Trusted Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Charleston

Compensation for pedestrian accidents is tied to the severity of your injuries. An injury can put you out of work for several weeks or even affect the trajectory of your entire career.

We try to never pay attention to what someone purports to be an average verdict or settlement in a pedestrian accident case. As your lawyer, Frank will work to maximize your damages by knowing the details of your situation and leveraging his ability to put pressure on the insurance company.

If you can prove that the driver was to blame for the pedestrian accident, their insurance company would have a legal obligation to pay for your damages up to the amount of the policy limit. If the driver’s insurance is not enough to cover your damages, you may file a claim against your underinsured motorist coverage on your car insurance policy. The driver may also be personally liable for uncovered damages if you file and win a lawsuit.

The sooner you contact a Charleston pedestrian accident lawyer, the better. Being hit by a car is traumatic, and it’s understandable that you might feel like you’re not up to doing business and talking to lawyers. But you will be hearing from the responsible party’s insurance company. No matter how nice they seem on the phone, they typically don’t have your best interests at heart. Their job is to protect company profits. When you connect with a pedestrian accident attorney early, they’ll handle those communications for you to protect your claim.

One of the first and most important things a pedestrian lawyer does for an injured person is to create a buffer between the injured party and the responsible party’s insurance company. Insurance carriers often attempt to manipulate an injured person into a quick, inadequate settlement or try to trip them up to weaken the case.

The attorney can also investigate, identify any additional possible responsible parties, gather evidence, interview witnesses, hire and work with experts, handle settlement negotiations and–if necessary–try the case before a Charleston jury.

If the driver left the scene of the accident and you don’t know who they were, your Charleston pedestrian accident lawyer may be able to conduct an investigation and identify the responsible party. If that isn’t possible and the responsible party isn’t apprehended by police and doesn’t come forward, you may still be entitled to collect damages under your own uninsured motorist coverage.

You may think that you don’t need an attorney for uninsured motorist coverage since you’re dealing with your own insurance company. Unfortunately, that isn’t always true. Insurance companies like to hold on to their money, even when dealing with their own customers.

Any person whose negligence caused or contributed to a pedestrian accident may be at least partially at fault. Negligence can be established in many ways, but one of the most common, where pedestrian accidents are concerned, is violation of a traffic safety law. In some cases, someone other than the motorist and the pedestrian may share fault. For example, if the driver who hit the pedestrian was swerving to avoid an unsecured object that flew off the back of a pick-up truck, the driver of the pick-up may be partly responsible. One of the first things your pedestrian accident lawyer will do is assess your case to identify all possible responsible parties.

The compensation available in a pedestrian injury case will depend on the actual damages suffered. For example, a pedestrian accident settlement often includes compensation for medical expenses, lost wages due to the accident, other expenses necessary because of the accident, and pain and suffering. But not all of those types of damages are available in every case, and in some cases there are additional types of damages. And, of course, the amount of compensation will vary depending on the amount of your medical bills, how much work time you lost, and other factors.

The key word in this question is “seem.” If your injuries were minor and you have fully recovered and won’t have any additional costs associated with the accident, you may be able to negotiate a small settlement without an attorney. The problem is that soon after the accident, you may not be fully aware of the extent of your injuries–and insurance companies sometimes count on that to rush through a quick, low settlement before you know what you might be entitled to. The best way to avoid that is to consult a pedestrian accident law firm.

In most injury cases, including pedestrian accident injury cases, the injured person has three years to file a lawsuit. The same is typically true if you have lost a loved one to a pedestrian accident. However, there are some exceptions, such as when the claim is against certain governmental entities. The sooner you consult a pedestrian accident attorney, the better you can protect your claim.

If an insurance company suggests you may be at fault for your accident, stop talking to them immediately. In fact, it’s usually best if you never talk to the insurance company and go straight to an experienced Charleston pedestrian accident lawyer. Your attorney can investigate and gather evidence to show who was truly responsible for the accident.

Because a pedestrian accident involves a large, heavy vehicle making direct contact with the human body, serious injuries are common. These include broken bones, internal injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and even death. Even seemingly minor injuries may turn out to be more serious than you initially think, so it’s important to seek medical attention right away.

Pedestrian accident lawyers typically work on contingency. That means they charge a percentage of your settlement or verdict. When you consult an attorney, they will tell you up front what percentage they charge, what expenses you will be responsible for, and whether the percentage changes depending on how far along the process the case goes.

If you’re well enough to do so safely, get insurance information from the responsible driver. Take pictures or video of the scene, or ask someone else to do so. Collect contact information from any witnesses to the accident. And, of course, seek medical attention as soon as possible. The most important reason to get checked out medically is to protect your health, but it also helps protect your claim.

Then, contact an experienced local pedestrian accident attorney as soon as possible.