It’s not always easy to know when you are entitled to compensation after an accident, but if you are a pedestrian who was struck by someone else’s car, truck, motorcycle, or motor vehicle, your chances of receiving fair compensation is much better. Many times people assume that since they were simply walking down the street at the time of the accident that their injuries do not deserve compensation.
However, this could not be further from the truth. If you have suffered physical injuries because someone hit you with their vehicle while you were on foot then you should contact a pedestrian accident attorney as soon as possible to discuss your options for filing a lawsuit against them so that justice can be served and so that you can receive financial compensation for any damages you have sustained such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more. In some cases, pedestrian accidents can also lead to death.
We can also help you recover damages if your loved one was hit by a car and killed due to the driver’s negligence. Whether you need help with a wrongful death claim or a personal injury claim, taking action against the driver who hit you can help you recover more effectively. Pedestrian accidents can be caused for a variety of reasons.
Texting while driving, drunk driving, disobeying traffic signals, and reckless driving can all lead to serious injuries. A lawyer from our Augusta pedestrian accident law firm can do what it takes to get you the financial damages you deserve for your injuries.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact our law firm right away to get the help you need.
What Are the Pedestrian Accident Statutes of Limitation?
The term “statute of limitations” may not be something you have heard before. Essentially, the statute of limitations is your legal deadline to get your case filed. Every state in the US has varying statutes of limitations for the personal injury cases that exist. In Georgia, you are given two years starting from the date of the accident.
What you need to understand is that a pedestrian accident claim can be complicated and time-consuming. You will want to give your attorney as much time as possible to build a strong case for you. The sooner you call one of our Augusta pedestrian accident attorneys attorney to take on your case, the more time they have to work with you and a less chance that your evidence will have gone missing.
How Are Damages Awarded in a Pedestrian Accident?
In Georgia, the laws of compensation are modified comparative negligence laws. These laws dictate how much of your compensation award you are allowed to collect. Compensation is awarded based on three primary things:
Past and future lost wages
Past and future medical bills
Past and future pain and suffering
When a number has been determined to represent your damages, the next thing that goes into determining what you can collect is your role in causing the accident. Modified comparative negligence law says:
A victim with 0% fault gets a full compensation award.
A victim with 1% – 50% fault gets a reduced compensation award.
A victim with more than 50% fault does not get a compensation award.
We work to protect your right to full compensation. An example of someone with a reduced compensation award would be a pedestrian who was using their phone while they walked through a crosswalk.
Depending on the circumstances of the driver who hit them, the right of way, etc. they will be deemed a certain percent at fault. If they are, for example, 30% at fault for the accident, their compensation award is going to be reduced by 30%.
What is the First Step for a Successful Pedestrian Accident Case in Augusta?
If you want to have a successful pedestrian accident case, you need to make sure that your first step is to get yourself in front of a medical professional. Your health is the top priority. You cannot necessarily have an injury case if you don’t get treatment for an injury.
A doctor will take note of your injuries, start your treatment, then possibly give you follow-up options. The insurance company will see these records. If you waited to get treatment, then they may say that you lied about your injuries.
They may also say that you lied about how you get hurt, to begin with. They will do anything they can to reduce or eliminate your claim so that they can protect their bottom line.
Don’t give them a reason to do this. Get to a doctor as soon as you can to get the treatments you need to start recovering.
How Can a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Something that you want to avoid if you are interested in collected compensation is a phone call with the liable party’s insurance company. The representatives will try to convince you to give them a recorded statement to get you to slip up and say something wrong. They will tell you that a statement is going to help your case resolved quickly, but your case will not resolve in your favor if you give them a statement.
The wisest move from here is to hand your case over to an attorney who knows what they are doing. They will be able to protect your case from the insurance company and provide the answers without jeopardizing your case.
The sooner you call an attorney, the more likely it is that they can protect your rights to full and fair compensation.
Is Hiring an Augusta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Right for Me?
If you are looking for a skilled and dependable attorney to take on your pedestrian accident case, please call Malchow Johnson Injury Lawyers office right away. You can set up a free initial consultation to go over the details of your case with our Augusta pedestrian accident attorneys. You deserve to get full and fair compensation and we will work hard to get that for you.
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