What You Should Know Before Hiring a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Pedestrians are especially vulnerable when colliding with a vehicle of any size. In the US, over 7,904 deaths happened to pedestrians from traffic or non-traffic accidents in 2020.

Pedestrians are no match against a car. When a pedestrian accident occurs the impact of a 2-ton steel vehicle to a soft body can often cause severe injuries even at slow speeds including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, broken bones, internal bleeding, or chronic pain and suffering. Pedestrian accidents can involve getting run over, crushed, smashed through a windshield, hit and propelled through the air, or pinned between two motor vehicles.

Drivers’ insurance companies may try to place fault on the pedestrian for the accident to avoid paying compensation or to minimize the settlement amount by offering far lower than is fair for the accident victim. They benefit from an accident victim that doesn’t know the worth of their claim and doesn’t have legal representation working for them. Do not accept an auto insurance company’s offer before speaking to a pedestrian accident lawyer.

An experienced personal accident attorney gathers evidence to prove liability, creates a strong legal strategy and case for their clients, and fights for the maximum compensation for your losses.

If you were not at fault, you can be fairly compensated for:

• Medical bills, including those as a result of the accident and ongoing repair and recovery medical treatments from the accident. (E.g. emergency treatment, surgeries, rehabilitation)
• Lost wages from the inability to work including future wages if you can’t go back to work as a result of the injuries from the accident.
• Wrongful death. Due to the severity of pedestrian accident injuries, pedestrian deaths are not uncommon. If your loved one was killed, you may be able to recover compensation for wrongful death.
• Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, permanent disfigurement, or permanent disabilities.

If you, a family member, or a loved one has been seriously injured in a pedestrian accident, it’s important to seek the help of a pedestrian accident lawyer right away. Get in touch with a local pedestrian accident lawyer in our network for your personal injury case today.

1. Recover your losses.
   • When you are injured at the fault of someone else, you are stuck paying for all your injuries, damages, and suffering both immediately after the accident and ongoing. A pedestrian accident lawyer acts on your behalf to recover all your losses so you don’t have to worry about how you will pay for them and so that you can recover and move on with your life.
2. Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency so you don’t pay up-front costs for their service and only pay if they win.
   • Contingency fee structures make working with a personal injury lawyer low risk. A contingency fee structure means that you don’t pay anything unless your attorney wins. Their fee is then taken out of the compensation amount. When you speak to a pedestrian accident lawyer during your free consultation, be sure to ask about what their fee structure is, if they work on contingency, and if so, what their fee is and when they would get paid.
3. Laws for personal injury accidents are complex and vary by state.
   • That’s why we connect you to a local personal injury lawyer in our network. An experienced pedestrian accident attorney is knowledgeable about the law and the maximums they can recover for your injuries and losses.
4. Experienced pedestrian accident lawyers know how to build a strong legal case to win maximum compensation.
   • Experience means having past case wins where they have gained an increasing ability to know how to create a winning legal case. Ask the attorneys you are matched with about their winning track record with pedestrian accident cases.
5. Pedestrian accident attorneys are skilled negotiators on behalf of their clients.
   • It’s not uncommon for insurance companies to not negotiate an offer unless an attorney represents the victim.
   • It is to your advantage to have a personal injury lawyer who is a practiced and skilled negotiator to get the maximum compensation you may be owed for your losses.
   • The Research Insurance Council found that people who were represented by an attorney achieved 3.5x the reward of those that represented themselves.
6. Insurance companies are likely to offer minimal settlements.
   • Personal injury lawyers advise accident victims not to accept any offers from an insurance company without talking to a personal injury lawyer first. You may be leaving tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table.
   • In many case settlement examples, insurance companies have initially offered settlement amounts multitudes lower than what a plaintiff was eventually able to win with a personal injury lawyer on their side. Here are just a few case settlement examples.

If you were not at fault, you could be compensated for the losses sustained during the accident and for future losses as a result of the accident. Personal injury lawsuits for a pedestrian accident seek to recover pedestrian accident settlements to pay for:

• Medical treatment and medical expenses related to the accident including immediate and ongoing (such as rehabilitation or surgery that is needed as a result of the accident)
• Property damage
• Lost wages due to inability to work. Lost future wages if a victim’s ability to work has been compromised due to their injuries.
• Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering.
• Punitive damages if the accident was reckless or malicious in nature. This is often rare.

Compensation amounts vary widely but if catastrophic injuries occurred such as traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury occur, claim amounts and settlement offers for pedestrian accident victims will likely be much higher than for lesser injuries. Compensation amounts are also dependent on the other driver’s insurance policy as well as your own.

Only a pedestrian accident lawyer can give you an estimate based on your specific circumstances.

If you were seriously injured in a pedestrian accident, you have a limited time to file a personal injury claim. The statute of limitations varies by state. In California, you have 2 years to file a claim, whereas in Tennessee, only 1 year.

If you were not at fault, it’s in your best interest to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible so they can help you prepare and set up the best chances for winning full financial compensation for your losses. You will want to speak to them early so you know what not to do especially when it comes to speaking with insurance companies that can use anything you say against you.

Working with a pedestrian accident lawyer right away will help you:

• Setup your case for the best chance of winning.
• Educate you on what to do and what NOT to do (for example not to speak to the other driver’s insurance company directly instead of through your attorney).
• Walk you through the claim process.
• Value your pedestrian accident claim.
• Potentially expedite your compensation.

Our form connects you to personal injury lawyers in your area. The lawyers we connect you to offer free case evaluations and most work on contingency. Be sure to verify their fee structure and how they work with their clients during your consultation.

You’ll be matched with more than one so you are not limited in your options. Be sure to use your free case evaluation to ask the questions you need to determine which personal injury attorney works best for you. You can ask about their fee structure, their track record, and what they think you can recover for your case.

Most pedestrian accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means that they don’t get paid unless they win for you. This arrangement is very beneficial for the plaintiff in many ways:

1. Your accident attorney is aligned in incentives to make sure you win. Attorneys that work on contingency are financing all upfront costs. It’s in their interest to win a maximum recovery for you and to do so efficiently.
2. You don’t have to pay upfront fees for their services. Legal representation is expensive and many people are afraid of hiring a lawyer. On contingency, a lawyer either wins or their client doesn’t have to pay. Additionally, contingency payments are only made after the reward is secured as a payment of the reward amount. This arrangement represents no risk to plaintiffs.
3. If a law firm decides to take you on, they are likely confident in their ability to secure a win. In some cases, a pedestrian accident attorney may not decide to take you on for instance if the injuries are small it may not be cost-effective for them to manage the claim for you or you can find another accident attorney who will help you. Speak to several accident attorneys to discuss your case. Having more than one option is very helpful for you to understand what’s available and choose between them. We’ll connect you to several accident lawyers in our network.

Find a pedestrian accident attorney within our nationwide network today.

Get a free consultation with several personal injury lawyers in your area to talk to them about your accident, how they work with their clients, what they think they can do for your case, and answer your questions.

These are some questions you can ask in addition to speaking about your accident during your free consultation.

• Compare pedestrian accident attorneys. Use our short form or call our number to connect with personal injury attorneys in your location. It’s best to compare your options to find one that you are comfortable using.
• Understand the fee structure. Confirm if they are paid on contingency, when payment occurs, and what percentage it is. Are there any other costs in relation to working with them?
• Ask about their track record of wins and experience in pedestrian accidents in your state and area. An attorney’s experience with state laws and your specific area is incredibly valuable to increase your odds of winning your case and maximizing your compensation claim. For example, attorneys well-practiced in specific cities know how the general population may respond in a courtroom. Their specific experience of case wins in your city with your type of accident helps them create a case that will win in a courtroom or achieve a settlement in your favor. That’s why we match you to local attorneys in our network who can speak to you about your accident in a free consultation.

Get a free consultation with pedestrian accident attorneys in our nationwide network. Be sure to take notes and compare so you can make the decision that suits you.

Personal injury lawyers help their clients build a personal injury claim and seek compensation for injuries sustained due to another person’s negligence or intent to harm. Their work can involve:

• Determining liability
• Gathering evidence and investigating
• Helping their client understand the law
• Negotiating for a fair settlement from insurance companies of those at fault or of the client’s insurance company.
• Filing a lawsuit if an insurance company will not negotiate
• Representing you in court if a lawsuit goes to trial

Pedestrian accidents differ by city but every city has pedestrians walking throughout the day and night. Walking is much more environmentally friendly, and great for the body, with a multitude of health benefits. Unfortunately, negligent drivers can put many pedestrians in very vulnerable positions.

80% of pedestrian fatalities happen in urban areas. 75% don’t happen at an intersection. 19% occur in broad daylight. Saturday evenings are the most deadly with the largest number of deaths during the week.

In 2020 6,516 pedestrians were killed and 55,000 pedestrian injuries occurred.

The most common causes of pedestrian accidents are:

• Backup Accidents: Many accidents occur when a driver is backing out of a parking spot or driveway and doesn’t see a pedestrian walking in their way. Backup cameras help a driver see what’s directly behind them but drivers are still responsible for carefully watching where they are going and if it is safe to back up.

• Turning Vehicle Accidents: When a car is making a turn at an intersection and the driver doesn’t see a pedestrian walking a driver may unintentionally run into the pedestrian. Drivers need to pay attention to other cars as well as pedestrians when they are making left and right turns at an intersection.

• Unmarked Crosswalks: Some pedestrian crosswalks are unmarked or faded which means drivers are less likely to pay attention when approaching these crosswalks to allow pedestrians a safe journey across the street.

• Distracted Drivers Accidents: It’s important for drivers to be focused at all times. If a driver becomes distracted by their phone, something in their car, trying to grab something to eat or anything that puts their focus anywhere else but on the road, a pedestrian can be in jeopardy.

• “Trapped” in a Crosswalk Pedestrian Accidents: When a pedestrian is unable to complete a crossing within a crosswalk in the time allotted, cars may see their green light and proceed without realizing that a pedestrian is still trying to cross the street. This can easily happen at busy multi-lane intersections with heavy car traffic.

• Left Turns: When a driver makes a left turn, they may be focused on watching and navigating oncoming traffic and may not pay attention to whether there is a pedestrian trying to cross at the same time. This is a precarious situation that can lead to the driver colliding with a pedestrian who tried to cross the intersection.

• Driver Exceeding the Speed Limit: If a driver’s speeding results in a pedestrian crash, the driver could be proven to be at-fault for causing the accident.

• Weather Conditions: Rainy, foggy, icy or slippery conditions can affect a driver’s ability to see or avoid a pedestrian.

• Poor Visibility: Most fatalities occur after dark with over 75% of deadly accidents happening at night. Dark clothing or lack of lighting can make it much more difficult for a driver to realize a person is walking along the street.

• Drug or Alcohol Impairment: Drunk drivers often exhibit slow reaction time and poor judgment while driving. The same goes for pedestrians.

• Hit and Runs: A hit and run accident is when a driver strikes a pedestrian and instead of stopping to help the person their actions injured, they flee the scene.

No matter how a pedestrian accident occurred, it is critically important to seek the help of an experienced pedestrian accident attorney who can help you investigate liability, gather evidence, build a legal case and recover your maximum eligible losses in a personal injury claim.

Insurance adjusters are unlikely to offer victims the maximum compensation amount for their injuries. Insurance companies are businesses that are incentivized to keep their costs low.

In order to understand the value of your accident, it’s in your best interest to speak to a pedestrian accident lawyer as soon as possible and not to accept an insurance company’s settlement offer until you understand your options with a personal injury lawyer.

An experienced pedestrian accident lawyer will assess your accident and build a strong case so that you can receive maximum compensation and carry on with your life.

It’s common for a pedestrian to sustain serious injuries if they collide with a car, truck, bus or motorcycle. A pedestrian is extremely vulnerable having very little protection against a vehicle as opposed to being encased in a steel automobile during an accident. The speed at which a vehicle travels also contributes to the seriousness of the injuries.

Catastrophic accidents:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Disfigurement
• Burns
• Paralysis
• Death

Other serious injuries:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Soft tissue damage

The extent of a serious injury from a pedestrian accident could result in astronomical medical bills, long term debilitation, a long road to recover, emotional trauma, inability to work, lost wages, lost income and much more for a victim.

Consult with a personal injury lawyer today to see what they may be able to recover from your accident. In some states, even if you were partially at fault, you may be able to recover partial costs for your accident.