Hit In A Crosswalk In St Louis?

Sansone & Lauber | December 30, 2025 | Pedestrian Accident Articles

Hit In A Crosswalk In St Louis?

Sansone & Lauber specializes in pedestrian and crosswalk injury cases throughout St. Louis and the entire State of Missouri, and if you were hit in a crosswalk, you need immediate legal protection because insurance companies and drivers move fast to shift blame and minimize payouts.

Call RIGHT NOW and speak with a lawyer for FREE at 314-863-0500.
Our pedestrian accident attorneys are standing by to take your call. Don’t Wait! Waiting only hurts your case! The sooner you call us, the sooner we can help you!

The reality of crosswalk crashes in St. Louis: you can be “right” and still get blamed

Crosswalk cases should be straightforward. In many situations, Missouri law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks when signals aren’t in place or operating. Missouri Revisor of Statutes But what “should” happen and what insurers do are two different things.

Here is how crosswalk victims get shortchanged:

The driver claims “they came out of nowhere”
The insurer argues the pedestrian “wasn’t in the crosswalk” or “was outside the walk signal”
The defense cherry-picks camera angles, witness statements, and timing
Medical injuries get minimized as “soft tissue” even when they are not
Fault gets pushed onto the victim to reduce compensation under comparative fault principles

Sansone & Lauber’s job is to cut through that playbook and build a case that forces full value—through evidence, leverage, and a trial-ready posture.

Call RIGHT NOW and speak with a lawyer for FREE at 314-863-0500.
Our attorneys are standing by to take your call. Don’t Wait! Waiting only hurts your case! The sooner you call us, the sooner we can help you!

First priority: what to do immediately after getting hit in a crosswalk

If the crash just happened (or recently happened), these steps protect both your health and your claim:

1) Get medical care the same day

Even if you “feel okay,” crosswalk impacts commonly cause delayed symptoms: concussion/TBI, spinal injuries, internal trauma, and fractures. Delays give insurers an opening to argue you weren’t seriously hurt.

2) Call police and make sure a report is made

A police report helps document location, driver identity, witnesses, and initial observations.

3) Photograph everything (or have someone do it for you)

Crosswalk markings, signals, and signage
Where you were struck (curb, lane position, intersection corner)
Vehicle, license plate, and any visible damage
Your injuries as they evolve (bruising changes over days)

4) Get witness contact info

Independent witnesses are often the difference between winning and fighting an invented story.

5) Do not give a recorded statement

Adjusters ask “friendly” questions designed to lock you into harmful phrases—especially while you’re in shock or on pain medication.

6) Call a St. Louis crosswalk accident lawyer immediately

Evidence disappears quickly—especially nearby business video, traffic cameras, and phone data.

Missouri crosswalk and pedestrian right-of-way rules

Crosswalk claims often turn on whether you were within a crosswalk, what the signals showed, and what the driver was legally required to do.

When signals are not in place or not operating

Missouri’s pedestrian crosswalk statute provides that when traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation, the driver must yield to a pedestrian crossing within a crosswalk under specified conditions.

When “Walk / Don’t Walk” pedestrian signals are used

Missouri law also addresses special pedestrian-control signals: on a “Walk,” pedestrians may proceed and drivers must yield; on “Don’t Walk,” pedestrians should not start crossing (with direction for those already in the roadway).

When a pedestrian crosses outside a crosswalk

Missouri law states that pedestrians crossing outside a marked crosswalk or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection must yield the right-of-way to vehicles. Missouri also restricts crossing in certain areas, including between adjacent signalized intersections except in a crosswalk and in business districts except in a crosswalk.

What this means for your case: even when you were hit “in a crosswalk,” insurance companies will try to argue technicalities (exact location, exact signal phase, whether you stepped out “suddenly,” etc.). The response is evidence—video, timing, scene mapping, witness confirmation, and a clean liability narrative.

The most common crosswalk crash scenarios in St. Louis

Crosswalk collisions usually happen for predictable reasons—and those reasons map directly to liability.

1) Left-turn and right-turn “failure to yield”

Drivers focus on gaps in traffic and forget the crosswalk exists. Many crosswalk victims get hit by turning vehicles at intersections—especially with multiple lanes, poor sightlines, or nighttime glare.

2) “Rolling stops” at stop signs

Drivers do a partial stop, then accelerate through the crosswalk.

3) Distracted driving

Phones, GPS, screens, and in-car distractions are a major factor in pedestrian crashes.

4) Speeding through city corridors

Higher speed increases injury severity and reduces a driver’s ability to stop once a pedestrian is visible.

5) Low visibility conditions

Nighttime, rain, glare, and poorly lit crosswalks lead to “I didn’t see them” defenses—which do not automatically defeat your claim but must be countered properly.

6) Impaired driving

Alcohol or drug impairment turns a crosswalk into a hazard zone—especially during evenings and weekends.

Injuries from crosswalk crashes are often severe

Pedestrians have no protection. Even a “moderate” speed impact can cause:

Traumatic brain injury (concussion, bleeding, cognitive symptoms)
Facial injuries, dental trauma, scarring
Spinal injuries, herniated discs, nerve damage
Broken wrists/arms (from bracing), ankles, legs, hips, pelvis
Internal injuries and organ trauma
Chronic pain and permanent impairment
PTSD, anxiety, and driving-related trauma

Insurance companies treat many of these as “negotiable.” Your medical proof makes them non-negotiable.

How insurers try to reduce crosswalk payouts (and how we shut it down)

If you were hit in a crosswalk, expect some version of these tactics:

“They weren’t in the crosswalk.”

We respond by proving the exact location: scene photos, measurements, video footage, witness confirmation, and incident reconstruction if needed.

“They crossed against the signal.”

We respond by locking down the signal phase and timing—often with video and witness confirmation—and addressing the legal impact under Missouri’s pedestrian signal rules.

“They stepped out suddenly.”

We respond by proving driver speed, sight distance, and reaction time—plus whether the driver was turning, distracted, or rolling through.

“They were wearing dark clothing.”

Visibility arguments don’t erase driver duties; they are used to inflate comparative fault. The counter is objective proof and a clear negligence narrative.

“Their injuries are pre-existing.”

We respond with medical chronology, imaging, specialist testimony where appropriate, and a clear causation story.

Comparative fault in Missouri: don’t let them “discount” your claim unfairly

Missouri is commonly described as a pure comparative fault state following Gustafson v. Benda, meaning damages can be reduced by a percentage of fault rather than eliminated outright.

In practice, insurers use this to “discount” crosswalk victims—even when the driver’s failure to yield was the true cause. That is why your case must be built on evidence early, before blame-shifting becomes the default narrative.

Who may be liable when you’re hit in a St. Louis crosswalk?

Crosswalk claims are not always “driver only.” Depending on the facts, liability may involve:

The driver (failure to yield, distracted driving, speeding, impairment)
The driver’s employer (if the driver was working—delivery, service calls, contractor work)
Rideshare or delivery platforms (depending on status and insurance layers)
A vehicle owner (if different from driver)
A third party (if another driver’s conduct contributed)
Roadway entities or contractors (in limited scenarios involving dangerous design, signage, lighting, or construction conditions—these claims can involve special rules and should be evaluated immediately)

The goal is simple: identify every responsible party and every available insurance layer, then build leverage.

What compensation can you recover after a crosswalk accident?

Your recovery depends on liability and the severity of harm, but damages often include:

Economic damages (financial losses)

ER and hospital bills, surgery, follow-up treatment
Imaging, medications, specialists, rehab, PT/OT
Future medical care and assistive devices
Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
Out-of-pocket expenses (transport, home assistance)

Non-economic damages (human losses)

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress, PTSD, anxiety
Loss of enjoyment of life
Disability, scarring, disfigurement

Wrongful death damages (if a family loses someone)

Missouri law provides a three-year limitations period for wrongful death actions under section 537.080.

Deadlines: how long do you have to file in Missouri?

Many Missouri personal injury actions fall within a five-year limitations framework under section 516.120. Wrongful death has a three-year deadline under section 537.100.

Two critical points:

Deadlines can vary based on case specifics.
Even when the deadline is years away, evidence is not. Video, witnesses, and digital records can disappear quickly.

Waiting only hurts your case. If you were hit in a crosswalk in St. Louis, act immediately.

What Sansone & Lauber does immediately in a crosswalk case

When we take a crosswalk injury claim, we move fast because leverage is built early:

Secure and preserve nearby business surveillance video (often overwritten quickly)
Identify and contact witnesses while memories are fresh
Obtain police report, scene details, and roadway configuration
Document crosswalk markings, signals, lighting, visibility conditions
Analyze driver behavior: turning patterns, speed, distraction indicators
Evaluate insurance coverage layers (personal + commercial + rideshare/delivery policies)
Build the medical story from day one: diagnosis, imaging, restrictions, future care
Prepare the case as trial-ready—even if settlement is the goal—because that is how you force value

This is not a “forms” case. It is an evidence case.

FAQ: Hit in a crosswalk in St. Louis

Do pedestrians always have the right-of-way in Missouri?

Not always. Drivers have a duty to yield in crosswalk situations covered by Missouri law, including when signals are not in place or not operating. But pedestrians also have duties, and crossing outside crosswalks can shift right-of-way rules.

What if the driver says I crossed against the signal?

Pedestrian-control signal rules matter. The key is proving the signal phase and your position through video, witnesses, and scene evidence—and preventing the insurer from exaggerating comparative fault.

What if I was partially at fault?

Missouri is commonly described as applying pure comparative fault principles after Gustafson v. Benda. Insurers use this to reduce payouts—strong evidence counters inflated blame.

How much is my crosswalk case worth?

It depends on injury severity, permanency, medical proof, wage loss, and liability strength. Crosswalk cases can be substantial when the injuries are serious and the liability narrative is locked down early.

How long do I have to file?

Many Missouri injury cases fall under a five-year limitations section, while wrongful death actions are generally three years. Do not delay—evidence preservation starts immediately.

If you were hit in a crosswalk, don’t let the insurer control the story

Crosswalk victims get pressured into quick statements and quick settlements because the defense knows time weakens evidence. Your case deserves the opposite: immediate preservation, aggressive investigation, and a demand that reflects the true impact on your life.

Call Sansone & Lauber RIGHT NOW and speak with a lawyer for FREE at 314-863-0500. Our attorneys are standing by to take your call. Don’t Wait! Waiting only hurts your case! The sooner you call us, the sooner we can help you!