If you travel out of state and you are walking when you are hit by a vehicle, you will suffer damages. You might be eligible to file a personal injury claim after you have been hit by a vehicle while you were walking. Your injuries can vary significantly and are dependent upon the nature of the crash.
You need to maintain evidence and documentation to support your claim and to show what damages you suffered as a result of the accident. Your insurance goes with you when you travel out of state, so your damages should be covered.
However, if your insurance doesn't cover all the damages, you might be able to file a personal injury claim.
How Does Insurance Cover Pedestrian Accidents?
Insurance and accident laws vary significantly from one state to another. There are about a dozen states in the country that have no-fault laws in place. If the accident happened in a state where no fault laws are in place if your damages are under a specific amount your insurance will cover your claim and you usually don't have the right to proceed with a personal injury claim against the other party.
You will most likely turn to your medical insurance for covering your medical expenses, but your medical insurance might request an auto insurance provider to reimburse them.
Many states allow an injured pedestrian to file a claim against his or her own auto insurance if a standard uninsured motorist system or no-fault system is in place to file a claim with his or her own auto insurance.
In some states, the driver who caused the accident is responsible for the damages. Problems could arise if the driver wasn't insured and lacks assets.
How State Laws Impact Pedestrian Accidents
If the accident happened in a no-fault state and you as the pedestrian are partly to blame for the accident, you should still be eligible to receive compensation from either the driver's auto insurance or your auto insurance policy up to specific limits.
However, there are some states that do not make the driver's insurance company responsible for any damages if the pedestrian was partly to blame for the accident. In those cases, the accident coverage is dependent on the pedestrian's auto insurance coverage and whether he or she has specific coverage for being at fault in such accidents.
The insurance coverage requirements can vary from one state to another and the coverage requirements can be very low. Some no-fault states only require insurance to pay up to a specific dollar amount for medical expenses and lost income.
What To Do After Being Hit By A Car When Walking Out of State
If you have been hit by a car when walking out state, you should make sure law enforcement complete an accident report. Seek medical treatment right away. Maintain documentation to support your damages.
Keep copies of medical records, medical bills, prescription records, and any other expenses. If possible, take photos of any visible injuries. Consult with a personal injury attorney familiar with auto accident injury claims to learn how to proceed following your pedestrian accident.
