In the last year, pedestrian accidents have increased by more than 10%, with factors indicating an increase over the next few years.
This is due to a number of factors including texting while driving, texting while walking, and confusing new patterns that attempt to increase safety. These increased challenges could lead any one of us to need to call a pedestrian accident attorney.
Whether or not you think that you were at fault, it’s important that you figure out if you’re entitled to benefits. If you’ve had to pursue medical treatment or therapy following an accident, you could be due for a settlement.
You may think that you can settle any issue you have on your own. Statistics show that while 25% of people choose to represent themselves in court, they lose 90% of the time.
If you’re still not convinced, here are six more reasons you should hire a pedestrian accident attorney.
Benefits of Hiring a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Chicago
1. They Can Help Determine The Fault
It’s generally assumed that when a pedestrian and a car collide, it’s the driver who’s at fault. This is true in a lot of cases but not in every single instance.
Pedestrians who show flagrant disregard for crosswalks or traffic signals might find that even though they were injured, it was their own fault.
Drivers who fail to yield at marked crosswalks are more likely to be at fault than pedestrians.
There are dozens of instances defined by different state and city ordinances that state pedestrians have the right of way. Drivers who go above the speed limit in designated slow zones are also at fault.
But how do you prove these things without evidence?
Often the only things to show are the testimony and medical exams. It can be very complicated to determine fault.
2. They Can Determine Damages
If you were injured in the course of your accident, you can claim an injury with the driver’s car insurance company to get the bills paid.
This third-party claim, as it’s called, is meant to cover medical bills, income lost due to injury, and any costs related to pain and suffering. Take some time to calculate damages on your own.
Injured pedestrians are usually offered a settlement, though insurance companies will try to offer a low payout. If the amount is inadequate for your needs, you’ll need to take it up in civil court.
This is where a pedestrian accident attorney can help you figure out how much you’re entitled to and ensure you win your case.
3. They Can Help In The Worst-Case Scenario
If you’ve been injured in an accident, the worst thing you could face is that the driver sped off and left you injured at the scene. Hit-and-runs carry severe penalties for drivers, in the case that they’re caught of course.
If the driver who hit you was never caught, you face significant hurdles in receiving compensation.
After talking with the police and beginning an investigation, you can call a lawyer and see what they can do. They could help by speaking to your insurance company to ensure that you can get the most out of your coverage.
4. They Know When To File
Filing a lawsuit is all about timing. Waiting too long before you get the ball rolling can cause all sorts of issues with getting the settlement you need.
Lawyers will know the local statute of limitations for how long you can file a suit. They will also press you to get as many photos and as much documentation of your injuries as possible from your accident.
The amount of your settlement could be severely limited by how long you wait to file your suit. Your pedestrian accident attorney will set the schedule to ensure the best results.
5. Your Attorney Can Buffer You Against Insurance Companies
It’s not uncommon for insurance companies to try to lower the amount of the settlement they’re required to offer the injured.
While you may think it most prudent to contact the driver’s insurance company and work out any issues with them, they may not be looking out for you.
The aim of insurance companies is to spend the least amount of money and attend the least amount of court proceedings. If they can offer you a number that sounds tempting, before you’ve calculated all of your damages, they will consider it a win.
A pedestrian accident attorney knows these tricks and can help you from falling prey to them. They can help you get a settlement whether you were hit by a car, motorcycle, bicyclist, or a rogue car part that flung off a vehicle.
If you spend too much time working with the insurance company, they may be building a case against you in order to keep from having to give you money. The longer you spend speaking to an insurance company, the harder it may be for an attorney to win a case for you.
6. They Know When To Settle And When To Sue
An experienced attorney knows when to settle a lawsuit and when they should take the driver or their insurance company to court. While you may feel fine in the first couple of days following an accident, spinal or internal injuries can take weeks or months to arise.
Your lawyer will ask you to get an exam so that they can determine how much you should pursue in damages. If you’ll spend the next year in physical therapy following an accident, you shouldn’t have to pay for that out of your own pocket.
If you contact an attorney soon enough, they’ll be able to send a team down to look at the scene of the accident, take photos and build their case.
Once they’ve built a case to support your position, they can help ensure your needs are met via a settlement.
Hiring A Pedestrian Accident Attorney Can Save Money
When you add all of your medical bills together and start including lost wages and therapy, you could be spending a lot of money to get back to 100%. If your attorney gets a good settlement and takes only a small percentage, you could get back to normal comfortably, as you deserve.
Ready to Protect Your Rights? Let Our Pedestrian Accident Attorney Help!
If you've been injured in a pedestrian accident, it's essential to have experienced legal support on your side. The Law Office of Scott D. De Salvo is committed to helping accident victims navigate the legal process, protect their rights, and secure the compensation they deserve.
Don’t face this challenging time alone—reach out today for a free consultation, and let us help you take the first steps toward recovery and justice.
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