If you were walking down a sidewalk or crossing the road at a crosswalk and were hit by a motorized vehicle you will certainly be injured, perhaps badly. You may need extensive surgery or other hospital treatment and will certainly take time off work. You will have good reason to believe that the driver whose negligent actions caused your injuries should be responsible for paying your bills.
The full cost of medical treatment, loss of earnings and other less tangible compensation, such as for the pain and suffering caused, could be recovered through a personal injury claim. It is always advisable to hire a personal injury lawyer to help you through this experience.
Injuries That Can Occur in a Pedestrian Accident
The injuries will depend on how you were hit, what hit you and how fast it was moving when it hit you. You could get away with just a few bumps and scraps if you were hit by a glancing blow or you could have been badly injured as you were crushed, run over or thrown to the ground.
There are so many variables that it is impossible to generalize just what sort of pedestrian injuries are possible. All that is certain is that you are far more likely to be hurt than the occupants of the vehicle that hit you.
Filing a PI Claim For Injuries From a Pedestrian Accident
It would be hard for the driver who hit you to defend him/herself unless you ran out into the road without warning. If the accident happened while you were on a crosswalk or sidewalk, you would have very good grounds for legal action against the driver because of their negligence.
There may be a few situations in which a driver claims that you were at least partly to blame, so depending on the state where the accident took place, you may only get part of the compensation you claim. It is best not to admit fault at all.
As with all personal injury claims, you are unlikely to be given compensation unless you have evidence to show it was the driver’s fault and how it has affected you financially, such as proof of loss of earnings. The best evidence you can submit with your claim is:
- eye witness statements, especially other pedestrians who saw what happened and can remember seeing you hit;
- the police report compiled by an officer who attended the scene of the accident;
- the doctor’s report of your injuries as well as any other medical reports indicating the nature of your injuries;
- photos taken at the accident scene, assuming you are not so badly hurt that this is impossible.
Working with a PI Lawyer
You are always advised to talk to a personal injury lawyer before submitting a claim. The worse your injuries, the more important it is to hire a determined and experienced lawyer to help you win the compensation you deserve after being injured by a negligent driver.
