You may have heard that “statistically, you are more likely to get injured in your car on the way to the airport than during your flight.” This is true, and in fact, you are almost 100 times more likely to die in a car accident than in an airplane crash.
To make matters worse, you are still in harm’s way even when you are not driving or riding in a motor vehicle. In 2017, the CDC documented over 137,000 injuries to pedestrians from motor vehicles, and nearly 6,000 of those pedestrians were killed.
If you are injured as a pedestrian a result of being hit by a motor vehicle, it is important that you take a number of steps to ensure your own health and well-being, and to make sure your interests are protected. Here are 3 critical steps to take in the case of pedestrian injury.
1. Seek Medical Attention
Due to the size, weight, and speed of motor vehicles, there is a strong chance that you will have sustained injuries if you are hit by a car. If you have obvious injuries, call 911 for help immediately. However, even if you do not have any apparent, immediate injuries, it is still important that you seek medical attention as soon as possible to ensure there are no internal or latent injuries.
2. Document As Much As Possible
After you have attended to your injuries, document as much detail as possible about the incident. This includes, but is not limited to, the time and location of the incident, the make and model of the vehicle involved, the weather at the time of the incident, and the names and contact information of any witnesses to the incident. Call the police so that an accident report will be created. If you are able to, take photographs of the area where the incident occurred. If you are unable to due to your injuries, have a friend or family member get to the scene as quickly as possible to take photographs of the area. All of this information will be helpful when pursuing a claim against the at fault driver’s insurance company.
3. Consult A Personal Injury Lawyer
You can be sure that an insurance company will do everything it can, as soon as possible, to investigate the claim and try to limit their liability for your injuries. Insurance companies have teams of investigators and adjusters ready to act as soon as possible after a crash. It is therefore important that you get someone on your side immediately to “level the playing field.” An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to guide you through the process of investigating the claim, dealing with the insurance company, evaluating the case, and building up the case to settle it for fair and maximum compensation. If the insurance company will not pay a fair amount to resolve the claim, your personal injury attorney will be there to start a lawsuit against the at fault driver and take the matter to trial, if necessary. A personal injury case has many moving parts, and having the right personal injury lawyer by your side can make a profound difference.
Work with Nelson Personal Injury
The personal injury lawyers at Nelson Personal Injury understand that personal injury claims can be difficult to navigate, and that’s why we work hard to make sure you feel heard, striving to get you the compensation to help you on the road to recovery. If you have been involved in an accident as a pedestrian, find out how we can help you with your claim: nelsonpersonalinjury.com.