Being the victim of a pedestrian accident can be catastrophic. While pedestrians need to be careful when crossing the street or walking on roads with car traffic, drivers also have a responsibility to be aware of pedestrians and avoid causing harm. If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident that was not your fault, you are entitled to seek compensation to help you recover.

What Do I Do After the Accident?

Knowing what not to do after a pedestrian accident in Napoleon, Ohio can sometimes be more important than understanding what you should do. Be very careful to avoid saying anything that implies you are accepting fault for the accident-even partial fault can be detrimental to your claim. Providing a simple apology for being involved as a social courtesy can later be used against you, so it is important to choose conversions carefully. Your first priority as an accident victim is to get prompt medical attention.

Shock and adrenaline can sometimes block victims from feeling the full extent of their injuries, but getting checked immediately can not only prevent injuries from getting worse, but will start the paper trail that will be needed when claiming compensation for your damages including medical expenses. Make sure that first responders are called to the scene where police can begin the accident report, EMS can assess your injuries, and information can be obtained from the at-fault driver. The driver’s insurance should cover the damages from the accident, but you need to make sure you get their information promptly.

Challenges You May Face After a Pedestrian Accident

Being involved in a pedestrian accident is serious. Victims can sustain significant injuries that may cause long-lasting damage and alter lives. Injuries including bruises, contusions, lacerations, and broken or crushed bones may require a long recovery period and reconstructive surgery. Head injuries are also common, which can range from a mild concussion to traumatic brain injuries. Spinal cord injuries can happen too, and result in partial or total paralysis.Crosswalk sign in the "walk" position

In addition, many pedestrian accident victims suffer from psychological trauma due to the accident. Recovering from physical injuries can be even more difficult if the driver tries to prove that the pedestrian is partially at fault for the accident, or when lost wages and mounting medical bills cause financial strain and stress. It can be difficult to prove liability in a pedestrian accident, as the injuries sustained by the victim often remove the victim from the scene quickly, leaving them unable to document evidence in their favor. In the aftermath, victims may struggle to remember the details of the crash, which the driver’s insurance company may attempt to use to their advantage. With all these challenges, victims of pedestrian accidents need someone on their side who will advocate for their rights.

Understanding a Pedestrian Accident Settlement

A full settlement offer after a pedestrian accident can include the following claims to help you recover and move on without financial burden:

Medical Expenses

The medical expenses in your claim will not only include your current medical bills. An experienced pedestrian accident attorney can evaluate future medical expenses that may arise from your injuries. For example, certain injuries can require long-term care, medication, and therapy, and these future needs can be included.

Lost Wages

When you are injured and unable to work, your settlement offer will include coverage for lost wages. Your attorney can also take into account the potential loss of future earnings, especially when you are facing a serious injury that will limit your earning potential.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering following a traumatic accident like this is expected, and compensation for this is justified. Many pedestrian accident victims face severe psychological trauma as well, which can be helped with a fair settlement offer.

Benefits of Working with an Experienced Pedestrian Accident Attorney

In pedestrian accidents, the victim’s attorney has to prove that the driver was negligent. While this may seem obvious, you will need solid evidence proving that the driver was at fault. An experienced pedestrian accident attorney in Napoleon, Ohio is invaluable to your case. When you have an attorney advocating for you, you will likely get a much more favorable settlement much more quickly.

Insurance companies have many different tactics that they may use to lessen your settlement amount. They may try to get you to accept a degree of fault, or offer a settlement that is too low to cover your expenses, and they may even imply that if you don’t accept their initial offer you will forfeit your right to recover any damages at all. This is simply not true. Insurance companies are businesses that want to turn a profit, and although they may seem like they are on your side, they are definitely looking out for their own interests first. Having an attorney means that you will have someone to help collect evidence, calculate the full compensation you will need to move forward, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. If the negotiations fail, having an attorney in place and familiar with your case will allow you to file a lawsuit to recover the damages you need to move forward.

Choosing the Right Attorney for Your Settlement

The most effective way to find the right attorney is to choose one with an excellent reputation in your community for handling cases like yours. An attorney who is experienced in pedestrian accidents will know how best to proceed to get you a fair settlement. Most attorneys work on a contingency basis, where you will not need to pay any upfront attorney fees until your case is settled, at which point your attorney will take a percentage of the settlement. Arthur Law Firm’s Fair and Square Fee Guarantee assures victims that their legal costs will never exceed their settlement amount.

You don’t need to be a victim of the insurance company on top of being a victim of a pedestrian accident. If you’ve been injured in an accident that was not your fault, contact Arthur Law Firm right away (419) 782-9881 for a free consultation to discuss your legal options.