A Legal Counsel's Role After an Accident
If you’ve been in a pedestrian accident that wasn’t your fault, an attorney can help you recover compensation for lost income, medical bills, and other expenses. Don’t accept a settlement offer that won’t cover your losses—rely on an accident attorney who can help you get everything you deserve.
Determining the Cause of the Accident
An experienced attorney will take their time to investigate possible contributing factors after pedestrian accidents. While the causes of these incidents sometimes seem clear, factors like road conditions, driver distraction, and mechanical failure can all play a role. If you’ve been hit by a car while walking, an accident attorney will work with other professionals to understand how and why it happened.
Finding Out Who’s Responsible
After determining the cause of a pedestrian accident, an injury attorney will work to identify those at fault. If a responsible party was in a company car, for instance, their employer may be partially liable for your losses. In accidents caused by mechanical failures, manufacturers are sometimes held accountable.
Assessing the Availability of Damages
Pedestrian accidents often result in lifelong damages. If you’ve been victimized by a driver’s careless or intentional conduct, you are legally allowed to seek compensation for emergency room and doctor’s visits, pain, suffering, lost wages, and even punitive damages.
Negotiating With Insurance Companies
Lawyers often advise clients not to talk to the other person’s insurance company, and for good reason; anything said can be used to invalidate or minimize a claim. Accident attorneys help clients by dealing with insurance adjusters—so they can focus on recovery.
Estimating Future Accident-Related Costs and Medical Bills
An attorney will help you calculate accident-related costs, including future medical bills. By consulting doctors, therapists, and other medical providers, lawyers can estimate upcoming expenses based on the severity of your injuries. Without an estimate of future expenses, your rehabilitation may not be covered.
Handling Harassment by Hospitals and Medical Debt Collection Agencies
After a pedestrian accident, your attention and that of your family should be on recovery and health. The last thing an accident victim should be required to do is to deal with debt collectors and hospitals’ constant payment reminder calls. Your attorney will deal with them directly—and a pending claim will put a stop to the harassment.
Getting the Settlement You Deserve After an Accident
Insurance companies are there to make profits, and they boost their bottom line by minimizing claim payouts. Therefore, the insurance company’s initial offer will likely be far below your claim’s actual value. An at-fault party’s insurer may hold out hope that you’ll settle and waive your right to file further claims. No matter how good it seems, don’t accept an insurance company’s offer without seeking a lawyer’s advice.
Using Their Legal Knowledge to Level the Playing Field
Accident lawyers understand state laws about pedestrian accidents and how to negotiate with insurers to get the settlement you deserve. While you’re at a significant disadvantage when working with insurers and at-fault parties, an attorney will even the odds and help you recover fully.
Don’t Deal With the Aftermath Alone
If you’ve been hit by a car as a pedestrian, especially if the other driver was negligent, you should hire an attorney. With a lawyer’s guidance, you’ll have legal advocacy and a greater ability to fight for fair compensation.
