What to Do When You Are Hit by a Car While Walking
If you have been hit by a car, your immediate concerns with your healthcare and injuries often give way to worries over how you will cover the costs associated with the accident. Whether or not you can collect compensation will depend on a variety of factors, including who might have been at fault and how evidence in your favor is collected and presented.
Connecting with a Tustin pedestrian accident attorney can help you better understand the nature of your injuries, your legal options, and how you can seek a settlement that fully compensates you for your damages.
Pedestrian Safety and Safe Practices Still Leads to Many Annual Accidents
According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 6,205 pedestrians died in 2019 because of traffic accidents. NHTSA has prioritized the safety of pedestrians in recent years due to the growing dangers associated with walking alongside streets, even when on the sidewalk.
Even when pedestrians are completely following the rules, it is possible for motorists to break the rules governing their driving and to injure pedestrians. The fact that a pedestrian was killed every 85 minutes of 2019 means that the dangers of the road should be considered, even if you are out on a casual walk.
When walking on the sidewalk, following the proper pedestrian safety rules, pedestrians are still hit in an alarming number of traffic accidents each year. Determining whether you were exercising caution or behaving negligently will be a key piece of evidence in your case that will have a significant impact on the outcome of your case.
Seek Medical Help if You are Hit
Following a pedestrian accident, some serious injuries might be painfully obvious. Make sure someone calls 911 and heed the advice of emergency medical personnel if they want to take you in an ambulance. Even if not, it is a good idea to head to the emergency room yourself to get any injuries diagnosed. This is necessary if you pursue a personal injury claim later.
Don’t Speak with the Insurance Company
The driver who hit you might report the matter to their insurance company right away, and you might receive a call from an insurance adjuster. The adjuster will want to ask you questions about what happened, what you remember, and the severity of your injuries. You should not answer these questions.
While the adjuster might seem friendly and compassionate, they are on the side of the insurance company – not yours. They are seeking information or inconsistencies to later use against your claim. Even a seemingly harmless comment can jeopardize your claim, so decline to answer questions and inform them you are hiring counsel.
Hire a Pedestrian Accident Attorney
If you suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident, you need the right legal representation to get you the compensation you deserve from the at-fault driver. Insurance companies can be tricky, and they want you to accept much less than you deserve. The right personal injury lawyer can stand up for full compensation for your injuries and losses.