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A skilled Seattle pedestrian accident attorney at Fang Law Firm can help you recover financial compensation from the at-fault driver after a pedestrian accident. Medical bills and mounting expenses should be the last thing on your mind when recovering from an injury.
Have you or your loved one been involved in an accident as a pedestrian? If you’ve been hit by a vehicle as a pedestrian, you may be experiencing mounting medical bills and financial related stress. Not only are pedestrian related accidents expensive, but they’re life-altering. Depending on the type of injury you experienced, you may have a reduced physical or mental capacity that could lead to short term or long term disability.
A skilled pedestrian accident attorney can help you recover from an at-fault driver. Among other things, a Seattle personal injury attorney can help you with the following:
Not only will a pedestrian accident attorney help you recover financially but they will take the stress and pressure off your plate. Having an advocate in your corner during insurance negotiations or trial proceedings will show the insurance companies you mean business.
At the conclusion of a case, if you win, the jury will award you both economic damages and non-economic damages to compensate for your injuries. These damages include payment for the following economic damages or losses:
While economic damages help pedestrian accident victims recover from financial losses and gain the financial security they need to move forward toward recovery, you may also gain compensation for less tangible losses. Non-economic damages compensate victims for the negative effects that severe or debilitating injuries have on their lives. You may gain compensation for non-economic damages such as the following:
It is important to note that Washington does not allow recovery for punitive damages in personal injury cases. Punitive damages are meant to punish the at-fault party for the injuries they caused you.
If the insurance company denies your claim or refuses to give you the settlement amount you deserve, a Seattle pedestrian accident attorney will help you file a claim against the at-fault driver or the insurance company. Washington recognizes a number of claims, including but not limited to:
These are just a few claims that claimants can bring against an at-fault driver. A skilled Seattle pedestrian accident lawyer can assist you in determining which claims have the highest chance of success.
Washington does not place a cap, or limit, on damages. However, Washington recognizes comparative fault. Comparative fault is the process of determining what percentage your actions contributed to the accident. If you are found to have contributed to the accident in any way, your damages award will be reduced by the percentage in which you contributed to the accident.
Washington places a 3-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims, including pedestrian accidents. This means you have no more than 3 years from the date of the accident in which to file a pedestrian accident claim. This law is meant to protect defendants against indefinite threats of lawsuits years after an incident. It’s also meant to protect the integrity of evidence and eye-witness testimony, both of which may degrade in quality over time.
There are a few exceptions to the 3-year statute of limitations including:
It’s important to file a pedestrian accident claim as soon as possible after the accident. Courts will not consider a case filed even a single day past the 3-year limit. Plus, eyewitness testimony and physical evidence are easier to gather and most reliable during the days and weeks immediately after an accident occurs.
Washington has codified a number of laws to help keep pedestrians safe and reduce accidents. Among those laws include:
From 2004 – 2017, in Seattle alone, 6,817 pedestrian related accidents occurred and 874 of those accidents were fatal. In the U.S. only about 11% of travel occurs on foot, however, pedestrian accidents account for about 13% of traffic-related deaths annually. Pedestrian related accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:
In some cases, a pedestrian may be the at-fault party in the accident or may be partly at fault. Some pedestrian causes or partial causes of accidents include:
Because Washington is a comparative fault state, the amount of compensation you receive in a settlement or court award for a pedestrian accident is reduced by the percentage you’re found to be at fault. In other words, if your compensation is $100,000 but you are found to be 20% at fault, your payout will be reduced by $20,000, so you’ll receive $80,000.
Pedestrian accidents can cause serious injuries because the human body cannot handle the impact of a vehicle. Pedestrian accidents can result in the following injuries:
It is no secret that recovering from an insurance company or at-fault driver is a time consuming and scary process. To avoid this process all together, follow these tips to reduce your chances of being involved in a pedestrian related accident:
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a pedestrian related accident, don’t hesitate to call Fang Law Firm today. One of our skilled pedestrian accident attorneys will walk you through your options and chart the best path for financial recovery. Call us today at (206) 489-5140 for a free case consultation.