If you are injured in a pedestrian accident, you need to take some steps to protect yourself and hold the person who caused you harm accountable. If you are able, you should:
- Call the police
- Get the information of any drivers involved in the accident
- Get contact info for eyewitnesses
- Attend to your medical needs
- Keep records of any costs associated with your accident
Then you may want to consider hiring a New Jersey auto accident lawyer that can help you pursue compensation.
What Are the Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents?
Most pedestrian accidents are caused by collisions with cars and other motor vehicles. When you get behind the wheel of a car, you are making an agreement to safely share the road with others, including pedestrians. Drivers who put others in danger need to be held accountable.
Bad behavior from drivers that can cause accidents includes:
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Texting while driving
- Traveling over the speed limit
- Ignoring road signs and traffic signals
- Refusing to yield to a pedestrian’s right of way
If this kind of behavior caused your accident, you may have a personal injury suit on your hands.
Can I Pursue Compensation After a Pedestrian Accident?
If you believe that the negligence or actions of another person put you in harm’s way, you may be able to sue for damages. Pedestrian accidents can leave behind devastating injuries, but they can also be traumatic experiences that cause plenty of mental anguish and pain for the victim and their family.
Your compensation needs to address all of that, which is why damages in a case like these are often broken down into two categories. There are:
Economic damages: These are meant to reimburse a victim for some of the more easily visible and calculatable costs of the accident. So your economic damages generally include things like the cost of medical care and the wages you lost out on as you recovered from your injuries.
Noneconomic damages: These damages help make up for the psychological and emotional trauma that you and your family have experienced. They can include compensation for a disability or disfigurement, diminished quality of life, and mental distress. They can also cover a loss of companionship if your loved one passed away due to injuries suffered in a pedestrian accident.
Insurers and other parties involved in your case may try to downplay the psychological toll an accident like this can have, but we will fight for compensation that includes both the economic and non-economic damages you deserve.
Speak to a Skilled Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident, you do not have to pursue justice on your own. Contact the Law Office of Craig M. Rothenberg and get your free initial consultation. We can tell you more about your legal options and how we can help you pursue compensation.
