Injured pedestrians are often entitled to compensation, so it’s critical to reach out to Ponton Law as soon as you can. We can meet for a free consultation to discuss the accident, as well as your injuries. Unfortunately, too many pedestrians assume they have no legal right to compensation, or they wrongly try to handle their own case, even if the accident was caused by someone failing to yield to pedestrian safety or traffic laws. But a seasoned Dunwoody, GA personal injury lawyer is a huge benefit for anyone seeking compensation from a negligent driver or other defendant. Below, our personal injury lawyer highlights the many critical tasks they will perform and why it’s so important they be done the correct way. Call our personal injury law firm to schedule a free consultation with our Dunwoody pedestrian accident attorney.
A Lawyer Will Find and Preserve Evidence
Injured pedestrians are often left flat on their backs with major injuries. Even a car going only 15 or 20 miles per hour can shatter someone’s spine or pelvis, cause a concussion, or lead to a friction burn. Some of our clients are stuck in bed for months trying to heal from their serious injuries.
However, you need certain evidence to bolster your pedestrian accident claims against your insurance companies. Your memories are a good starting point but often not enough to make a successful request for compensation in the legal system. Instead, you should hire a Dunwoody pedestrian accident lawyer to:
- Locate and speak with witnesses who saw the collision. They can provide an objective take on what happened. For example, a witness could explain you were crossing an intersection when a speeding motorist ran a red light and clipped you.
- Search for surveillance video, such as security footage from a nearby business. This video can clearly show what happened and remove doubt about fault.
- Review your medical records, which provide critical evidence about your injuries and the angle of the collision.
If you don’t hire a personal injury attorney, then your friends and family might stumble around for months and never really find the right evidence for your pedestrian accident case. Security video can be erased, and witnesses can disappear. It’s important to hire a seasoned Dunwoody pedestrian attorney as quickly as you can after a crash to start the legal process.
A Pedestrian Lawyer Can Identify the Correct Defendant
In most cases, a driver was negligent or reckless and ran into you as you stood on the sidewalk or tried to cross the road. However, in certain situations, another defendant could share blame. For example, a part on the car could have malfunctioned, leading to an unavoidable crash. In that case, we might sue the manufacturer of the part or the mechanic who worked on the car.
Many victims don’t know what to look for. We do. Call to schedule a free consultation. We will bring a legal personal injury claim against any negligent party that has some share of liability for your pedestrian accident.
A Lawyer Will Value Your Injuries
Do you know how much to request in compensation? As a starting point, you should receive money for your medical bills to treat your injuries, as well as any lost wages.
Pedestrians can also seek money damages for their pain and suffering. Too many injured pedestrians don’t know what they can request. Some injured pedestrians might assume their pain is worth only a few thousand dollars when an experienced lawyer could get them 10 times that amount. The key is knowing how much people with similar injuries have settled for.
Let us investigate. Our firm is dedicated to maximizing the compensation our clients take home.
Without a lawyer, you probably will settle for too little. Unfortunately, you only get one chance to reach a settlement and receive as much money as you can. Whenever you sign a settlement agreement, you’ll also sign a waiver of any right to seek more compensation. That means you are stuck with whatever you agreed to accept. It’s crucial to let a lawyer with our firm review your case.
Our Attorneys Protect You from Making Costly Mistakes
Without a lawyer, you could accidentally say something that causes you to lose compensation. Here’s how.
Georgia’s comparative negligence law says that accident victims can’t receive compensation when they are 50% or more to blame for the accident. That means if you darted into traffic and caused the wreck, then you will receive nothing. Even if a careless driver is 50% at fault, you still get nothing.
Some injured victims are struggling with sleeplessness, painkillers, and depression. They might pick up the phone and start talking to the claims adjuster without being careful about what they are saying. As a result, they end up losing out on the ability to get compensation because they say something they didn’t mean.
Even if you are less than 50% to blame, your compensation is lowered by the percentage of your fault. Someone who is 33% to blame will get a third less than they otherwise would. That takes a big bite. Some pedestrians will accidentally claim they weren’t looking to see if the “Don’t Walk” sign was illuminated. Or they might say they didn’t really check both ways before crossing. These types of statements can hamstring your case.
We protect our clients from making these mistakes. We will go carefully over your memories of what happened. If you give a statement to a claims adjuster, we will sit beside you and clear about any confusion about what you said.
Another mistake is waiting too long to call a lawyer. You only get two years to file a lawsuit in most cases, so you should reach out as soon as you can.
Call Ponton Law to Schedule a Free Consultation
A Dunwoody pedestrian accident lawyer is ready to meet to talk about the collision which injured you. Call us or submit your information privately. We work with clients using contingency fee agreements, so you will never pay any upfront legal fees or costs. Instead, we only agree to accept a share of any settlement or court award (if your case goes to trial). These agreements are a great way to get the services of our experienced Dunwoody pedestrian accident lawyers without any risk to you.