Should I Hire a Pedestrian Accident Attorney?

Being severely injured following a pedestrian accident can leave you confused and unsure what to do. If you are sure that you don’t want to take care of the legal matters on your own, you should consider hiring a Vero Beach pedestrian accident lawyer. An attorney can determine who is liable for causing your injuries and can represent you during the process.

What Causes Pedestrian Accidents?

Being able to determine what caused your accident can help you collect damages to take care of any losses you endured. Many of these accidents occur because drivers:

• Fail to yield to pedestrians while they are in the crosswalk
• Fail to stop at a stop sign or red light
• Swerve onto the sidewalk

Most pedestrian accidents also happen in parking lots while drivers are backing up without looking. These types of accidents are more dangerous, especially when children are involved. Cars that are not equipped with backup cameras may not see a child walking behind their vehicle, leading to extreme injuries or fatalities.

Steps to Take Immediately Following an Accident

After experiencing a pedestrian accident, it is highly advised that you take the below steps immediately following the accident:

Contact Law Enforcement

Immediately following a pedestrian accident, you should contact the police. This provides you with a track record of what occurred. This accident report may be crucial in helping you to secure compensation later on.

Collect Evidence

Sometimes, you may not be able to collect evidence immediately following an accident, unless your injuries allow you to. If possible, do take pictures of the scene of the accident, your injuries, and the car that hit you.

You should also work to gather witness testimony from those who saw the accident. Be sure to collect their contact information so your attorney can contact them on your behalf.

Reasons to Hire a Pedestrian Attorney

Hiring a pedestrian attorney is beneficial for the following reasons:

Negotiate with Insurance Companies

Insurance adjusters don’t waste much time contacting parties involved in an accident. The insurance company may even try to convince you to accept a low and unfair settlement early on in the case. A pedestrian accident attorney can take on these negotiations for you so you won’t have to deal with the insurance company directly. Your attorney can also help you receive a fair settlement.

Meet Deadlines

Hiring a pedestrian attorney is also beneficial because he or she can ensure that you meet all deadlines pertaining to your claim. Many claims have statute of limitations. Depending on the state you reside in, the deadline for filing your lawsuit may be short compared to other states. Some states only give you a year following an accident to file a claim. One year is not enough time and may pass by quickly as you work to recover from your injuries. An attorney can ensure that all deadlines and statutes of limitations are met.

Review Compensation

If you are unsure whether you should hire a pedestrian accident attorney and have concerns about compensation, your attorney can go over possible settlement amounts you may be entitled to receiving. Most pedestrians that have been injured are entitled to economic compensation, which covers losses such as lost wages and medical expenses. You may also be entitled to receive non-economic losses for pain and suffering and more.

Help at Proving Fault

In order to be successful in any personal injury case, you must properly prove fault by holding the other party responsible for your injuries. In order to prove negligence, you must prove that:

• The party violated a duty of care
• The party responsible owed a legal duty of care to others
• You suffered losses or damage from your injuries
• the violation of the duty of care caused your injuries directly