Whether you incorporate it into a routine, an exercise, or a mode of transportation, walking has several benefits. Regrettably, walking may be equally risky as driving. Being involved in a fatal car accident will change everything if you are a pedestrian. The event itself is distressing; therefore, you will require all the help you can find.
According to research cited by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 17% of pedestrians are involved in fatal car accidents. When enjoying a walk, you should be cautious and watch for any hazards or dangers, particularly those caused by careless drivers.
You will suffer physical, psychological, and emotional damage as a consequence of being in an accident. You'll also need some recuperation time from your absence from work. Most pedestrian accidents will have financial implications, making it more difficult to sustain yourself. The accident will also affect your close friends and family since they must pitch in and support you with your daily activities (ADLs).
When a pedestrian accident happens, you can lose consciousness or become lost following the collision. If you are still conscious, the accident may have traumatized you mentally and physically.
After a pedestrian-related mishap, there are a few things you should do. Whatever the circumstance, you should follow these measures after a car accident to safeguard your rights and life.
Remain Calm and Check If You Are Injured
Maintaining your composure after an accident can be difficult. Still, it's crucial since it will help you evaluate your injuries and what happened. Decide whether or not you can move. To prevent being hit again by other drivers, try to move away from the road if possible. If you cannot move, ask someone to dial 911 and wait for them to arrive.
Take A Personal Inventory of Your Injuries
You need to identify all your injuries after an accident. Check;
- Which part of your body hurts?
- Do you have any visible injuries?
- Have you received a road rush?
- You could still be hurt if you are not in pain, especially if your clothes are torn after the accident.
- Ensure you are not bleeding.
- Determine if you can feel your head, legs, hands, and face.
After an accident, you may not always experience pain since your body might be in shock. So, whether you are in pain or not, it is essential to note all of your injuries, and you should inform the paramedics when they arrive at the accident scene.
Seek Medical Treatment Immediately
If you are unconscious following an accident, other road users, such as motorists and eyewitnesses, should ensure you receive medical assistance.
If you are conscious after a pedestrian-related accident, your health should be your top priority, and you must seek help immediately.
You might feel emotionally and physically shaken after the accident, but try not to let this cloud your judgment and prevent you from seeking medical help. After the accident, you might think and feel OK, so you don't go to the doctor immediately. Nevertheless, once the adrenaline wears off, you can experience discomfort, making it difficult to make a claim later.
You should seek medical attention immediately since some injuries may need additional evaluations and testing because they are not as evident as others. For example, internal bleeding could be dangerous if not addressed immediately. Leaving some injuries untreated for an extended period may result in serious injuries or even death.
Call 911 and let the paramedics assess you if emergency services are not quickly accessible after the accident. Whether you are in pain or not, having a medical checkup after an accident would be beneficial. Let the paramedics examine you to see if you have suffered spinal cord injuries, severe brain injuries, internal bleeding, back or neck injuries, or any other injuries.
You'll see that some of these wounds take time to manifest symptoms after an accident. It will be beneficial to seek medical attention because the staff can determine if you have sustained any injuries. Also, this will be useful, especially when dealing with insurance providers.
If you delay seeking care, it will be more challenging to demonstrate that a previous vehicle accident was the cause of your current injuries. A minor injury might worsen if ignored and require substantial and extensive care.
Keep a Record of Your Treatment
While seeking medical care, you should document everything and not rely on invoices or even your memory when submitting a claim. You must verify your examinations, medical procedures, and doctor visits. If you cannot do this alone, ask a family member, friend, or nurse to assist you in writing down everything.
You should record the following information:
- Date and times of log-ins.
- Name of the physician treating you.
- Remedies available.
- After action notes.
- Any suggestions.
Then you can match your notes with the medical bills you've attached. Doing this makes it simple to obtain the doctor's medical records and statements when you need them. Relying solely on medical testimony when filing a personal injury claim could make your case challenging.
It won't be simple to utilize billing statements to support your claim exclusively; obtaining these bills can take some time. Several specialists, laboratories, and medical professionals may offer their accounts of the same hospital visit at various times. While you could already have these bills when filing your claim, keeping a record of these trips will simplify the process.
Gather Evidence
If you do not suffer severe injuries after an accident, you can gather evidence while waiting for paramedics and law enforcement agents to arrive.
Take Photo, and Video Coverage of The Accident Site
Take pictures and videos of the following to use as evidence:
- Your wounds.
- The car that struck you.
- The neighborhood.
- The car's position that hit you from the side and left skid marks.
- Turn signal lights and any broken lights.
Ask the law enforcement authorities and witnesses at the accident site for copies of any videos or images they may have captured of the incident. If they aren't available, take them yourself or have someone else take them.
If you are hurt and unable to take pictures, you or your attorney can ask for these pictures from someone who took them. You should still request a copy from the police even if you have taken photos of the car that hit you. If you do this, you will have several photographs of the automobile that hit you from various angles.
Today, most drivers have dashboard cameras, so you can ask the driver who hit you for a copy of the images taken at the accident scene.
If any neighboring companies or businesses have security cameras, you can also ask them for any surveillance footage they may have of the accident. This information will help you make a stronger case for financial compensation for your injuries.
Recording the accident scene is imperative, especially if you intend to file a personal injury claim. As time passes, you might need to recall specifics, which could significantly affect your claim. As a result, possessing supporting documentation will offer you a greater chance when haggling over your injury claim with the insurance provider.
The success of your injury claims will solely depend on the information you supply. More information is preferred to less information when making an insurance claim. Even if you occasionally feel like the information you have could be less significant, make a record of it.
Be careful with the information you provide the insurance company if you speak to them independently without hiring a personal injury lawyer. If you have a lawyer, though, you need not fear. Your attorney will decide which information to give the insurance provider. You understand that further information is necessary for your attorney to be able to comb through your records and determine what to tell the insurance provider.
Obtain the Driver's Contact Information
It's crucial to give the driver your phone number and address. Be sure you obtain their:
- Callback numbers and names.
- The number on a driver's license plate.
- Insurance information.
Refrain from making excuses or divulging too much information to the driver while obtaining this information; the other party may use it against you later in their defense. Check for eyewitnesses and obtain their information. As you present your case, an eyewitness may be crucial since their evidence may demonstrate the driver's negligence and support your arguments.
Track Down Any Eye Witnesses
Ask any witnesses to provide police with written statements if there are any. If you discover that the witnesses have left the accident scene, try to locate them and then request that they transcribe their reports. Most of the time, the police will know how to contact them, but you can contact them via their social networks if they don't. If the eyewitness hasn't filed a report with the police or insurance company, ask them to do so.
Obtain the eyewitnesses' names, phone numbers, and email addresses. If the eyewitness recorded their statement with the police or their insurance provider, request a copy of this statement.
Write Down Your Statement
You may not even remember every aspect of the accident after it happens, but you must still write down what you did. Record every detail you can about the accident and the circumstances leading up to, during, and following the accident.
Include your direction of travel at the time of the accident in your report. Record the lighting, climate, and traffic signals close to the accident scene. Stop signs and slowdowns are only a couple of examples of these signals.
Only your personal injury lawyer should know any details you may recall about the accident and your actions following it. Even if they try to coerce you into giving them this information, you shouldn't offer it to the other party's insurance company.
Keep a Track Record of All Your Expenses
Record all the costs associated with your accident. Maintaining a record of your accident-related expenses will make filing your claim simple. Maintain a record of your fuel receipts and mileage logs if you travel to receive medical attention.
Keep a record of any medical bills you pay. Statements for medical care may include expenses for counseling or physical therapy. Save all of your medical receipts; they will be helpful when you file your injury claim.
Calculate Your Loss Of Income
Create a list of potential income losses resulting from your injury. Remember to add the time spent on follow-up medical appointments when creating this list.
Ask your place of employment for a copy of your paycheck as evidence of your work and income. Legal representation will benefit you, and they will know which documents to attach as evidence of income loss.
Contact The Police
You can call the police and report your accident if no law enforcement officials are on the scene. Contact the police if they are present at the location of the accident and ask for a copy of their report.
A police report will include details like the name and contact information of the motorist. This report will be crucial when pursuing a personal injury claim.
File a Traffic Accident Report Immediately
As soon as possible after an accident, you should file a traffic accident report. Having a police report and your statement increases the likelihood that your injury claim will be successful. Even if you believe you contributed to the accident, do not acknowledge fault when filing a traffic accident report with the police.
Please ask for their last name, the accident case number, and the policeman's badge number while filing a police complaint. Having this knowledge will make it simpler to request a police report once it has been written. Ensure the hospital staff calls the police if you have severe injuries from the collision and the paramedics take you to the ER.
Call the police right away and give your testimony if you left the accident scene to seek medical attention. Making a police report at the accident scene is easier than doing it later. The wisest course of action would be to rely on something other than the driver's assurance that they will call the police, because they might mislead you or provide you with incorrect information.
Do Not Engage in A Discussion of Who Is at At-fault At the Accident Site
Refrain from arguing about who you believe to be at fault at the accident scene. Ensure you avoid discussing who was responsible for the collision at the location, even if the evidence points to you or the other driver.
When you file a personal injury claim, whatever you say at the accident site or to the insurance company could be used against you. Limiting your conversations with your lawyer, insurance provider, and doctor about the incidents leading up to the accident or your account of it would be beneficial. Only these entities have a stake in your well-being.
Avoid having a lengthy conversation about the accident with the driver's insurance provider since you might say something they could use against you if you file a claim. The insurance company for the other party will typically contact you and may ask for your statement or personal information.
Ensure you provide the bare minimum of information when the other party's insurance company asks for it. You can provide them with your contact information and that of your insurance provider and lawyer. Kindly refuse their requests for your social security number or your signature on any documents, and instead, speak with your personal injury lawyer about your options.
Contact Your Insurance Provider
After your accident, you need to contact your insurance company, if you have one. The fact that you were simply a pedestrian when the accident occurred is irrelevant. Your auto insurance occasionally covers your accident. After being hurt in a pedestrian accident, you can make a disability or medical claim by contacting your insurance company.
Contact a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney Near Me
You will probably sustain severe physical harm if you are in an automobile accident while walking. When you are hurt physically or emotionally in a pedestrian accident, you may experience both. The accident will also put you in financial trouble because it can make it harder for you to make a living.
The other party's insurance carrier may reject your injury claim, and they may even attempt to blame you for the collision. If they give you a settlement, it will typically be low and will not consider any future problems you might face.
In addition to defending your legal rights, when you hire a personal injury lawyer, you will have someone to deal with the insurance companies. Additionally, this will allow you to focus on healing and enjoy peace of mind when you hire an attorney to handle your accident lawsuit.
If you were injured while walking, contact our attorneys at The LA Personal Injury Law Company to find out if you have a case. Please call 390-935-0089 to reach us, and we will assess your situation.
