When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the pedestrian’s injuries can be devastating. You need a pedestrian accident lawyer in Coconut Creek, FL on your side so that you can focus on getting healthy and returning to your life.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine will talk with you at no charge to determine if you are eligible for compensation. We investigate our clients’ accident, gather the evidence, and analyze the case. Then we calculate a fair amount for settlement, including pain and suffering and other intangibles.
We negotiate directly with the insurance company on your behalf and handle all of the paperwork, including settlement documents. We can file personal injury lawsuits for pedestrian accident cases that do not settle. You have enough bills to pay after a significant injury, and we do not want to add to your financial stress. You do not pay us any legal fees until you get compensation, and our fees come out of that recovery.
What You Should Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Coconut Creek, FL
The first things you do after a pedestrian accident can affect how well you will recover physically and how much compensation you will receive from the negligent party for your injuries.
Medical attention. You should get immediate treatment for your injuries. Often, in the shock of the moment, you do not realize how severe your injuries are. The emergency room personnel know how to evaluate people for hidden harm after a pedestrian accident. Sometimes it can take days for symptoms to appear, and in situations like a head or spinal injury or internal bleeding, that can be too late.
Another reason to go straight to the doctor or emergency room after a pedestrian accident is that their records will document what your specific injuries are and that the accident caused them. If you wait for several days or longer to get medical care, the insurance company will accuse you of getting hurt from something else, not the accident.
You should go back for additional evaluation if you develop new pain or other symptoms, if any of your symptoms get worse, or if you do not heal as your doctor expected you to. Make sure that you complete all your prescribed treatment like physical therapy so that the insurance company does not claim that you would have healed better if you had finished the therapy.
Legal help. Sometimes people think that they do not need to talk to a lawyer until they are ready to settle their accident case, but waiting until that point can hurt the value of your claim. You see, insurance companies get teams of people working on potential injury claims right after an accident.
One of the things that the insurers do is try to create evidence that will let them pay you less than you deserve. For example, shortly after a pedestrian accident, you might get a call from an insurance adjuster who wants you to give a recorded statement. The purpose of this statement is to help the company devalue your damages.
The company can twist your words or take them out of context to make it sound as if you blamed yourself for the wreck. The recorded statement is likely to hurt your case, so make sure that you talk with a lawyer about it if the insurance company asks you to give one. Or you can tell the adjuster to speak with your pedestrian accident lawyer in Coconut Creek, FL.
What You Should Not Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Coconut Creek, FL
In addition to not giving a recorded statement without your lawyer, there are other things you should not do after a pedestrian accident in Coconut Creek, FL. One of the most common pitfalls is small talk at the scene of the accident.
People often chat with other parties or bystanders while they are waiting for law enforcement and the ambulance to arrive. In these situations, people might feel the need to express sympathy to each other. If you tell someone that you are sorry, they can claim later that you apologized and took the blame for the wreck, even though you were merely expressing compassion.
Just as telling someone that you are sorry for their loss when a loved one dies does not mean that you are confessing to murder, expressing compassion at the scene of an accident should not lead to the conclusion that you caused the accident. Avoid this misinterpretation by not engaging in small talk at the scene of the pedestrian accident.
Damages for Pedestrian Accident Injuries
If a car, truck, or another vehicle hit you when you were on foot, you can get compensation for your losses. Damages can include things like:
- Medical bills – for all the reasonable treatment you needed because of the accident. From the moment of injury until you have fully recovered or achieved the maximum expected level of medical improvement, the meter is running on these costs. This includes the ambulance, emergency room, hospital, surgery, doctors, prescription drugs, lab tests, x-rays, and physical therapy.
- Lost wages – if you missed work because of your injuries. This type of damages can encompass wages, salary, self-employment, and other kinds of lost income.
- Pain and suffering – to account for the physical pain, emotional distress, and inconvenience you experienced.
- Diminished earning potential – these damages attempt to make up the difference if you cannot earn as much money after the accident because of your injuries.
- Disability – if your injuries leave you unable to work at all, we can work with a vocational expert to determine the fair amount of compensation for this loss.
- Disfigurement – if the injuries left you with significant noticeable scars, you can get compensation.
- Long-term care – these damages are to cover the costs if you need daily medical or personal assistance because of your injuries.
You can get a free consultation with a pedestrian accident lawyer in Coconut Creek, FL to talk about your eligibility for compensation for your accident in the area. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine at 1-800-747-3733, and we will set up a time to talk with you and explain your rights. We do not charge legal fees until you succeed with your case. There is no obligation.
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