All individuals sharing the road are expected to obey the traffic laws and rules of the road when using streets, highways, and crosswalks. When an individual fails to exercise proper and reasonable care in some way, and that failure causes a car accident, that is known as negligence. A plethora of instances could occur to cause the neglect, but typical causes of pedestrian accidents include but does not limit to distracted driving | Not stopping at crosswalks | Illegal turns | Driving while being intoxicated | Jaywalking | Running red lights | speeding |
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, here are five reasons you should consider a pedestrian lawyer:
“While an attorney recovers damages on your behalf, you should focus on recovering from your injuries.”
Your mind and focus should be on getting better, which means quick and steady medical treatment. This is the most common reason for hiring a lawyer; some accidents will require you to rest out for the duration prescribed by the doctor. Although unavoidable accidents or mishaps may not be as lethal, however, why not recover from your injuries while the attorney will do all the work to recover your damages.
Navigate the suit
An attorney will assist you in navigating the suit and protecting your rights. Which rights, you ask? Protection from the insurance company. There’s no way an insurance company could blame the pedestrian for the accident – right?! Wrong.
The insurance companies for the at-fault party usually make money by denying and minimizing these claims costs. The companies may point the blame gun toward the pedestrian for the accident. If the fault is assigned to you, it will reduce the value of your claim, and ultimately, it may even eliminate your right to recovery under the law.
Monetary sums such as past medical bills and lost wages can often be determined easily. To add to this, if you were injured, you could claim an injury with the driver’s car insurance company to get bills paid. However, how will you be able to put a price tag on pain and suffering?
This scenario changes when you work with an attorney; he will become your mediator and defense against the insurance companies. Attorneys clearly understand what to say and avoid saying to insurance companies and can navigate the situation to maximize your much-deserved claim.
Determine Fault
Whether your injuries are minor or extreme, you will be traumatized by the unexpected impact of an accident. This trauma will immediately affect your ability to think with an open and transparent mind and act on your best behalf. A personal injury attorney will take charge in a clear-headed and professional manner. You should consider one lawyer, as an experienced attorney will assist in gathering vital evidence to rebut any unfounded accusations and prove who was at fault for causing this accident.
This is needed to determine the fault and evaluate the situation. An insurance company may suggest that you are fully or partially at fault for causing the accident as a pedestrian. This may sound unappealing and viscous, but it happens more often than you may want to believe. For example, in Missouri, since comparative fault laws apply, it means that your recovery will be limited by your amount of fault in the accident. In Kansas, the laws are even more strict; it states that if you are even 50% or more at fault, you will be liable to recover nothing from your claim.
Expert opinion
You want more than just an advocate who has experience in personal injury; you want someone who has experience specifically with matters relating to pedestrian accidents. Personal injury attorneys can cover a wide range of accidents, but someone with experience in pedestrian accidents will know the laws specific to those injuries.
You can speak with an experienced Personal Injury Lawyer to understand and grasp the situation. In specific scenarios, you may be eligible to receive a particular aid in the form of compensation, i.e., not the entire claim but a part of the claim.
How do you prove pain without evidence? That’s where an attorney comes in. Using testimony, medical exams, and evidence collected at the scene, an attorney can help determine fault in a pedestrian accident so that you do not get forced out of compensation.
Winning Strategy
Suppose you both decide that taking your accident to court is the best next step. In that case, your attorney will be able to argue the facts of your case, bring in expert witnesses, and develop a strategy to help secure a settlement you deserve. An experienced auto attorney understands the most crucial aspects of a pedestrian accident case, including the local statute of limitations, when to settle, and when to sue.
If your claim wasn’t denied, the insurance company’s next move is to offer you a low-ball settlement. You should not agree to settle for anything less than a fair settlement offer you’re your pedestrian accident injuries.
If you’ve been offered a settlement but feel you deserve more, you might be unsure what your next move should be. You might think you can handle taking the insurance company or at-fault driver to court by yourself, but statistics show that 25% of people who choose to represent themselves in court lose 90% of the time.
Most of us are only slightly familiarized with laws, statutes, and legal mandates. It is no secret that laws are very challenging and complex to understand. Most of us are also clueless about the insurance process or how it works. We need expert assistance to understand things that we do not. Otherwise, imagine we enter a courtroom filled with insurance agents and legal experts without a leg to stand on. We cannot even fathom it.
With an attorney on the case, it is one less worry. They bring a sense of security and the much-needed legal expertise that you will require to win the case. This certainly eases tension, stress, and all the legal hassle and worries relating to the accident. After a pedestrian accident, you should only concentrate on recovering. When you hire an attorney to represent your case, you will focus your attention on where it should belong and leave the legal matters to the experts in the industry.
