Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer
If You Were Injured in a Pedestrian Accident
If you sustained an injury as a pedestrian that was caused by the vehicle operator's negligence or wrongdoing, you can file a personal injury claim to seek damages for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, collecting compensation isn't as simple as just filing a claim—in most cases, the insurance company will try to lowball you so you don't receive what you are truly owed.
It is important to seek the help of a seasoned pedestrian accident attorney if you want to improve your chances of getting maximum compensation and avoid dealing with endless paperwork and constant phone calls with the insurance company. Your attorney can protect your rights as a victim and take care of every aspect of your case for you so you can focus on recovering from your injuries.
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Charlotte Weigel and her team are the best! Cascade Injury Law represented me for 2 car accidents. I am so grateful for Charlotte's expertise and her hard work on my behalf. I couldn't have asked for better, more tenacious representation. My case went smoothly and I was very pleased with the better than expected settlement.
View on GoogleCharlotte and her team really nice, wonderful people. They are very diligent and thoughtful about taking care of their clients. They are very responsive and caring. The outcome of my case/settlement was more than I expected. I recommend Cascade Injury Law 100%.
View on GoogleWho Is at Fault
In a Pedestrian Accident?
In some pedestrian accidents the driver will bear responsibility, but in others the pedestrian will be mostly at fault. In some cases, both sides may share responsibility for the accident.
- For example, if a car was speeding and failed to yield to a pedestrian at an intersection, then the driver of that car is at fault for the collision.
- Suppose a pedestrian illegally crossed the road in an area away from an intersection when they were hit by a car. In that case, the pedestrian might be mostly responsible for the collision.
- Both parties may share responsibility for the accident if, for example, the driver of a vehicle was distracted by their mobile device, failed to see a pedestrian making an illegal crossing, and did not attempt to hit the brakes or honk the horn in due time.
A pedestrian accident attorney can assist with investigating what happened in the moments leading up to the accident to accurately assign liability to the responsible party.
Can I Still Get Compensation If I Am Partially at Fault?
For example, if you were struck by a motor vehicle and suffered $100,000 worth of damages, but it is determined that you were 20% responsible for the accident because you were crossing the road away from an intersection, you can still receive 80% of the calculated compensation, or $80,000.
Damages You Can Recover In a Pedestrian Accident Case
As in any personal injury case, the value of a pedestrian accident claim is determined by the severity of the victim’s injuries and the amount of damages the accident caused, including its long-term impact on the victim’s life. The final award amount will be a combination of both economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
These are tangible financial losses suffered as a result of the accident and injury.
- Medical Bills
- Lost Wages
- Damaged Property
Non-Economic Damages
These are more subjective and commonly refer to emotional and physical impact.
- Physical Pain
- Mental Anguish
- Disfigurement
Each pedestrian accident case is unique, and it is impossible to determine your claim’s value without analyzing your accident and the damages you may have suffered in depth. Generally, the higher your losses and the more severe your injuries are, the higher your case value may be.
You Have Three Years to File a Claim
A pedestrian accident is considered a type of personal injury case, and therefore it is subject to the state’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims. In Washington, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including pedestrian accidents and wrongful death, is three years from the date when the accident occurred.
Three years may seem like a long time, but waiting tends to be counterproductive for your case, as it becomes harder to access crucial evidence the longer you wait. The sooner you speak to an attorney and begin working on your case, the higher your chances are of achieving a favorable result.
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I am so happy to have Charlotte work on my car accident case! She guided me step by step and left no questions go unanswered. Her and Mike were excellent on communicating and keeping me in the loop. I couldn't be more happy with how my case was settled. I highly recommend their firm!
View on GoogleMs. Charlotte is a very knowledgeable attorney and earned my strong recommendation. She is a strong advocate and presents all options to you and recommends the best course of favorable action. She and her staff are professional, easy to work with and super prompt with attention to detail.
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