It seems like there has been an increase in pedestrian accidents. More people are walking, especially this time of year. A lot of accident victims are afraid to meet with their pedestrian accident attorneys for the first time. They're worried about how expensive it may be. If you could count on insurance companies to do the right thing, you wouldn't need to meet with an attorney in the first place. Sadly, your insurance claim may be denied.
You may have no choice but to meet with a pedestrian accident lawyer.. they'll try to negotiate a fair settlement right away. All you have to do is call and schedule your free, initial consultation. They'll review the case to see if the person responsible needs to be sued.
There are a few things pedestrian accident victims need to do immediately following your pedestrian accident. The first thing you need to do is call 911. The police will come to the scene and do a thorough investigation of the scene. They're also going to write up their police report. This will be crucial for proving your case later. The second thing you need to do is go to the hospital. The emergency room doctor will check you out to see if you're hurt. They'll run the tests to determine if the pedestrian victim suffered a traumatic brain injury, head injuries or concussion.
Finally, you'll want to call a personal injury lawyer. The sooner they get to review your claim, the better. They'll also want ample time to prepare your pedestrian crash case. They're going to need to prove fault which means they need evidence that the defendant was a negligent driver. This takes time.
The point of having a free consultation is so your experienced pedestrian accident lawyer can review your case.. They need to see what kind of damages you've suffered. This includes medical bills, property damages and possible non-economic damages. They also need to see how strong your claim is. If the other driver was at fault, they'll need to be able to prove that. For example, did you get a ticket for not using the crosswalk? How many traffic accidents has the defendant been involved in? This sort of information is very helpful.
Some of the information you'll want to bring to your initial consultation include:
Once they have all of this, they can review the details and evaluate your potential legal claim. You should send this over in advance so you can spend your time efficiently. You also want to be upfront and honest in your consultation. For example, if you didn't use the crosswalk, let them know. If you were jaywalking, tell them right away.
Some people are surprised to see how fast time flies after their bike crash. Every state has something called the statute of limitations. This is the law that spells out how long you have to file a civil lawsuit. The statute of limitations for a personal injury lawsuit is three (3) years. That means you only have three years to file suit. If you miss this deadline, you won't be allowed to file suit. The court isn't going to make any exceptions to this rule.
Personal injury attorneys understand how important the statute of limitations is. That's why they prefer their clients come to see them sooner rather than later. This way, they get plenty of time to prepare your case against the motorists responsible for your injuries.
In order to get you damages, your pedestrian accident attorney needs to prove two things. First, they need to demonstrate that the other driver was at fault in the car accident. In order to do this, they have to show that they were negligent and didn't exercise reasonable care. Your attorney will also need to prove that you suffered damages. If they can do both of these things, there's a good chance you'll be awarded financial compensation.
To prove negligence, you need to show the following:
It isn't all that hard to prove the driver owed you a duty of care. All drivers owe people on the road a duty of care. At a minimum, they have to follow the traffic law. This extends to pedestrians. The real work comes in proving that they were at fault and breached this duty. Some of the ways your personal injury lawyer can do this are:
Once you've proved negligence, it's time to prove damages and get the compensation you deserve.
The point of hiring an attorney is so that you can receive damages for your injuries. You may be entitled to the following:
If you, your children or your family are hurt in a pedestrian accident, contact our legal team to file a claim for compensation. You should speak to a seasoned personal injury lawyer right away.. You may have a potential claim for damages. The only way to know is to meet with an experienced attorney. Call Firouzbakht Law Firm and schedule your free consultation today.