3 Things to Know About Pedestrian Accidents
In the state of Nevada, pedestrian accidents are becoming increasingly more common, especially in the Las Vegas metro area. If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, you may be wondering what you need to do going forward. Here are 3 things you should know about pedestrian accidents before contacting an attorney.
3 Things to Know About Pedestrian Accidents | Pedestrian Accident Liability
To find out who must pay damages in a pedestrian accident, we need to know who is at fault. There are a lot of factors to consider. Did you dart out in front of the car? Did you go against the crosswalk? Maybe it’s your fault. In that case, you might not be entitled to anything, regardless of how badly you were hurt.
Maybe you are crossing in the crosswalk. You have the right of way. A driver looks to their left, looks straight ahead, but doesn’t turn to look to their right, turns and runs you over. That person is responsible. Their insurance company is responsible. They will have to pay for your damages. These are very fact-specific cases. Oftentimes, immediate investigation is required to protect and preserve the evidence that’s going to be necessary to build your case. It’s quite frequent that no matter what happened, the insurance company is going to say that it was your fault, and they’re going to deny your claim.
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3 Things to Know About Pedestrian Accidents | Pedestrian Accident Settlements
As with most cases, pedestrian accidents can be resolved in a relatively short period of time or it can take years. It depends on the facts of the case and how hard the insurance company and the insurance lawyer are fighting it, how bad your injuries are, and what the extent of your damages are.
If you were hit by a car and you’ve been seriously injured, and you required surgery and ongoing care, or you have future care, you really can’t even evaluate the value of your claim. You need to have a clear picture of how badly you were hurt and what the extent of your recovery from those injuries is going to be, and what the residual effects are going to be in the future. That may take over a year of medical treatment and analysis to figure out. If we have to file a lawsuit, it could take another year or two before your case is resolved at trial or settled.
3 Things to Know About Pedestrian Accidents | Choosing an Attorney
Number one, you need an attorney who has experience in this area of law and has done these cases before. Number two, you need a trial lawyer. You need an attorney who is a board-certified personal injury specialist who is a trial attorney because oftentimes these cases are going to require the filing of a lawsuit and the preparing of a lawsuit. Finally, and most important, you need a very good working relationship with that lawyer because you may be working with this lawyer as a team, on this case, for the next couple of years. If your lawyer is too busy and has too many files to talk to you and to know who you are, they’re not going to be able to help you. If they don’t talk to you and answer your questions, they’re not going to give you the time of day to build up your case. You’re just going to be waiting for money to fall out of the sky from the insurance company, and that’s not going to happen.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you need the representation of an experienced Las Vegas pedestrian accident lawyer. Please contact our offices today for a free consultation.