Crosswalks allow pedestrians to walk safely when cars are on the road. But when pedestrians and motor vehicles collide, the result is often severe and fatal injuries for the person walking. If you or your loved one suffered catastrophic injuries in a pedestrian accident, you might be reeling from growing medical bills, time off work while you recover, and possibly permanent or disabling injuries.
Our team will stand by your side and help you pursue financial recovery for your accident-related losses. Our Tampa, FL, personal injury lawyers can assist with an insurance claim or lawsuit against the negligent party. In addition, our legal team will investigate your accident, prove fault, and fight for every cent you deserve.
Types of Pedestrian Accidents We Can Handle
If you sustained injuries in a pedestrian accident in Tampa, our personal injury team could help you seek justice. We have experience with cases involving:
- Cars, trucks, and buses
- Motorcycles
- Bicycles
- Hit-and-run drivers
- Drunk driving
- Uninsured and underinsured motorists
- Fatal accidents
If your accident was not your fault, you should not have to pay for the resulting damages. Instead, an attorney can determine what caused your accident and hold the liable parties financially responsible.
Injuries You Can Collect Financial Compensation For
Walking across the crosswalk or on the sidewalk shouldn’t be dangerous. When a car strikes a pedestrian, it can cause severe and even fatal injuries. If you suffered any of the injuries below, you could recover compensation for them:
- Back, neck, and shoulder injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Loss of a limb
- Severe cuts and bruising (“road rash”)
- Strains and sprains
After sustaining an injury from a car crash or another type of accident as a pedestrian, you should seek medical attention. Severe injuries to your spinal cord and internal organs don’t show symptoms immediately and could turn fatal.
You Have Limited Time To File a Personal Injury Claim
Don’t let the statute of limitations on your case expire. According to Florida Statutes § 95.11, you have four years to file a personal accident claim and two years to sue for wrongful death. The earlier you file, the higher your chance of recovering maximum compensation.
In some accidents, you may have longer to file because your case requires more evidence or an attorney cannot get in touch with the liable parties. Our personal injury lawyers can tell you if you qualify for an exception and how long you have to file.
However, if you fail to submit your claim before the deadline, you won’t be able to recover any compensation for your injuries. You’ll have to pay for any medical care you need out of pocket.
Damages You Can Recover After a Pedestrian Injury
As a pedestrian accident victim, you have the right to recover money for your losses from the negligent party. The two types of damages available to you are:
Economic Damages
We will calculate your economic damages using receipts, bills, and other proof of your expenses. In addition, we will estimate your future accident-related losses. To do this, we may consult with your doctors (with permission), medical experts, economists, and accident reconstruction experts who can testify about your injuries and their expected economic impact.
Losses that fall into this category include:
- Past and future doctor medical expenses
- Medical procedures
- Physical therapy or cognitive rehabilitation
- Prescription drugs, medical equipment, and mobility aids
- Long-term healthcare services
- Lost income, earnings, and benefits
- Loss of future earning potential
- Damaged property, including cellphones, laptops, or jewelry
- Household services your injuries prevent you from performing, such as cleaning, cooking, or lawn care
- Modifications to make your home or vehicle accessible
If your loved one suffered a fatal pedestrian accident injury, our team could help you seek economic damages via a wrongful death claim or lawsuit. Recoverable damages include your loved one’s medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, and lost wages, including wages they would have earned had they lived.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate victims for their physical pain, mental anguish, and reduced quality of life. These awards may include monetary compensation for the following:
- Chronic pain
- Loss of mobility or paralysis
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of a body part or bodily function
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Diminished enjoyment of life
Surviving family members can recover non-economic damages related to their loved one’s death. These include compensation for mental pain and suffering and the loss of the deceased’s companionship, protection, and parental guidance.
Non-economic damages are more difficult to calculate than economic damages because they deal with intangible losses. However, our lawyers will speak with you about your injuries and how they affect your day-to-day life. Then, we will use this information to pursue the highest amount possible for your pain and suffering.
How Our Law Firm Seeks Damages
To recover damages after a pedestrian accident in Tampa, our legal team compiles evidence that proves the at-fault party’s negligence. We can help prove the negligent party:
- Owed you a duty of care
- Breached their duty
- Caused your accident
- Caused financial and non-financial damages
These factors constitute the four legal elements of negligence. To prove them, we use your police report, witness testimony, medical records, and your recollection of events. We build a strong evidence file on your behalf and use it to drive settlement negotiations in your favor.
If we cannot resolve your case with a settlement, we prepare your evidence and any relevant exhibits for court and represent you at trial.
Does Insurance Cover Pedestrian Accidents?
Automobile liability insurance and personal injury protection cover pedestrian accident injuries. According to Florida Statutes § 627.736(1)(a), your PIP will pay 80% of your necessary medical expenses if you seek care within 14 days of your accident. PIP applies regardless of fault for the collision or whether you were driving or on foot.
Suppose you have severe injuries, and your medical bills exceed your PIP coverage. In that case, we can help you seek additional compensation with a liability claim or lawsuit against the party who caused your injuries. In most cases, this party will be a negligent driver, though sometimes accidents occur because of vehicle or roadway issues.
Our Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Can Defend You Against the Insurance Company
Our experienced attorneys are ready to take on the insurance company to ensure you don’t lose out on the settlement you deserve. Insurance adjusters’ job is to give accident victims the lowest payout possible so the company makes a profit.
Our personal injury attorneys know this and are ready to shut down the tactics insurance companies try to use. We’ll show the evidence of your injuries, prove someone else is responsible for your pain, and get you the compensation you qualify for.
Why Clients Choose Our Personal Injury Law Firm
Since our founding in 2006, our firm has focused on helping personal injury victims get the compensation they need and deserve. We know this is a challenging time for you and your family, so we aim to make seeking compensation as easy on you as possible.
When you choose our team, you get a full-service legal team that will:
- Build your case using evidence, witness testimony, official records, and accident footage.
- Identify and pursue every dollar parties owe you.
- File your PIP insurance claims, liability claims, or lawsuits.
- Handle communications and negotiations with insurance agents and opposing attorneys.
- Assist with scheduling medical appointments, even if you do not have health insurance.
- Return your calls and emails and provide your lawyer’s cellphone number.
- Provide frequent case updates.
We Use a Contingency Fee Agreement
We do whatever is necessary to resolve your case without charging you any upfront or out-of-pocket expenses. We won’t request payment from you if you don’t win your case.
Every client we represent and every case we handle is a priority for our team. We mean it when we go the extra mile for you.
While you focus on your recovery, we take care of everything else. Your physical and emotional recovery matter as much to our law firm as your financial recovery, so we will help schedule your appointments and follow up on your recovery and well-being.
Contact Us To Work With Our Tampa Pedestrian Accident Attorneys
Our team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine understands how severe pedestrian injuries can impact daily life. That’s why we’re dedicated to ensuring you recover the economic and non-economic damages your injuries qualify you for.
When you need help with a legal claim after an irresponsible driver injured you, we’re ready to help. Call us or fill out the contact form on our website to schedule a free consultation with a Tampa, FL, pedestrian accident lawyer.
We Can Help.
