The Florida Pedestrian Accident Guide was created by Serrano Law to help residents who have been injured obtain maximum compensation for their claim.
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Have you been seriously hurt in a pedestrian accident by someone who was acting negligently? We are so sorry you have to suffer because of someone else’s actions. Our Florida pedestrian accident lawyers are here to help guide you through your case every step of the way. If you want fierce representation, call our office right away to set up your first free consultation. We want to fight for your justice.
The Parties Involved in a Pedestrian Accident Claim
The first party involved in a pedestrian accident is you. You are called the plaintiff in your claim. You are the injured party who was harmed. You are likely entitled to justice in the form of full and fair compensation.
The plaintiff is the person who has been hurt by the negligent acts of the liable party. The liable party is, as you’d assume, the person who caused the pedestrian accident. They could be a motorist who was texting and blew through a red light and ran into you, the pedestrian.
The liable party’s insurance company is going to be financially responsible for giving you a full and fair compensation award. They are also going to be your biggest obstacle on the road to getting justice. They do not want to help you get the justice you deserve because it could get expensive for them.
That is why you want to hire Florida pedestrian accident lawyers. They work on the plaintiff’s case in order to ensure that the liable party is held accountable. They also fight against the insurance company to ensure that you get the results you deserve and don’t settle for less.
Some examples of a person who may be the liable party include:
- A car driver who was speeding and couldn’t stop the car fast enough to avoid hitting you but if they were paying attention should have noticed that you were in a crosswalk
- A motorcyclist who flew around the corner without coming to a full stop and hit you because they didn’t see you
- A car driver who was drunk driving and didn’t stop for a red light while you were crossing
Our Florida pedestrian accident lawyers will fight for your right to full and fair compensation if you were hurt by a negligent party.
Tips for a Successful Pedestrian Accident Claim
The very first thing you need to take care of immediately after the pedestrian accident happens is getting yourself in front of a doctor, as well as collecting evidence.
Of course, with pedestrian accidents tending to be so severe, the last thing on your mind is evidence most likely. When you are involved in an accident there is a lot of evidence at the scene. If you are unable to personally collect evidence because you had been taken to the emergency room on an ambulance or you rushed off to an urgent care, then you can call on a friend, family member, or in some cases Florida pedestrian accident lawyers to go to the scene to collect evidence.
Evidence can include contact info from witnesses, photos and videos of the scene, and a police report.
You also need to make sure that you are taking urgent action to seek medical care. Your health is the number one priority. You should seek treatment so you can improve your medical condition.
Another reason immediate medical care is important is that your Florida pedestrian accident lawyers need to know what your maximum medical recovery is as soon as possible. The sooner, the better. You also need to follow through with your medical care so that we can get a full understanding of your recovery.
When we know your maximum medical recovery, we are able to figure out the value of your claim.
How a Claim is Valued
Florida pedestrian accident lawyers use info on your maximum medical recovery as well as info about how this case has affected your life to value your claim.
There are two types of damages that you can receive compensation for: economic and non-economic damages.
The first, economic damages, has to do with all of the ways the pedestrian accident has cost you money. This includes your medical bills, physical therapy bills, lost wages, etc. You can easily calculate how much this is worth.
Less easy to calculate are your non-economic damages, which includes your pain and suffering, emotional damages, and loss of quality of life.
Partial Fault in a Pedestrian Accident Case
We had a call from a potential client recently who was injured as a pedestrian, and they were worried that they may not have a claim because they might be partially at fault for the accident. If you are injured in a pedestrian accident and you’re concerned that you might be partially at fault, you absolutely still have a claim. In Florida there is a system whereby you may be assigned a percentage of fault, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a claim at all.
If you have any questions, please give us a call so we can give you advice as to the specific facts of your case and whether or not you might be found liable.
Differences Between Pedestrian and Car Accident Cases
A client recently called and asked if there is a difference between pedestrian accident cases and car accident cases, as far as how they’re handled in Florida. There are absolutely differences. As a pedestrian, you’re more likely to have more severe, visible injuries because you’re not protected by a vehicle, for one.
The other part is there are specific laws related to pedestrians and rights of way that you need to be aware of and your attorney should be aware of. It’s extremely important to hire an experienced pedestrian accident attorney to help evaluate your case. If you have such a situation, please give us a call.
Choosing The Right Pedestrian Accident Attorney
A friend recently asked me how they should find a good pedestrian accident attorney, and the answer to that is you want to make sure that you find somebody who has experience handling those types of cases, especially trial lawyers in particular who can take your case all the way through to the end. If you have any questions about how a lawyer can help you or how you can pick a lawyer for your pedestrian accident, please give us a call.
Pedestrian Accident Case Value
While doing an intake for a client who was injured as a pedestrian in Tampa, the client asked how much their case was worth and how we evaluate it. It depends on what your injuries are, what kind of medical treatment you need in the past, what kind of medical treatment you need in the future, and what kind of pain and suffering you sustained and many other considerations. Every case is different, so, if you have questions about how much your case might be worth, please give us a call.
Pedestrian Accident Case Timeline
We recently signed up a client who was injured as a pedestrian in Tampa, and they were wondering how long their case was going to take to resolve, which is a question that we get on almost every single case that we handle. Unfortunately, the answer is it depends. It depends on how long it takes for you to complete your medical treatment. It depends whether or not the insurance company is going to be reasonable in giving you a fair offer pre-suit. If they don’t, you’re forced to go into litigation and that adds another extra length of time.
Every case is different. It depends. Please give us a call and we can give you a little bit better guidance.
Pedestrian Accident Insurance Investigation
We received a call recently from a potential client in Tampa asking if it was okay to talk to the at-fault driver’s insurance company when they were injured as a pedestrian. The answer is it’s usually never a good idea to talk to the insurance company without an attorney present, and under no circumstances should you give a recorded statement.
If you’re in a situation where an insurance company is calling you and you’re not represented, please give us a call. You want to make sure that you hire a lawyer who knows what they’re doing with these types of cases.
Common Mistakes in a Pedestrian Accident Case
I was asked recently by a friend what some common mistakes are that people who are injured as a pedestrian make. One answer is, commonly, people forget to take pictures of the scene. They also forget to take pictures of their injuries. Obviously, if you’re injured as a pedestrian, your injuries are likely going to be visible. They also fail to get insurance information or call the police, and then they fail to get medical care within a good timeframe. The biggest mistake that they make is not hiring a lawyer who has experience dealing with people who are injured as pedestrians.
If you are injured as a pedestrian, please give us a call so we can help.
Hit And Run Pedestrian Accident Cases
We got a call recently from a client who was injured as a pedestrian and was involved in an actual hit-and-run. They asked what they should do. The first answer is to absolutely call the police, file a police report and document it, and then get treatment for your injuries and call an attorney who has experience with these types of cases so that they can conduct an investigation and find out who is responsible for your injuries.
If you have any questions or you’re in a similar situation, please give us a call.
Call Our Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Today
When you are hurt in a pedestrian accident, you are entitled to receive justice for your damages. We can help you get that. There is no excuse for the negligence that caused you this harm. We fight tirelessly for your justice. It is what we have been doing for clients just like you. Call our Florida pedestrian accident lawyers today to set up your free initial consultation.
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