As a pedestrian, you might assume you are safe to cross the street in a crosswalk. After all, it’s there to protect you, and driving laws state you have the right-of-way. However, not all vehicles adhere to this rule and you could suffer pedestrian injuries.
A car might not see you, or fail to yield to you, and it can leave you seriously injured.
If this happens, you have options. Learn what legal options you can pursue if you suffer from pedestrian injuries.
If you are struck by a vehicle when walking, you can file a claim with the liable driver’s insurance company to get compensation for your pedestrian injuries, suffering, and any damages. You can also file a civil lawsuit against the driver. Your injury attorney can help you determine what action to take.
Some of the information you will need to gather includes:
Who is liable for the accident? You will need to gather evidence to prove who hit you, what led to the accident, and if the driver stopped after striking you. If you were in a crosswalk, the driver should be liable.
To help your case, you should get the driver’s information at the scene of the accident (if you are physically able), as well as the vehicle’s license plate number. You should also determine if there were any witnesses to the accident and gather their statements and information.
You also need to call a police officer and emergency personnel to the scene to take your statement and assess your pedestrian injuries. If you are unsure of what other evidence to gather, call your injury attorney for advice.
What injuries did you suffer? After being hit by a vehicle, you might immediately go into a state of shock. However, it’s important to collect yourself and determine if and where you were injured. If you were seriously hurt, you will need to be treated by emergency medical personnel at the scene, and possibly transported to the hospital.
If you suffered more minor injuries, you should get treatment at urgent care or the emergency room after giving your testimony to the police officer. Even if you think your injuries are too minor to be treated, it’s still essential to go to the doctor and get all injuries (even bruises) looked at.
Your injuries might be more serious than you think, or it could lead to a more severe injury later. It’s essential to have this documented in your medical records to use as evidence for your lawsuit.
What is your prognosis? If you suffered a more severe injury, it’s important to have medical documentation on what your short-term and long-term prognosis is in overcoming the injury. This can include what ongoing treatment and care you will need. Your injury lawyer needs this information when determining what damages to seek.
What expenses did you incur? In addition to getting your medical records, you should also collect all medical invoices you received for your treatment and medications. You also need to provide your attorney with invoices or estimates to repair the damage to your bicycle. This will help your lawyer determine how much compensation you are owed from the driver or the insurance company.
If you were hit in a crosswalk and suffer pedestrian injuries, you need help from a top-rated, hard-working representative. At Shapiro | Delgado | Hofmann, our Bradenton personal injury attorneys put their injury law experience to work for you. And we handle cases on a contingency basis, which means we don’t get paid unless you do.
We represent clients throughout Florida, including Sarasota, Bradenton, Tampa, Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, and surrounding communities.
To set up a free personal consultation, call 941-954-4000 or use our convenient online contact form.
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