According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, more pedestrians are being injured and even killed by cars than ever before. Pedestrian accidents are on the rise all across the country, with distracted driving being largely to blame for it.
Were you recently hit by a car and injured? If you were, you might be able to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit. You can go through the lawsuit filing process and get your hands on the compensation you need to get treatment for a pedestrian accident injury.
It can be confusing knowing how to select the right pedestrian accident lawyer, there are a few things you need to keep in mind such as the severity and the injury itself. But before you begin trying to put together a pedestrian accident case, you’ll need to be sure you know how to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit, It’ll help you build a stronger case and put you in a better position to collect compensation in the end.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take as you file a pedestrian accident lawsuit.
Start the Lawsuit Filing Process Right Away
If you believe you would like to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit, you shouldn’t hesitate at all. There will be a lawsuit filing deadline in most states. You might only have about 2 years to file a lawsuit like this.
With this in mind, you shouldn’t hesitate to try to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit at all. If you suspect you’d like to do it, you should begin working with a lawyer right away who specializes in these types of cases.
The sooner you’re able to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit, the greater your chances of being able to collect compensation. The last thing you want to do is let the lawsuit filing deadline pass and regret it later on.
Get the Help of a Personal Injury Attorney
You won’t be able to go through the lawsuit filing process on your own when you choose to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit. It can be a very complicated process that will confuse the average person.
Instead of trying to tackle this task yourself, you should enlist the services of a personal injury attorney. A great personal injury attorney will guide you down the right path as you aim to recover from a pedestrian accident injury.
There will be a cost that’ll come along with hiring a personal injury attorney to assist you. But most personal injury lawyers will only charge you a fee if they’re able to earn you a victory in court. It’s why it’ll pay to have one in your corner when you file a pedestrian accident lawsuit. However, you can find certain injury lawyer companies that will offer their clients free case evaluation to give you the space to talk openly and freely about what happened to you, by doing this it gives the lawyer an insight into how the accident happened and how it has affected your life – this means that if you choose to go through with making a claim, that the lawyer has already been given a big insight into everything and therefore will be able to help you get the result you want!
Work On Gathering Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit Documents
There are lots of different pedestrian accident lawsuit documents that you’ll need to bring with you when meeting a lawyer for the first time. You should work on gathering them together prior to sitting down with a lawyer to discuss your case.
First and foremost, you should work to secure a copy of the police report stemming from your pedestrian accident. It should show that the police believe someone else was to blame for your pedestrian accident injuries.
You should also work on obtaining other documents that’ll come in handy. This will include things like your medical bills and any other paperwork that can help showcase how a pedestrian accident impacted your life.
The more paperwork you’re able to turn over to your lawyer, the easier it’ll be for them to create a compelling case on your behalf.
Get the Appropriate Medical Attention
If you’re entertaining the idea of filing a pedestrian accident lawsuit, you likely sustained a serious injury during your accident. Hopefully, you’ve already gotten the necessary medical attention to put you on the path toward healing.
But you shouldn’t stop there. You should continue to see a doctor so that you’re able to determine how an injury will impact you moving forward. If a pedestrian accident injury is going to, say, keep you out of work for the rest of your life, you could be entitled to more compensation than you would be otherwise.
Whatever the case, you should keep on meeting with a doctor to make sure your injuries are healing. You might also want to look into taking part in physical therapy sessions to promote healing.
Hang onto any receipts you receive for the costs associated with your medical care. A good personal injury lawyer should be able to get you reimbursed for every cent you spend on a pedestrian accident injury.
Ask a Personal Injury Attorney to Try to Reach a Settlement
Ideally, you will want to try to keep your pedestrian accident case out of court. Why? Well, it’ll be so much easier to work out a settlement deal outside of court if you’re able to do it.
You should speak with your personal injury attorney about the idea of trying to reach a settlement with the defendant in your case. They might be able to get them to agree to a settlement that you feel comfortable with.
This settlement might be for less than what you would be able to get by going through the court system. But at the same time, it might also save you so much time and maybe even money. It’s why you should remain open-minded when it comes to the idea of reaching a settlement in a pedestrian accident lawsuit.
Take Your Pedestrian Attorney Case to Court
There is a chance you may not be able to reach a settlement outside of court no matter how hard you try. If this is the case for you, you’ll have no choice but to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit and take it to court.
Your lawyer can help you get a court date for your lawsuit so that you’re able to have your day in court. This could potentially help you earn a larger payout than you would be able to get otherwise as long as you play your cards right.
Present Evidence Supporting Your Pedestrian Accident Case
If your pedestrian accident case does end up going to court, you and your personal injury lawyer will need to put your heads together to increase your chances of success. You’ll have to create a mountain of evidence that works in your favor.
This evidence should include everything from the aforementioned police report to potential reenactments of the accident you were involved in. It’ll help convince a judge that you deserve to be compensated for your pedestrian accident injury.
Just make sure you’re aware of the fact that the defendant in your case will provide their own evidence that’ll work against you. You should be ready to push back against any claims they make to prove that you should be paid for your troubles.
Collect Compensation and Put Your Life Back Together
If everything goes according to plan, you’ll get a check at the end of your pedestrian accident lawsuit. It’ll come either after your lawyer works out a settlement or after a judge grants you a certain amount of compensation.
Either way, you will need to use a portion of this compensation to pay your personal injury attorney. You should pay them the amount you agreed upon prior to them agreeing to represent you.
From there, you should use any compensation that is left over to pay down your medical bills, cover lost wages, and more. Your goal with this compensation should be to start to put your life back together one step at a time.
Your life might not ever be the same again depending on how bad your pedestrian accident was. It could leave you unable to do some of the things you were able to do before.
But as long as you were awarded enough compensation, you should be able to start a new life and make a full recovery. It’ll make you so glad that you decided to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit in the first place. It’ll also make you grateful for the lawyer you chose to work with throughout your case.
File a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit ASAP
If you sustained a pedestrian accident injury, you might still be dealing with the shock that can come along with it. You’re welcome to take some time to heal both your body and your mind. But try not to wait too long to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit.
By taking each of the steps we’ve laid out here, you can start the lawsuit filing process and begin building your life back up again. It won’t be long before you’re moving past your accident and starting a new chapter.
Get more legal tips and tricks by reading through some of our other blog articles.
