Wondering how to successfully negotiate the world of car accidents? Read on to find out…
Auto pedestrian accidents include any accidents where a pedestrian is hit by an automobile. Be it car, truck, bus, or van, if you have been hit by a driver out on the roads, you may be able to make a claim for compensation.
If you were hit while out walking on the pavement and it wasn’t your fault, you might be able to recover your medical expenses and other costs. To do this, you have to file a personal injury suit. If you were a passenger, you might also qualify.
In a moment, we will discuss some of the best ways to handle an auto pedestrian accident. First of all, let’s look at some of the facts and figures surrounding these types of accidents in the USA.
Facts and Figures about Auto Pedestrian Accidents in the US
The CDC reports that there were nearly 6000 pedestrians killed by car accidents in 2017 alone… and that’s only the deaths. An estimated 137,000 people had been injured to some extent, in that same year. They further estimate that pedestrians are one and a half times more at risk from death by an accident than drivers or passengers are.
If we dig deeper into these figures we can glean more knowledge on a global scale. This figure becomes 45% of all road traffic fatalities being pedestrians in less developed countries. In the west, that number falls to 18%. No matter which way you examine the issue, the figures are awful.
Next, we will examine some of the common types of auto pedestrian accidents you can get.
Some common types of auto pedestrian accident
You may be wondering what sorts of accidents constitute auto pedestrian ones. You may even be wondering what the most common types of these accidents are. Don’t panic, we already did the research and added few of them for your reference.
Common auto-pedestrian accidents include:
- Reversing incidents – around 3,000 people per year are killed in parking lots but these deaths aren’t even included in national statistics as road traffic deaths. One of the commonest causes for this? People reversing before they look.
- Elderly and Children on Buses – a bus is large and cumbersome. Children dart out and old people are slow. Statistically speaking, buses are two to three times more like to kill someone under the age of 14 or over the age of 85 than cars are.
- Night time hit and run – most accidents happen at night, usually because pedestrians are unlit and SUVs are large. Many night time hits are deadlier because there are times when the driver won’t know what they have hit.
Given that none of us want to contribute to this horrible statistic, let’s talk about ways that we can avoid auto pedestrian accidents to begin with.
What if you have been in an auto pedestrian accident already?
If you have already been involved in an auto pedestrian accident, then you will need to know how to handle them. We will delve into this in more detail momentarily. First, let’s reflect on the necessity of legal representation.
If you are injured and need medical help, those costs can be covered by the at-fault driver in the situation. Unless the accident was your own fault, a good attorney can help you get compensation. If you live in Oregon, try the Johnston Law Firm. They’re reputable, supportive, and get the job done.
How to Best Handle an Auto Pedestrian Accident?
So if you are one of the unlucky statistics above that have ended up in an auto pedestrian accident, you will need to know how to handle things. Let’s talk through what you should do after an accident to ensure your safety.
1. Get Help
Both medical and police reports need to be filed if you want to successfully claim back your medical expenses. Get help, get police and medics, then call your lawyer.
2. Gather Evidence
To be sure you build the best case for yourself, you should return to the scene of the accident to gather evidence. Speak to witnesses to get their details. Take photographs of where you were and where you were hit. Every little helps build a case.
3. Attend all your medical appointments
Be sure to attend each and every appointment that your doctor, lawyer, and psychiatrist order you to attend. You need to get healthy again and that means taking your medicine. While you are recovering, your attorney will be working behind the scenes to make sure you get justice.
4. Don’t talk about the case
After you have been in touch with the auto pedestrian accident lawyer, they will put your evidence together and send it to a judge for perusal. After this, you may go into mediation, or you may receive a settlement. It is a very rare occasion where you will have to go to court.
While all of this is happening, there is a risk that you are being watched. If you take to social media to vent your frustrations, this could mean you end up losing out. What you say might be held against you – so don’t say anything.
5. Turn up to Meetings
You may need to go through mediation so that you can negotiate a settlement fee. This might sound terrifying, but it will help you to avoid court. If your attorney advises you that you are going to negotiate, attend everything they tell you to. It will give you the best chance of making your case look authentic.
Rounding Up
The world of auto pedestrian law is intricate and extensive. This is not the kind of thing that you can just do by yourself. Attorneys in this area of law have to train for years before they are able to negotiate these cases. Representing yourself will do nothing but have you lose out.
