If you suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident, you could be entitled to financial compensation from the driver that struck you. These accidents often have dire consequences, as pedestrians have little protection from speeding motor vehicles.
You are under no obligation to seek legal help when you pursue your case. That said, handling a personal injury lawsuit on your own is risky. A simple error in one of your filings could bring your opportunity to secure financial compensation to a close. Let a Lakeland pedestrian accident lawyer from our team help you pursue a fair monetary award.
What is Your Lakeland Case Worth?
If you are considering a lawsuit after a pedestrian accident, it is understandable to wonder what your case might be worth. Your settlement or court award depends on various factors. While our attorneys can promise that they will work to secure fair compensation for your injuries, we cannot guarantee a particular result.
What we can do is provide you with helpful insight on what to expect from a possible settlement offer or trial verdict. Doing so requires a careful review of the facts of your case and the nature of your injuries.
There are two general categories of compensation that might be available to you. These categories include economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages exist to return you to the financial position you were in prior to your accident. This could include paying your medical bills or replacing your lost wages. Because the goal is to recover the financial damages you accrued, it is possible to identify down to the dollar amount of economic losses in a pedestrian accident case.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are not intended to replace your measurable financial losses. Instead, these damages are intended to compensate you for your subjective losses following an accident. Some examples include your mental anguish, pain and suffering, or disfigurement.
There is a Time Limit That Applies to Your Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit
The amount of time you have to pursue an injury lawsuit following a pedestrian accident is not unlimited. If you do not file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires, you could miss your chance at fair financial compensation.
The statute of limitations serves as the deadline for all lawsuits. Once this deadline has expired, the court will typically dismiss a case immediately after it is filed. This dismissal is with prejudice, meaning that you will never be able to pursue your lawsuit again.
In Lakeland, the statute of limitations is governed by Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a). The statute provides you with a four-year window to file your lawsuit. That period of time begins to expire the day the accident occurs.
There May be Exceptions
There are a handful of exceptions that can toll—or pause—the statute of limitations. The most common of these exceptions involves injured minors under the age of 18. If a child is injured, they have up to seven years from the date of the incident to file their lawsuit. While children cannot file a lawsuit on their own, a parent or guardian could do so on their behalf.
It is unusual for these exceptions to apply in a pedestrian accident lawsuit, and it is never wise to assume one will apply in your case.
Your best option for avoiding complications from the statute of limitations is to consult with an attorney from our firm right away.
What is the Cost of a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer from Our Firm?
If you are concerned about the cost of hiring one of our attorneys following a pedestrian accident, the good news is that you could secure legal representation without any upfront attorney fees. Our firm takes on pedestrian accident cases on a contingency basis. This means that we will only take a portion of what we recover on your behalf for our fee.
This approach allows us to take on your case without the need for any upfront fees. We believe every injured pedestrian deserves the chance to pursue fair compensation regardless of their current financial security.
Under a contingency agreement, we carry the risk that comes with an injury lawsuit. If we are unsuccessful, you will never owe us any legal fees. Curious about what a contingency-fee agreement could mean for you? You can find out during a free consultation.
Negligence Can Lead to Pedestrian Accidents
While countless factors could lead to a pedestrian accident, successful pedestrian accident lawsuits have one thing in common: negligence. As a plaintiff, you must establish that the negligence of another person or entity was responsible for your accident. Some of the ways negligence could lead to a pedestrian accident include:
Distracted Driving
One of the behaviors that is most likely to put a pedestrian at risk of injury is distracted driving. When a motorist takes their eyes off the road to answer a text message or change the radio station, they increase the risk of striking a pedestrian in their path.
Missing Traffic Signs
Although pedestrians have the right-of-way in crosswalks, missing signs that would otherwise warn drivers of a crosswalk could be responsible for an accident. These signs could be missing due to vandalism or mismanagement on the part of the government.
Driving Too Fast for Conditions
Crosswalks and intersections are the most common site for pedestrian accidents because they represent the areas where pedestrians are most likely to cross in front of vehicle traffic. Drivers that travel at unsafe speeds might fail to stop in time to avoid a collision.
Pedestrian Negligence
There are times when the negligence of a pedestrian could lead to an accident. Pedestrians that jaywalk, cross at an intersection despite a red light, or walk in the road instead of on the sidewalk could be at fault for a collision.
You Could Recover Compensation Following a Pedestrian Accident in Polk County
The injuries that can come with a pedestrian accident are often debilitating. If you were struck by a car while traveling on foot, you could face physical, financial, and emotional hardship.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine is prepared to fight for fair compensation for your injuries. If you are ready to learn how our Lakeland pedestrian accident lawyer could help, call 1-800-747-3733 for your free consultation.
We Can Help.
