If you or a loved one have been in a pedestrian accident in Tacoma, you need to choose among pedestrian accident lawyers in order to pursue a compensation claim for your injuries and damages.
What You Need to Know About Pedestrian Accidents
Even if you’re doing everything right – sticking to crosswalks, watching when you cross and monitoring traffic signals – you can still be seriously injured in a pedestrian accident. Injuries to pedestrians are often traumatic (and sometimes fatal). The least serious injuries will be sprains to your extremities, road rash from skidding along pavement, scrapes, cuts or dislocations.
The most worrisome pedestrian injuries are those to the head, neck, spine or severe lacerations resulting in rapid blood loss. Even for those that survive a pedestrian accident, depending on the severity of the injuries suffered, recovery can be time consuming, painful and costly. Hiring a good accident lawyer can get you compensation to cover these costs.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
If you are paying attention while you’re out for a walk or run, you may feel safe, but the fact is cars move much faster than you do and can come out of nowhere. Some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents are drivers rolling through crosswalks, running red lights, ignoring pedestrian right of way, turning corners into a crosswalk without looking and texting or talking while driving.
Other reasons include driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol which slows reaction times, distracted drivers, driving above the posted speed limit, driving faster than road conditions warrant or driving with no headlights on early in the morning or at dusk when visibility is already an issue. A vehicle doesn’t have to be moving fast to do serious damage to a pedestrian.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident
If you are seriously injured, the best you can likely do is to remain calm and wait for police and emergency responders to show up and help. If you’re able and no one else has, dial 911 for help. If you have a smart phone and your wits about you, snap a few photos of the vehicle that hit you and how it’s positioned relative to where you were struck.
If there are bystanders, ask one to gather witness names and numbers so you can contact them later. If you are laid out, you can loan your phone to someone and ask them to take photos for you using your phone. Video never hurts either and this is a great way to gather witness statements. Be sure not to make any statements saying you are to blame in any way.
After Medical Care, Look for a Lawyer to Handle Your Claim
You may be contacted right away by the insurance company of the driver that struck you. They may come to see you in the hospital or while you’re recuperating at home. After an accident, you may not be thinking clearly, you will be in pain and may be medicated. You never want to talk to a lawyer under these circumstances. Send them away immediately and tell them you’ll be in touch. Don’t agree to anything and never, ever sign anything!
You need a lawyer of your own and should choose a local attorney with a good reputation and experience with pedestrian accident cases. Consider Park Chenaur and Associates. We have years of experience, excellent client reviews and a track record of winning significant settlements for pedestrian injury cases. We will take your case on a contingency-fee basis which means you won’t pay us until we get you a settlement.
We can come to you in the hospital or while you’re recovering at home to make sure the driver’s insurance company doesn’t take advantage. We offer multi-lingual services in English, Korean and Spanish. Contact Park Chenaur now so we can get to work winning you the best settlement possible as soon as possible for your pedestrian accident. Call for a free consultation today. You can contact us via our website or call (253) 839-9440.
