When a motor vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the pedestrian regularly sustains severe injuries. Pedestrians are no match for a heavy car, truck, or SUV and have no protection from an impact. They also commonly suffer several points of impact, including the initial collision, the pavement, other vehicles, or even multiple points of the car if they flip over the hood.
If you recently sustained injuries in a pedestrian accident, immediately obtain the legal support you need. The experienced San Antonio pedestrian accident attorneys at DJC Law can handle every step of your personal injury claim or lawsuit. We can represent you at legal proceedings and aggressively advocate for your legal rights during every stage of the process.
Despite the severe injuries common to pedestrian accidents, victims often face an uphill battle to get the compensation they deserve under the law, but you never have to face this battle alone. For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced San Antonio pedestrian accident attorney at DJC Law, please contact our office, and we can advise you on what comes next.
Why Select Us As Your Lawyers?
When selecting an attorney to represent you during your pedestrian accident case, we know you have many options. Obviously, you want a legal team with a successful track record, both with settling pedestrian accident claims and litigating them in court.
In addition to recovering many settlements on behalf of our clients, our team is not afraid to file a lawsuit and litigate a personal injury case in court, including at a civil jury trial. If we take your case to trial, we will fight for your legal rights and pursue the highest monetary recovery available.
We have recovered many six and seven-figure results for past clients, and we never hesitate to do what it takes to succeed. Let us work to achieve the favorable result you need for your accident-related injuries.
What Is My San Antonio Pedestrian Accident Case Worth?
Pedestrian accident victims can suffer devastating injuries that lead to lifelong pain, suffering, and inconvenience. An accident victim might also need medical treatment well into the future, leading to high medical bills and other expenses. In some scenarios, they may need to rely on others for lifetime care.
To recover monetary compensation in a pedestrian accident case, the accident victim must first satisfy their legal burden of proof. Specifically, they must show that a driver behaved unreasonably under the circumstances and acted negligently or recklessly. In many situations, the driver violated one or more traffic laws.
Next, the injured pedestrian must demonstrate that as a direct result of this negligence, both the pedestrian accident and the accident victim’s injuries occurred.
We provide evidence to prove each element of your claim, and we can retain an accident reconstructionist, medical expert, or another expert in your case when necessary. For example, if the insurance company disputes fault for your accident, an accident reconstructionist can review the circumstances and determine how your accident occurred and who caused it. Similarly, a medical expert can causally relate your injuries to your pedestrian accident.
Once we establish the legal burden of proof in your case, we can recover various types of monetary damages. The economic damages the pedestrian accident victim can recover will depend on the severity of the pedestrian accident, the victim’s injuries, the nature and extent of their medical treatment, the cost of their medical treatment, and other accident-specific circumstances.
First, we can seek coverage of any medical expenses that you incurred as a result of your pedestrian accident and anticipated medical costs you may have to incur in the future. Additionally, we can bring a lost income claim if you missed time from work after your pedestrian accident. If you had to switch jobs or careers, switch to a lighter-duty job, and take a pay cut, we can claim a loss of earning capacity.
In addition to your out-of-pocket losses following a pedestrian accident, we can pursue monetary recovery for your intangible losses, including compensation for your mental distress, loss of the ability to use a body part, lost quality of life, inconvenience, mental anguish, pain and suffering, lifetime care costs, and permanent disability or disfigurement.
Our legal team determines which of these damages you can recover in your case and the amounts of those damages. We can also advise whether the insurance company offered a reasonable settlement, given the facts and circumstances of your case and the injuries you suffered.
Where Do Pedestrian Accidents Frequently Occur in San Antonio?
Pedestrian accidents frequently occur in various locations across the San Antonio region. Pedestrian accidents are especially prevalent in the downtown area of San Antonio, given the large number of walkers. However, pedestrian accidents may also happen in local parking lots and garages and near sidewalks. They may also occur in pedestrian crosswalks at traffic intersections located throughout the area.
You are not alone if you suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident in one of these locations. To increase your chances of recovering favorable monetary compensation for your injuries, seek out experienced legal counsel as quickly as possible.
The knowledgeable San Antonio pedestrian accident attorneys at DJC Law can immediately investigate your circumstances, determine your eligibility for filing a personal injury claim, and begin pursuing the fair monetary recovery you deserve for your injuries.
How Do San Antonio Pedestrian Accidents Happen?
San Antonio pedestrian accidents happen when others drive carelessly and negligently, especially around traffic intersections and sidewalks pedestrians use.
One common cause of pedestrian accidents is road-rule violations. For example, when drivers speed in parking lots and garages, fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians at traffic intersections, and commit other common road-rule violations, they significantly increase their chances of a pedestrian accident.
Similarly, drivers exhibiting road rage and other reckless driving maneuvers near traffic intersections may inadvertently cause a pedestrian accident. For example, the driver might try to get through a traffic intersection before the light changes to red. Consequently, they might speed through the intersection, negligently striking a pedestrian who is lawfully using a crosswalk.
A pedestrian accident may also occur when a driver does not observe the road. Instead of paying attention to their surroundings, a driver might eat or drink, apply makeup, or use an electronic device, such as a GPS navigation system, smartwatch, cell phone, or music system. The driver might pay attention to passengers or turn their head away from the road for other reasons. When a driver engages in distracted driving, they might fail to see a nearby pedestrian and bring about a severe collision.
Finally, some pedestrian accidents occur when people drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Specifically, most drivers are legally intoxicated if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08 percent or higher. A driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs is more likely to cause a pedestrian accident because of potential physical and mental limitations.
For example, an impaired driver might experience blurred vision that prevents them from seeing a pedestrian in a nearby crosswalk. Alcohol intoxication might also stop a driver from accurately judging the distance between their vehicle and the pedestrian. Finally, an intoxicated driver might experience delayed reflexes and reaction time, preventing them from applying the brakes on their car before causing a pedestrian accident.
If you sustained injuries in a pedestrian accident that a negligent driver caused, retain legal counsel as quickly as possible. The knowledgeable San Antonio pedestrian accident lawyers at DJC Law can clearly explain all your legal options and identify the best course of action for recovering the monetary compensation you deserve.
Pedestrian Accident Injuries in San Antonio
When a pedestrian hits the ground with significant force, they are likely to suffer severe injuries. This is especially true if they land on their head, neck, or back.
When pedestrians suffer severe injuries in an accident, they may need to go to the emergency room and undergo additional medical treatment, including surgeries and prolonged physical therapy.
Common injuries a pedestrian accident victim may suffer include:
- Road rash injuries
- Soft-tissue contusions
- Broken bones
- Mouth and teeth injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Complete and incomplete paralysis injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Death
If you sustained one or more of these injuries in your recent pedestrian accident, we can handle the legal aspects of your claim or lawsuit while you attend medical appointments and focus on getting better.
Fighting the Insurance Company After a San Antonio Pedestrian Accident
Following a pedestrian accident, our legal team can file a personal injury claim on your behalf with the at-fault driver's insurance company. Settlement negotiations may take a long time, depending on the case and the insurance company you are dealing with.
Many insurance company adjusters will drag settlement negotiations out as far as possible because they are not typically in a hurry to resolve a pedestrian accident claim.
It is not in the insurance company's best interest to settle your claim favorably. Insurance companies often stand to lose significant money if they must pay a large personal injury settlement or jury verdict in court. Therefore, the insurance company will probably offer as little money as possible to resolve your case.
Fortunately, our legal team is aware of the tricks and tactics that insurance companies and their representatives use to undervalue pedestrian accident claims.
We can combat these tactics by aggressively fighting for your legal interests, retaining medical experts and other experts to testify in your case, and threatening the insurance company with litigation if necessary.
Our legal team will do everything possible to maximize your chances of success and recover favorable settlement or litigation compensation in your case.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in San Antonio
After a pedestrian accident in San Antonio, there are specific steps that you should take to increase your chances of success.
First, you need to follow through with all recommended medical treatment, that you complete your medical treatment, and that you refrain from discharging yourself from a medical facility.
Completing all your medical treatment shows the insurance company that you take your injuries seriously and need significant care to recover physically. As a result, you are more likely to recover fair and equitable monetary compensation in your case.
In addition, you need to gather important medical documents, bills, police reports, and witness contact information pertinent to your case.
Once you retain us to represent you for your pedestrian accident injuries, we can assemble all these documents into a settlement demand package and send that package to the insurance company after your medical treatment has concluded. We can then begin negotiating a favorable settlement in your case.
Call a San Antonio Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Right Away
If you recently sustained injuries in a San Antonio pedestrian accident, time is of the essence. An accident victim should never negotiate with the insurance company on their own.
The insurance company likely has its own legal team that will research and investigate to find any reason not to give accident victims the compensation they deserve. The best way to avoid that is by quickly finding legal representation.
If you wait too long to seek legal counsel to represent you, you will jeopardize your right to file a lawsuit and recover the monetary compensation you need for your injuries. The last thing you need is to leave money on the table if you have mounting medical bills.
At DJC Law, we can file a personal injury claim or lawsuit on your behalf and pursue the maximum economic recovery you deserve.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a personal injury law firm in San Antonio, please call us at (210) 220-2222 or contact us online for more information.