If you were involved in an auto accident as a pedestrian and suffered injuries as a result, you warrant settlement for the damages. Nonetheless, minus appropriate representation, you might not be awarded anything.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Every person on roadways (whether a bicyclist, pedestrian, motorist, or motorcyclist) needs to exercise a reasonable degree of precaution. All people sharing the roads should obey traffic laws when using the crosswalks, highways, and streets.
When you fail to observe reasonable care, and a vehicular accident happens as a result, that is referred to as negligence. The common causes of pedestrian accidents include:
- Illegal U-turn distracted driving, like calling while driving
- Intoxicated driving
- Failure to stop at crosswalks
- Limited visibility, like illegally parked cars blocking pedestrians from view
- Speeding
- Pedestrians crossing across a busy street
- Municipal negligence, like the failure of traffic control devices or poor street layout
- Right turns through crossovers minus looking for pedestrians
When you knock on a pedestrian, the major question is often – who is liable? Nevertheless, even with the above causes of accidents, both the driver and the pedestrian can contribute to the occurrence of an accident. Determining the party at fault may be the difference between getting compensation and having your claim dismissed. Thus, hiring an experienced pedestrian accident attorney to defend your rights is crucial.
Damages Sustained in a pedestrian accident
In a pedestrian and vehicle collision, the consequences are often devastating. Unlike a vehicle driver, who is shielded by a seat belt and a thick metal, a pedestrian is unprotected and susceptible. While knocking a pedestrian over 30 miles per hour may lead to permanent /life-changing injuries or fatalities, a driver moving at 10 miles per hour can disable a pedestrian.
Common injuries suffered by pedestrians during a vehicular accident include:
- Broken bones
- Facial or dental injuries
- Internal injuries or bleeding
- Road rash
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
The cruelty of injuries sustained in pedestrian accidents often places victims away from work for weeks, or even months, leading to huge lost wages and medical bills. The law calls these expenses damages – a broad term describing any harm that may need action and settlement. Damages that may arise from a pedestrian accident are:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Future and lost wages
- Future and past medical expenses
Why hire a pedestrian attorney
Getting compensation for damages is key to putting a pedestrian’s life back to normalcy. However, the person who was at fault, and the amount of settlement can often deny a worthy pedestrian compensation they are owed. Thus, it is advisable to engage an attorney on your side after a pedestrian accident.
The following are the benefits of hiring a pedestrian accident attorney:
Can assist determine fault
A pedestrian share obligation to observe adequate care while on the road. If a court or insurer finds you were negligent, you might be denied settlement completely. That is where a lawyer comes in handy. Using testimony, evidence gathered at the scene, and medical exams, an experienced attorney can assist you to determine fault in an accident.
Can establish damages
Damages such as lost wages and past medical bills can easily be determined. Nevertheless, how can you value pain and suffering?
Often an insurer will try to give a victim an inadequate settlement. Using their experience and knowledge, a pedestrian accident lawyer can assist in calculating the much you are entitled to and secure full compensation.
Assist decide the next cause of action.
If an insurer has offered you compensation but feels you merit more, you may be uncertain of your next cause of action. An experienced attorney knows the crucial facets of a pedestrian accident case, the local statute of limitations, when to settle, and when to file a lawsuit. If you decide to take the case to court, your lawyer will argue the facts to help get an appropriate settlement.