Pedestrian Accident Claims FAQs
Do I really need an Attorney?
The short answer – YES! Although at first not hiring an attorney may seem like a good cost-saving strategy, the decision to serve as your own attorney can cost you a large portion of your financial recovery, and potentially even cost you your full recovery. If you ask the insurance company adjuster, he or she will commonly encourage you to handle your own claim because it is in the best interest of the insurance company to do so! Insurance companies know that the best way to pay as little as possible or nothing at all to a claimant is to negotiate directly with an injury victim who has no legal representation and guidance. Internal insurance industry research supports this; a study conducted by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) found that parties with attorneys recovered an average of 300 percent more than parties without a lawyer. Further, 85 percent of all claimants who received payouts from insurance companies were represented by an attorney. This research certainly speaks to the fact there can be immense financial benefits of retaining counsel.
Handing a legal matter is much more complicated than people realize. For example, in order to prevail in a case involving a distracted motorist hitting a pedestrian, it is absolutely necessary to have a working knowledge of relevant state or federal laws, evidentiary rules, civil procedures, the legal claims process, applicable deadlines, and your legal rights and the best approach to protect those rights. The right accident lawyer will have an arsenal of legal industry knowledge and experience that they can pull from when assessing your case. Regardless of whether the party bringing the claim is an injured pedestrian or surviving loved one, the party bringing the claim should discuss the facts and circumstances with a pedestrian injury attorney with a record of successful results in settlements and/or verdicts.
To obtain a free case evaluation with no obligation, contact our national car accident law firm 24/7 at 1-800-529-7766 or Click Here to learn more.
Can You Trust the Insurance Company to Make a Reasonable Settlement Offer?
NO. You cannot trust the insurance company to make a reasonable settlement offer, or to look out for your best interests. If you do not have legal representation, the insurance company typically will deny your claim or offer an inadequate settlement. The insurance company’s goal of maximizing profits is not consistent with the insurer paying out the full value on all claims. Insurance carriers owe a financial obligation to their investors and shareholders to increase profits. Therefore, they have significant financial incentives to deny valid claims and settle for the least amount possible. Since pedestrian accidents tend to involve severe injuries that result in extensive medical bills, injury victims of course will want to avoid the insurance company’s traps for the unwary and maximize the value of their case.
While an insurance adjuster might suggest that hiring an attorney will result in you putting less of the damages you recover in your own pocket, they know industry data reveals that claimants without an attorney receive significantly less—and sometimes nothing!—in insurance payouts than parties with attorneys.
How Can I Get a Free Case Analysis by an Experienced Accident Lawyer?
Maximize the value of your claim by hiring a respected injury law firm with years of legal industry knowledge. After hearing the facts and circumstances of your case, an attorney can advise regarding your valuable legal rights and how to protect them, applicable legal standards, review theories of liability, and clarify the critical legal time limits that apply to your case. Discuss your situation with an experienced attorney by calling us 24/7 at 1-800-529-7766 or CLICK HERE to learn more.
What Must I Do to Determine the Value of My Pedestrian Accident Injury Claim?
While a pedestrian car accident may initially seem simple, every claim is unique. Auto accident lawyers recognize that no two pedestrian accident claims are identical, even when both crashes are caused by distracted or drunk drivers, and they result in injuries that appear similar. What might appear to be minor differences between the cases to a non-attorney can have a drastic impact on each case’s respective value. The process of evaluating a case can be challenging because accident cases involve a variety of difference factors, such as: different substantive law, applicable state statutes, time limits, different avenues available for compensation, and compensable damages depending on the jurisdiction.
Pedestrian accident injuries tend to be serious because victims have none of the protections of vehicle occupants, such as air bags, crash avoidance systems, seat belts and reinforced passenger compartments. Accordingly, the injured party will want to maximize their claim, and recover the full amount possible by law. An experienced pedestrian accident lawyer will explore all potential avenues of compensation, including other insurance coverages, to ensure that the injured pedestrian pursues the fullest measure of damages. For example, depending on the facts and circumstances, reckless and intoxicated drivers who injure or kill a pedestrian may also be liable for punitive damages.
To learn the value of your claim, talk with an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer today by call us at 1-800-529-7766 to learn about your rights and potential damages or CLICK HERE to learn whether you have a right to compensation.