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Were you or a loved one struck by a vehicle while walking? Check out these 5 pedestrian accident facts, then give our Texas lawyers a call now.
1. After a Pedestrian Accident
One of the things that need to be done after a pedestrian accident is you need to make sure that this injury gets reported either to the local police department, DPS, or sheriff’s office, depending on where the accident happened. The second thing is it’s important to seek immediate medical attention. This not only means going to the local hospital right away but also seeking help from your personal doctor. It’s important that you follow up with your personal doctor because you may have injuries that were untreated at the hospital.
It’s also important that you hire a lawyer who’s experienced in these type of accidents because there may need to be additional investigation. For example, there may be cameras from local stores in the area where the accident happened that are going to get erased if they’re not obtained right away. There may need to be a subpoena to get this documentation, or an investigator that needs to be hired to obtain the surveillance video. There also may be evidence at the scene that only an experienced lawyer will know how to preserve. If you have any questions, we are here to help.
2. Choosing a Pedestrian Accident Attorney
There are four things you should consider when hiring a pedestrian accident attorney to handle your case. The first thing to look at is if they are a personal injury lawyer. They only handle personal injury cases, not divorces, bankruptcies, or criminal defense. Second, they should be a trial lawyer. This means that the lawyer will go to court with you and fight to get a verdict when the insurance company is not being fair. The personal injury trial lawyer should also be board-certified. This means that they have been recognized by the state as having specialized knowledge and expertise in their area of law. Only 3% of the lawyers in this state have board-certification in personal injury. Lastly, they should be able to talk to you about the successes and the results they’ve had in handling those types of cases. If you have any questions, please feel free to call my office.
3. Pedestrian Accident Injury Claims
I had a young man come in the other day who was involved in a pedestrian accident. He wanted to know how this accident is different than any other type of accident. One of the ways that they’re different is the injuries are going to be much more severe. You don’t have a car to protect you. They’re also very different because the jury may automatically blame the pedestrian for not being careful. That’s why it’s important to hire lawyer experienced in handling these types of cases to make sure that your rights are properly protected. An experienced attorney will make sure that any investigation that needs to be done gets done, and not only done but done immediately. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
4. Pedestrian Accident Settlement Timeline
A pedestrian injury claim in Texas, on average, can take up to 18 months to settle. However, it depends on the severity of the injury and how quickly you heal. If the insurance company is willing to offer a fair settlement, the case may resolve in under a year. If they’re not willing to be reasonable with their offers, then we would have to file suit. We’ll also have to see how fast the court can give us a trial date. Those are the factors that are involved. Every personal injury case has those factors that need to be dealt with. If you have questions regarding those factors, please give us a call.
5. Pedestrian Accident Claim Value
There are several factors that we need to look at when determining the value of your pedestrian accident claim. One of the factors is the extent of the injuries and which part of your body is hurt. We will look at the impact this has on your daily life, as well as your ability to work. All of that gets factored in. The second thing is how and why did the accident happen. This is a complex issue to examine. One of the things that we’re going to look at is what time of day the accident took place. Other determining factors include where the pedestrian was walking — were they in a crosswalk? The sidewalk? The middle of the road? — and the amount of traffic at the scene of the accident.
Also, was the driver that was involved distracted in any way? They could have been on their phone or talking to children in the backseat. All of these are factors that go into determining the value of the case. The last thing we’re going to look at is the amount of insurance that was involved. For example, if it was an 18-wheeler, the value of the insurance is going to be significantly higher as opposed to a teenager driver who was in a car. These are all factors that an experienced lawyer can look at for you to determine the value of your case. If you have any questions, we are here to help you.
Were you or a loved one struck by a vehicle while walking and have questions about our 5 pedestrian accident facts?
Contact our experienced Texas pedestrian accident attorneys at the Law Firm of Ricardo A. Garcia today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
Let our experience work for you.
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