What To Do After The Pedestrian Accident: 6 Important Things To Know

Not all of us are fortunate enough to own a car and are obliged to commute and get around by walking. Unfortunately, despite traffic laws all around the world, pedestrian accidents do occur quite often. 

The initial reaction, as in any other dire situation, would be immediate shock before all else. However, you should keep yourself calm and know how to keep yourself strong while following the right steps. The state realizes that the whole situation can be very painful for you. That’s why the government has given certain pedestrian accident rights and provides an opportunity to claim your compensation. However, it’s up to you to properly deal with the accused driver and create a strong claim to cover your expenses and get stipends that you lost due to the accident and compensate for physical as well as emotional pain and suffering. If you get into a pedestrian accident, here are some steps that you should follow.

• Prioritize Your Safety

If you are walking on the street or crossing the road while the signal is red and suddenly get hit, the first thing you need to ensure is your safety.  No matter how much worse the scenario on the road is, it would be best if you get yourself to a safe area so that no other car or vehicle can harm you. 

After ensuring your safety, you need to put yourself together and focus on staying calm. It’s important to note that your action and reactions towards the accused driver can play a major role in your compensation claim. If you misbehave, hurl abuses or get violent with the accused driver, you may have a problem in getting the compensation you rightfully deserve. 

• Call Ambulance

Getting hit by a car or a motorcycle while walking can be fatal since you are exposed to vehicles without any defense. That’s why the injuries can be quite severe and painful. Even if you are not hurt badly, the mental trauma can alone be overwhelming. For this, you need to call an ambulance to get first aid attention. Getting the proper treatment for your injuries and the required medical attention, you can ensure your medical condition will not get worse.

• Hire a Legal Advisor

In a serious pedestrian accident, you might get severely hurt and sometimes might not be able to even move to fight your case properly. Even if you are not seriously injured, your mental health will be affected as well. Therefore, in this vulnerable state, it’s advisable to retain the services of a suitable attorney to resolve matters with the deep-pocketed insurance companies. The legal team at https://www.injury-attorneys.com/ suggests looking into getting free consultation services that many law firms offer to understand the whole scenario and judge the situation, then decide whether you need an attorney or not. Besides, your decision to hire a lawyer will also depend on the severity of your case. Since some cases are very complex and only highly experienced professionals can handle the insurance providers, you should always judge the case credentials and then decide on a lawyer.

• Call Law Enforcement

After calling for medical help, you need to call the police to report your case. Filing a formal police report can help you prove your compensation claim. Since pedestrian injuries can range from minor to severe, it’s better to provide the evidence as soon as possible. The police report will be the strongest piece of evidence that you have in your case.

• Note Down the Driver’s Information

The most important part of an accident case is to get all the information regarding the accused driver. This information helps to track the culprit down later to get your claim accepted. Since the law binds them, they will not try to run; instead, they will ask their insurance company to deal with you. However, you need to collect the driver’s information, including full name, contact number, insurance company and policy number, model of the car, driver’s license, the vehicle’s license plate, and location of the accident. This will help you build your case with all the specific information.

Here, you should be concerned enough to know the kind of accident it was. There are different types of accidents that decide the further proceedings of the case. If you are not aware of the same, you can go now here and find out detailed information regarding this.

• Gather Evidence

Gathering the right evidence is the most crucial step while dealing with a pedestrian case. You can only build a strong claim to prove the charges you are claiming against the accused drivers. That’s why you need valid evidence that includes witness statements, injury photos, hospital bills, doctor’s statements, medical reports, and public camera evidence recorded at the time of the accident if it is available.

Following all these steps can help you retain what is rightfully yours after getting involved in a pedestrian accident. Since claiming the compensation charges is your lawful right, you should never hesitate to fight your case, even if you have to work hard for it. On the other hand, you should always understand the consequences of not following the right method and not seeking guidance from a professional legal advisor. This is the mistake that most pedestrians make and therefore, lose their opportunity.