Traffic accidents are a dangerous and scary prospect, even with the protection that a car offers. As a pedestrian, a seemingly minor accident with a motor vehicle can inflict extremely dangerous injuries. If this has happened to you, you need and deserve assistance.
We at Judd Shaw Injury Law pride ourselves on being there for our clients from day one. We strive to be our clients’ knights in shining armor and fight for their legal right to compensation. As a pedestrian involved in an accident, we know that you are likely facing high medical bills and maybe even a long recovery time ahead. What you need to know is that you don’t have to face these things alone.
At Judd Shaw Injury Law, our personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at absolutely no risk to you. We believe in high-quality representation and excellence in customer service. Don’t delay – call our New Jersey personal injury lawyers at 1-866-909-6894.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that 7,904 pedestrians died in traffic or non-traffic incidents in 2020. 173 of those deaths were in New Jersey, making it the 20th state on the list of most fatal pedestrian accidents per capita in the United States.
There are many possible causes of pedestrian accidents, but these are some of the more common ones:
- Distracted driving – Whether the driver was texting, talking on the phone, changing the radio station, or simply daydreaming when he or she failed to stop in time for the pedestrian
- Failure to yield – Vehicles failing to give the right-of-way to the pedestrian at crosswalks or in parking lots
- Driver error – Speeding or simply driving too fast into an intersection to be able to stop in time; or, failure to look both ways before going into the intersection
- Driving under the influence – Drugs or alcohol could impair the driver thereby he or she fails to show appropriate care while driving
- Vehicle failure – Whether from manufacturer defects or failure to perform proper brake maintenance
- Blind intersections – Especially in rural areas where winding roads and blind turns can cause a driver to be unable to see a pedestrian crossing the road
While in some cases, pedestrians can be found to be at fault for their own accidents, there may be another party responsible for the damage inflicted in your pedestrian-vehicle collision. If you believe someone was at fault for your pedestrian accident, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer in order to protect your rights.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident
The immediate aftermath of an accident is usually stressful and chaotic. When pedestrians are hit by motor vehicles, they often get thrown, lose their balance, and fall. When striking the ground, it’s common to suffer head injuries, making the incident even more serious and confusing for the victim.
If you have been struck by a car and hit your head, you may not realize what has happened, or even the extent of the damage. But if you can, assess your situation and see what you can accomplish at the scene of the accident.
First and foremost, you should seek medical help. Even if you think you are fine, make sure that an ambulance is called and that you are thoroughly examined.
Secondly, notify and speak to the authorities. Make sure that the insurance information and contact details of the other people involved are gathered. Avoid speaking to the insurance company at this point or admitting any sort of guilt.
If your injuries are too severe, or you lose consciousness, you likely won’t be able to speak to medical professionals or the police right away. After you receive treatment, then the process begins. However, it can be very overwhelming to face this situation alone. A personal injury attorney can help you to start the recovery process and guide you each step of the way.
How an Attorney Can Help You
After an injury as a pedestrian, it can be hard to know what to do next, whether to accept an insurance settlement offer, or how to defend your rights. That is where a pedestrian injury lawyer comes into play. At Judd Shaw Injury Law, our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you make sure that you recover the maximum compensation available to you.
We focus on the legal matters so that you can focus on what really matters – your recovery. For each new client, we perform several tasks in order to make sure your case is well represented.
When we take on a case, we:
- Investigate the accident
- Gather information
- Figure out the total loss
- Speak to the insurance company
- Work to get the compensation you deserve
Some of these steps include speaking to witnesses of the accident, getting the police report, examining medical records, cumulating your expenses and lost wages, and negotiating on your behalf. There’s much to be done! Nevertheless, the hardworking lawyers at Judd Shaw Injury Law know that we can make a difference in our clients’ lives. Give us a call so we can get started right away.
Proving Your Case
Once your personal injury lawyers gather all the necessary information, they start to prove liability to a legal degree of certainty. There are several things that must be proven in order to bring the case to a successful resolution for the victim. This involves making sure that the responsible party or parties are held accountable for their actions.
For example, it must be clear that the driver and the pedestrian had a duty of care for each other. The concept of “duty of care” is a legal idea that we all have the responsibility to avoid hurting another person. The pedestrian was following the law when crossing the street, and the car should have taken sufficient care in order to not harm the pedestrian.
Subsequently, it must be shown that the responsible party breached his or her duty of care. Normally this means that the driver was breaking the law in some way, whether by turning into the crosswalk illegally or by speeding. This breach caused injuries and those injuries resulted in damages and financial loss.
After proving these legal requirements for your personal injury pedestrian accident case, your lawyer can then ensure that you get the compensation that your case merits. Your compensation often includes coverage for any medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. This could end up being from an insurance settlement at court trial, if necessary.
Contact Judd Shaw Injury Law Today
Bringing your pedestrian accident case to a successful resolution can be a long and arduous process. However, you don’t have to go through this alone. At Judd Shaw Injury Law, our experienced attorneys are ready to help you get started with your case.
Contact us at 1-866-909-6894 or complete our online form to get a free case review – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our pedestrian accident attorneys have years of experience fighting for New Jersey accident victims. And with our No Fee Guarantee®, you won’t pay us anything unless you get money for your claim.