
If you’ve been struck by a vehicle, stay still unless you’re in immediate danger of being hit again. Pedestrian accidents often cause serious injuries — broken bones, head trauma, spinal injuries, internal bleeding — and moving can make them worse.
Call 911 (or ask someone nearby to call). Under Ohio law, any accident involving injury must be reported to law enforcement. Let emergency responders assess your condition and transport you to the hospital if needed.
Even if you think your injuries are minor, do not decline medical transport. Adrenaline masks pain. Internal injuries and head trauma may not show symptoms for hours or days.
Identify the driver and document the scene
If you’re able, get the driver’s name, phone number, insurance information, driver’s license number, and license plate number before they leave the scene. If the driver leaves (a hit-and-run), try to note the vehicle’s make, model, color, and any partial plate information. Ask bystanders if they saw what happened.
If you can use your phone, photograph: the vehicle and its position, the crosswalk or road where you were walking, traffic signals, signs, and road markings, any visible damage to the vehicle, and your injuries.
If you can’t do this yourself, ask a witness or bystander to help. Every piece of evidence matters.
Get medical treatment immediately
Pedestrian injuries tend to be severe because the human body has no protection against a moving vehicle. Common injuries include traumatic brain injuries, broken legs and pelvis, spinal cord damage, internal organ injuries, severe lacerations and road rash, and knee and shoulder injuries.
OhioHealth Grant Medical Center is Columbus’s Level I trauma center — the primary destination for severe pedestrian injuries. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, and Mount Carmel Health System also provide emergency and specialty trauma care. For children, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a top-ranked pediatric facility.
Follow up with specialists as needed. Keep every medical record, bill, and prescription — this documentation is essential to your claim.
File a police report
If officers responded to the scene, they’ll create a crash report. If they didn’t — or if you were taken to the hospital before officers arrived — you should file a report as soon as possible with the Columbus Division of Police at columbus.gov or by contacting the CPD Records Unit at (614) 645-4747.
Crash reports are submitted to the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) and can be retrieved online. For accidents outside Columbus city limits but within Franklin County, contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
Do NOT give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance
The driver’s insurance company will contact you. They’ll sound sympathetic, but their goal is to pay as little as possible. In pedestrian cases, they’ll often try to argue that you were jaywalking, distracted, not in a crosswalk, or wearing dark clothing at night — anything to shift blame to you.
You are not required to give a recorded statement. Politely decline. Do not accept a quick settlement offer before you understand the full extent of your injuries.
Understand your rights as a pedestrian in Ohio
Ohio law gives pedestrians significant protections. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks and at intersections. Drivers must exercise due care to avoid striking a pedestrian on any roadway. Turning vehicles must yield to pedestrians who have a walk signal.
At the same time, pedestrians have responsibilities: crossing at marked crosswalks or intersections when available, obeying pedestrian signals, and not suddenly entering the path of a vehicle that is too close to stop.
Even if you were partially at fault — jaywalking, crossing against a signal — Ohio’s modified comparative fault rule (Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33) allows you to recover compensation as long as you are not more than 50% at fault. Your award is reduced by your percentage of fault.
Know Ohio’s 2-year statute of limitations
Under Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Pedestrian injuries are often severe and require extended treatment — surgeries, rehabilitation, physical therapy. Don’t wait until you’re fully recovered to begin the legal process.
Talk to a pedestrian accident attorney
Pedestrian accident cases often involve serious injuries, large medical bills, and insurance companies aggressively trying to shift blame to the pedestrian. An experienced attorney can investigate the accident (including obtaining traffic camera footage, surveillance video, and witness testimony), counter the insurance company’s attempts to blame you, calculate the full value of your damages including long-term medical needs and lost earning capacity, and negotiate or litigate for fair compensation.
Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and work on contingency — you pay nothing unless they win.