Were you injured after being hit by a vehicle? Read these 4 things you need to know about pedestrian accidents, then call our Spokane lawyers.
1. Common Mistakes to Avoid
One of these is agreeing to give a recorded statement to the insurance company about the accident. This is always a mistake, because the insurance adjuster is sure to take advantage of the conversation to try and poke holes in the victim’s side of the story.
It’s critical to be aware that the insurance company is calling to help the insurance company, not you. They will take any opportunity you give them to shift as much blame as possible from them to you. The less they are to blame for your injuries, the less they must pay you in compensation.
Your best course of action when it comes to the insurance company is to turn all communications over to your attorney. Our Spokane pedestrian accident lawyers know how to communicate with the insurance company in a way that protects the value of your claim.
Another huge mistake that can jeopardize your pedestrian accident claim is not getting a medical exam after the accident. This will put your health at risk and could be life-threatening if you’ve got internal bleeding or a head injury you are unaware of. Protect your health and see the doctor whether you feel injured or not.
Seeking a medical exam is also going to protect the value of your pedestrian accident claim, because it generates a medical report the insurance company can’t ignore. Having a dated record of an exam and any injuries you’ve suffered is powerful proof to support your claim.
2. Claim Value
The accident investigation will allow your pedestrian accident lawyer to identify all at-fault parties that owe you compensation for your damages. The investigation is also an opportunity for your attorney to gather evidence and testimony to support your claim. Your lawyer will seek to prove causation—that the actions of the responsible parties caused the accident that caused your injuries. The investigation is how your lawyer “connects the dots” to build you the strongest possible claim.
The damages in your claim are likely to be economic and non-economic, including things like medical bills, pain and suffering, and future expenses incurred by your injuries down the road.
An experienced pedestrian accident lawyer will take all these factors into account when determining the value of your claim. Each factor is going to be individual to the circumstances of the accident, the injuries of the victim, and the pre-accident level of the person’s health. Thus, each claim’s value must be examined on a case-by-case basis.
3. Case Timeline
It’s not unusual for an injured pedestrian to ask how long their claim will take to resolve. We must answer this question on a case-by-case basis, as every claim is unique.
Your claim’s timeline is going to hinge on two factors, each specific to that claim. The first is how long it takes you to reach maximum medical improvement. This translates to how long it takes you to heal back to your pre-accident level of health—or as close to it as you can come.
Waiting until the you’ve reached maximum medical improvement is necessary because your attorney isn’t going to be able to accurately value your claim until they know whether you were able to make a full recovery or if you’re going to have long term health issues. Negotiating a settlement before this question is answered will only put your claim at risk of being undervalued.
For example, the settlement request of a person who has made a full recovery is different from the settlement for a person who will not be able to walk again. Therefore, it is necessary to wait until you reach maximum medical improvement before determining how much compensation to request.
Once your attorney has made a request for compensation, the second factor your claim’s timeline will depend on is how much money the insurance company’s willing to offer in settlement. If a fair settlement is not going to be offered, we’re going to have to take your claim all the way to trial to get you the compensation you deserve.
4. Relieving Your Stress
After a pedestrian accident, clients are usually very distraught. Their lives have been turned upside down by their injuries. There are often many unknowns, including whether their injuries will fully resolve or if they will end up with a lifelong health challenge.
Our priority in these meetings is to be attentive to our clients’ need to be heard and have a safe place to ask all their questions. We listen, we gather facts. Then we answer questions, offer support, and provide resources.
The free legal consultation is truly without charge. And if you decide to retain our firm, we cover all case expenses from start to finish. In the end, we are only paid when we resolve your claim successfully. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Were you or a loved one severely injured after being hit by a vehicle and have questions about the 4 things you need to know about pedestrian accidents? Contact our experienced Spokane Pedestrian Accident Lawyers at the Paukert & Troppmann today to schedule your confidential consultation and legal case evaluation.
We are here to guide you.