Inattentive and distracted drivers cause life-threatening injuries that could have been prevented when they hit a pedestrian. The damage they leave behind can include severe injuries, ongoing pain, and lifetime consequences. When a motorist hits a person on foot, injuries are often extreme.
If a reckless driver has hit you or a loved one, pursuing compensation for your injuries, pain, and suffering are your legal right. The Richfield pedestrian accident lawyers of 1Law are seasoned in Utah personal injury law and have recovered significant damages for injury victims in pedestrian cases. We can help.
Typically, the at-fault party’s insurance policy will pay for damages incurred during a pedestrian accident. However, it sometimes benefits the injury victim to pursue a personal injury case in order to recover the full amount of damages.
In cases that involve more severe injuries, lengths of time off work, and other expenses, the limits of an insurance policy won’t be enough. A lawyer can examine your situation closely to determine possibilities for recovery, offer legal advice, and explain your options.
It’s important to consider pursuing all the legal avenues available to you. While it may be tempting to sign a settlement check, you may be leaving financial resources on the table that could have been available to you to cover future medical expenses and other costs of the accident that you haven’t considered.
Before you talk to any insurance adjusters or make any statements, it’s critical to consult with an attorney. You may discover that your case is worth more than you previously thought.
You may be wondering how damages are calculated in a pedestrian accident case. In many situations, economic and non-economic damages incurred following the accident will be considered. A Richfield pedestrian accident lawyer can take an accounting of your costs and look at previous cases to determine a compensation amount or projected settlement possibility.
Damages that are commonly collected in a pedestrian accident case can include the following:
This expense is very literal as it applies to emergency care and bills you have already generated in the treatment of your injuries. However, some injuries require extended treatment, further complications, and rehabilitation. These future costs of care can be a consideration where appropriate.
The time you missed from work will be calculated, but future time off work and certain missed earning opportunities may be counted as well. If you are unable to return to work in your previous job due to the injuries you sustained, vocational rehabilitation can be a factor. Complete disability will also fit into this category.
Being hurt takes a psychological toll on the victim and their families. The anxiety, pain, suffering, and mental consequences of the accident can be a consideration. If your injury was severe, the pain of the injury, pain and length of treatment, and changes to your lifestyle will all impact the possible amount of compensation.
Even though there is no magic formula for placing a value on the amount of pain you have suffered, a personal injury lawyer can help to put the numbers in perspective and give you a projected estimate.
Your pedestrian accident lawyer in Richfield can investigate all aspects of the accident to determine potential liability. In order to see the whole picture, traffic cameras, traffic scene investigations, witness interviews, police reports and the driver may all be under investigation.
If the driver was working while driving a company vehicle, the employer or owner of the vehicle may become involved. Municipalities can also be held liable or partially liable for obstructions in the road or poor traffic signals.
It’s even a possibility that faulty brake equipment could cause the manufacturer of the vehicle to be potentially at fault. This is why it’s important to have a personal injury lawyer on your side with the experience and resources to investigate every possibility to find all potential parties who may be found liable in your case.
The State of Utah follows comparative negligence laws (Utah Code § 78B-5-81). This means that liability for any accident can be shared by multiple parties, so determining fault isn’t always cut and dry. Pedestrian accident cases can be somewhat complex in Utah.
The blame in these cases can be partially assigned to the victim if it is determined that something they did contributed to the accident. So, in order to minimize payouts, it’s in
the best interest of the defendant to find any reason they can to put the blame back on you.
They can look at the color of your clothing or say you were distracted while walking, or even use your social media posts against you. Representation from an experienced attorney is critical in order to ensure that you are able to counter any allegations made against you.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Association indicates that over 6,500 pedestrians were killed by vehicles on public roads in 2020. This statistic doesn’t account for the amount of people who survived but experienced devastating injuries after a pedestrian accident.
If you or a loved one were injured in a pedestrian accident involving a vehicle, contact the Richfield pedestrian accident attorneys at 1Law to set up a free case evaluation. A consultation offers you the best legal options and optimized chances of maximum recovery for your accident.
Avoid the risk of taking on the legal aspects of your accident alone. We will listen to your needs and help you to determine the right course of action. Our firm remains steadfastly committed to recovery of the maximum compensation for injury victims, and we can help you.