What to Do If You Get Hit by a Car as a Pedestrian?

If you get hit by a car as a pedestrian, you should immediately call 911 if you can and ask for the police and the paramedics. The injuries in these accidents can be severe, so you must receive prompt medical attention. When the paramedics arrive at the accident scene, let them treat you or take you to the nearest emergency room or another medical facility. If you decline treatment on the scene, see a doctor immediately. They can examine you and determine your injuries.

The forceful impact of a vehicle against a person’s body is often devastating, causing catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures, organ damage, and internal bleeding. Getting help ensures you know your health status and establishes proof that you received proper medical care. You can also use medical records to prove the accident caused your injuries. This can serve as evidence if you hire a Corpus Christi personal injury lawyer to sue the party responsible for the crash.

Other Important Things Injured Victims Should Do After a Pedestrian Crash 

If you are physically able to, you should document the crash scene with evidence that can show what happened and who’s at fault. This is important because these cases can involve a short window of time for gathering key information that can bolster your insurance claim or lawsuit. 

Responding police officers should be able to document details from the accident for you. They typically file a report that contains information about the driver, such as their contact information, driver’s license number, vehicle information, and details about their insurance provider. If you can get these details, you should, but also get a copy of the police report.

You should also take photos and/or video footage of the crash scene using a cell phone or another recording device if available. You or someone at the scene can document the names of the involved streets or intersections, the time of day the crash occurred, the damaged car(s), and other details you believe can support your compensation claim or lawsuit.

Look for Witnesses Who Can Tell Police or Your Lawyer What Happened

Getting the contact information for witnesses is also important. If anyone was around to see what happened to you, their statements can help prove your case. They also may be able to help you document the scene. You can ask if they can share photos and/or video footage they captured

You Can Demand Financial Recovery After a Pedestrian Car Accident

After you receive medical treatment, you can explore your legal options with a personal injury attorney. You should not pay for any damages you suffered because of someone else’s negligence. If you have accident-related losses, you deserve to receive monetary compensation to cover them.

The severity of your injuries and recovery time will play a key role in the compensation you can receive. While each pedestrian case has unique factors that set them apart, common ones in these cases include:

• Medical care expenses, current and future
• Rehabilitative therapy (e.g., physical therapy)
• Mental health treatment (e.g., therapy and counseling)
• Loss of income and benefits (past, present, future)
• Reduced or lost earning ability 
• Property damage 
• Pain and suffering damages (physical, mental, and emotional)
• Wrongful death damages (e.g., funeral and burial expenses, medical bills, income loss for a loved one who suffered fatal pedestrian accident injuries)

A Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Can Lead Your Case for Financial Damages

Injury attorneys represent pedestrian accident victims on a contingency-fee basis while working to recover their losses from a negligent driver or other liable party. This means you pay no upfront costs for legal help. This can be especially beneficial as victims in these cases suffer injuries that put them in the hospital or at home for months, meaning they lose income every day that they cannot work. 

If you or a loved one is going through this after a pedestrian accident, you can work with a legal representative who will protect your rights and interests while taking on an insurance company to compensate you fairly and appropriately. An attorney or law firm can lead your entire compensation claim or personal injury lawsuit while you focus on your recovery. We will:

• Meet with you during a free consultation to hear your account of events
• Investigate the accident and collect evidence to prove your case (e.g., crash scene photos, video footage from a traffic camera or nearby business, your medical records, etc.)
• Identify all parties who owe you compensation, including those not on the scene or directly involved in the crash
• Prove how the liable parties were negligent in causing the accident (proving the at-fault party owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused an accident that caused compensatory damages)
• Assess your recoverable losses and assign a monetary value to your case
• Lead all talks with insurance companies and other relevant parties
• Negotiate for the maximum compensation that covers your losses
• Prepare and file a lawsuit if necessary
• Fight for your financial award at trial
• Keeping your case on track and within the proper statute of limitations (In Texas, injured parties filing personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits generally have two years to take action, per Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003.)
• Answer your questions and concerns promptly
• Update you regularly on your case’s developments

An attorney is an advocate for accident victims who are recovering from a life-changing accident. No matter whether you were walking, running, rollerblading, skateboarding, or engaging in another activity while on foot, you have a right to safety while sharing the roads with others in vehicles. A lawyer can lead your entire case and take on all the legal work while you focus on getting better. 

Call Carrigan & Anderson for Legal Help After a Pedestrian Car Accident

Pedestrians are in a vulnerable position every time they go out because they do not have airbags, seat belts, or other protective gear that can shield them from direct impact with vehicles, debris, or other road users.

Pedestrian accidents are devastating events that cause insufferable losses and setbacks. If you are unsure about what to do after getting hit by a car as a pedestrian, you should seek medical care immediately and consider taking legal action against a negligent party. Carrigan & Anderson, PLLC represents injured Texans and can review your legal options during a free consultation. Call now to get started.