Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Victims of pedestrian accidents can experience severe injuries that change their life. The doctors' appointments, treatments, lost income, and pain and suffering are expensive and time-consuming, diminishing your quality of life. A pedestrian accident lawyer aims to prove the liability of the driver. We'll recover financial compensation for the victim.

Our legal team is capable of handling the most complex pedestrian accident cases in California. A pedestrian accident attorney will consult with you and tell you if you have a claim based on the information you provide surrounding the accident.

Contact our pedestrian accident lawyers, and we'll arrange a free consultation. If we feel you have a case, we'll represent you and recover the compensation you deserve.

Pedestrian Accident Injuries: Do You Have a Claim?

The nature and extent of personal injury cases can vary, depending on the circumstances of the accident. However, some injuries resulting from a pedestrian accident can be fatal. You or your family shouldn't bear the financial and psychological trauma following a pedestrian accident.

You have the right to make an insurance claim and sue the responsible parties. A pedestrian accident lawyer will help you file and navigate your legal claim. The settlement for a pedestrian accident claim depends on the injury you've suffered, the loss of income sustained, and the medical expenses required for a full recovery.

To put things into perspective, we rounded up the three most common pedestrian injuries our clients reported over the years. Contact a pedestrian accident lawyer, and we'll consult with you to see if you have a claim. At our California law firm, the first consultation is free.

Types of Pedestrian Accident Injuries

In a car or motorcycle accident, both drivers have seatbelts, airbags, safety gear, and in some cases, helmets. Pedestrians are helpless if a car, truck, bus, or any other vehicle crashes into them.

These accidents result in fractured bones, spinal cord damage, head injuries, intense physical pain, and psychological suffering. An injury from a pedestrian accident is most likely to fall into one of the following categories.

Head and Brain Injuries

In a severe pedestrian accident case, the victim may hit their head and experience traumatic head injuries. These injuries may include concussion, diffuse axonal injury, edema, skull fracture, internal bleeding, and memory loss. Not to mention, it takes a significant amount of time to recover.

The injured pedestrian often has to spend thousands of dollars on medical bills while losing substantial income from work due to their inability to perform in the workplace. In some cases, the injury may result in their firing if they can't work properly. Contact a pedestrian accident attorney for legal representation if you were hit by a car or SUV and suffered any of these injuries.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can leave a person paralyzed for the rest of his life. Yes, it can be that devastating. The spinal cord is crucial for all the neurological connections throughout your body, and an injury to it could very well be fatal. Damage to the spinal cord can cause quadriplegia and leave you paralyzed.

A spinal cord injury disrupts the neurological messages coming from the brain to the body. As a result, the victim encounters problems with body functions. In severe pedestrian accidents, the victim faces lifelong damage and physical impairment.
Once the injury occurs, the victim requires immediate immobilization and might require an extended stay in hospital or intensive care. Spinal cord injuries can leave the victim in a wheelchair or needing a prosthetic limb, dramatically reducing their quality of life.

Broken Bones and Internal Injuries

Pedestrian accidents frequently result in broken or fractured bones. The severity of bone injuries differs from permanent disabilities to basic fractures, depending on the intensity of the forces involved in the accident.
In most cases, broken bones heal with proper medical attention and time to heal. However, it's different for internal injuries. Internal bleeding on the brain due to a concussion can have fatal results for the victim. Serious accidents may even result in amputation.

How Can a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Help You?

We have a team of highly experienced attorneys who can obtain a multi-million-dollar settlement in particular cases. Our success rate for securing fair compensation is high. A few key factors are behind our success in helping severely injured clients. Our systematic procedures ensure the compensation they deserve.

Expert Negotiators

Negotiation skills are one of the biggest reasons for hiring a pedestrian accident attorney. Our lawyers focus on landing their clients the largest settlement possible.

Taking a case to court is time-consuming, expensive, and complicated. If you don't have the best legal representation, you might not receive full compensation for your current and future medical costs, leaving you out of pocket.

Our skilled attorneys understand the art of negotiation. They'll investigate the accident site, gathering evidence to strengthen your claim in court. We'll also speak to any witnesses mentioned in the police report for the accident.

Experienced Litigators

There will be pedestrian accidents where the opposing party won't agree to settlements that fully benefit our clients. In these situations, your pedestrian accident lawyer takes the liable party to court. Our skilled lawyers will argue your case in court and ensure you get the compensation you deserve.

Our experienced personal injury attorneys know what it takes to convince the jury with logic and evidence. If you have a water-tight case, you can rest assured our lawyers will persuasively present your case. We'll win the case and get you properly compensated for your medical costs, loss of income, and pain and suffering.

Renowned for Success

Appoint the top-rated law firm in California to handle your pedestrian accident case. We'll identify the responsible party, file a claim with their insurer, and take them to court if needed. With our legal experts in your corner, you don't have to worry about someone taking advantage of you.

We conduct thorough due diligence on your claim, positioning you for a favorable settlement covering your current and future expenses relating to the accident. We're experts in negotiation, and we know how to influence decisions in our client's favor.

Reach out to us, and we'll ensure you get the compensation you deserve. We have adequate resources to handle every possible situation during negotiations and in court. Our team includes lawyers, investigators, and analysts, and we have connections with government officials who ensure you get a fair trial.

  • We provide in-house investigators who investigate the accident scene, gather evidence, locate witness testimony, and build a strong case for a favorable settlement.
  • Our team of analysts specializes in researching any pedestrian accident case. They also offer expert witness testimony if we go to trial.
  • Our evidence warehouse keep your physical evidence and records safe. We build a case around the evidence we collect and never lose it; it's safe in our warehouse.
  • You get professional handling of your case and feedback from your attorney as we progress towards a settlement.

Wrongful Death Claims After a Pedestrian Accident

No settlement can compensate families enough for pedestrian fatalities. Unfortunately, a large percentage of pedestrian accidents result in fatalities. Pedestrians rarely see the accident coming, and the surprise of the impact from the vehicle combined with its momentum and weight often results in fatal outcomes.

If you lost a loved one to a pedestrian accident, reach out to us, and we will seek justice for their passing. Our attorneys understand that the victim may be a breadwinner or head of a household. We'll ensure your family receives compensation for any lost income, pain and suffering, and other non-economic and economic damages involved with the accident.

Dependents and close family can rightfully file a legal claim after a fatal pedestrian accident. Immediate family members can make a wrongful death claim and recover compensation that may bring financial ease to the situation. Your attorney secures compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs, and financial estimates for pain and suffering.

Pedestrian accident settlements allow the victim or their family to claim for the following additional expenses and damages.

  • Burial and funeral expenses.
  • Healthcare costs arising from the accident provided to the victim before their passing.
  • Lost wages due to untimely and wrongful death.
  • Loss of future financial security for the dependent family.
  • Lost childcare, cooking, cleaning, and other household services.
  • Loss of love, companionship, affection, and moral support.

The families of pedestrian accident victims endure the loss of a parent, a partner, a sibling, or a child. It is challenging for the grieving family to collect documents, face the responsible party, negotiate with cutthroat insurance companies and recover compensation.

Often, insurers will attempt to write down the costs in the claim and may refuse to pay for non-economic damages like pain and suffering. If you don't have representation, you might take the low-ball settlement, losing your right to claim for other damages.

However, with an experienced attorney working your case, you have the best chance of securing the largest settlement possible. Depending on the nature and severity of the accident, a pedestrian accident lawsuit could settle for million-dollar figures.

Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in California

Naturally, a pedestrian may assume that the negligent driver has full liability for the accident, even if driving a motorcycle. Unfortunately, it's not always the case. California law requires the pedestrian to prove the involvement of all parties before the victim can receive compensation.

Therefore, a pedestrian accident victim must prove the negligence and liability of the driver. Many pedestrian accidents happen due to unsafe roads, faulty constructions, and poorly maintained traffic. In which case, the liability doesn't fall on the driver who hit you. Instead, it lies with authority responsible for neglecting to maintain the road.

If a government entity is responsible for your pedestrian accident, we'll file suit against them. Our pedestrian accident attorneys can take the matter to trial. A court-awarded sum is usually greater than any settlement, but the victim must have sufficient proof supporting their claim.

Some of the evidence we collect during our investigation of your accident include the following.

Traffic Rule Violations

A pedestrian can suffer significant injuries from the violation of traffic rules. For example, a speeding driver may fail to slow down in time to let a pedestrian safely cross the road.

A driver who fails to follow road signs and traffic lights can crash into pedestrians, injuring them badly or killing them. Your attorney can review CCTV footage from security cameras and look through the police report to identify witnesses to the accident.

Distracted Driving

This type of pedestrian accident involves a driver hitting a pedestrian because they weren't paying attention to the road and surroundings.

If the lawyer suspects the driver was using their phone, they subpoena cellphone records to see if they were texting or on a call at the time of the accident.

Drunk Driving

In California, driving under the influence of alcohol is a major cause of pedestrian accidents. Drugs and alcohol can impair a person's ability, reflex, and reaction time. Additionally, they can blur the driver's vision causing them to lose control of a speeding vehicle.

Serious pedestrian accidents can occur from drunk driving because the driver may fail to acknowledge the accident and stop to look at the damage. They may also decide to flee the scene to avoid prosecution by the police.

Negligence and Impatient Driving

Reckless driving can lead to pedestrian accidents. California law states pedestrians have the right of way in both marked and unmarked crosswalks.

Therefore, when drivers approach a crosswalk, they must reduce speed to protect pedestrians' safety. Our attorney will review CCTV footage from security cameras around the crash site and the driver's route to check their driving behavior leading up to the accident.

Confusing Road Signals and Roadway Neglect

The municipality is responsible if pedestrian accidents occur from confusing traffic signals or a lack of road safety. In this case, the driver and the pedestrian would have a claim against the city or municipality responsible for maintaining the roads.

A lawyer will research other accidents in the area to prove the municipality failed to repair the roadway or traffic signal after being notified. We have road experts who testify in complex pedestrian accident cases. Moreover, we can identify the percentage of responsibility between multiple parties involved in the accident.

Road Construction

Most drivers in California take the same routes to work, school, and other places. Naturally, they know how the traffic flows on their most-traveled routes.
You may encounter construction along the route that violates the California building code. If it causes a pedestrian accident, victims can file a legal claim or sue the authority.
A resurfacing or expansion project can close multiple roads, narrow lanes, and divert traffic. Due to sudden road construction, drivers are faced with the following.

  • Changes in traffic patterns.
  • Unexpected speed limit changes.
  • Trucks and other vehicles using the same stretch of road.
  • Heavy construction equipment and machinery.
  • Decreased visibility due to traffic congestion and warning signs.
  • Hazardous conditions and damaged road surfaces.
    Transportation projects that start without prior notice and fail to provide proper guide signals may lead to pedestrian accidents and traumatic personal injuries.

Multi-Lane Roads and Intersections

Multi-lane roads place pedestrians in significant danger, and drivers must keep their eyes on the road. The challenge of watching out for other drivers making sudden lane changes, tailgating, speeding, and making surprise turns could result in them failing to notice pedestrians.

How Pedestrians Are Compensated for Serious Injuries?

Pedestrians are compensated for serious injuries by a civil court or an insurance company. If you have underinsured motorist coverage, it may exclude the compensation for your pain and suffering after a pedestrian accident.

The average UIM coverage can look something like $10,000, often falling short of covering the victim's additional expenses. Usually, a no-fault insurer will pay up to a limited compensation for current and future medical costs and lost wages.

Sometimes the victim cannot fully recover their losses with the initial insurance coverage. In that case, the pedestrian has two ways to recover outstanding financial expenses relating to the accident. Your lawyer can pursue a claim against the responsible driver's auto insurance or the driver themself.

If the injured victim suffered a fractured bone or head injury or did not survive the accident, the victim or their family can collect compensation from the defendant's insurer.

  • Past, current, and future medical expenses.
  • Loss of earning during recovery and after the accident.
  • Physical disability and disfigurement.
  • Pain and suffering.
  • Mental anguish and emotional trauma.

Unless the pedestrian and negligent driver have a comprehensive auto insurance policy, the victim may have to file a legal claim against the under-insured party responsible for the accident.

If the negligent driver has few assets and shares all the liability for the accident, expenses incurred beyond the insurance limit might go uncompensated. However, with a pedestrian accident lawyer working on your case, you have the best chance of recovering compensation.

What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in California?

  • Call 911 and ensure you file a pedestrian accident report with the police.
  • Keep records of your injuries, property damage, the road, and the weather.
  • Take photos of the vehicle that hit you.
  • Note the responsible driver's license details, vehicle license, and insurance card.
  • Keep the names and phone numbers of eyewitnesses.
  • Visit the emergency room for medical support.
  • Follow the treatment instructions of a certified medical professional.
  • Don't miss your doctor's appointments.
  • Don't discuss your case on social media until it's resolved.
  • Contact us and speak with a pedestrian accident lawyer to receive the compensation you deserve.

Consult California's Most Trusted Pedestrian Accident Attorneys

If you're the victim of a pedestrian accident, you have a right to compensation for your economic and non-economic damages and financial losses incurred due to the driver's negligence. If a family member passed away in a pedestrian accident you're entitled to compensation for the loss of income and emotional suffering caused by the responsible party.

Our team of expert pedestrian accident attorneys offers you a free consultation. We'll unpack the particulars of your case and pursue it if we think it has merit. With our legal team backing your claim, you position yourself to receive maximum compensation and a favorable settlement.