When most people think of a car accident, they picture two or more vehicles crashing against each other. However, many, many car accidents every year involve pedestrians. Whether in a parking lot, crossing the street, or walking on the sidewalk, many people face serious injuries or even death every year as pedestrians from car accidents. If you were a pedestrian hit by a car, hiring a Houston car accident attorney can help you get the compensation you need after your accident.
Why Hire a Houston Car Accident Attorney If You Were Hit By a Car As a Pedestrian
It may seem like a pedestrian car accident is an open and shut case, but they can actually be incredibly complex. Therefore, it helps to have a Houston car accident attorney on your side to help you with your case.
There are many ways an experienced legal professional can help you if you were a pedestrian victim of a car accident, including:
Your Accident Lawyer Helps Gather Evidence for Your Case
After you’re injured as a pedestrian in a car accident, you may not be able to get evidence for your case at the scene. You might not be able to get pictures, witness information, or other important evidence needed for your case.
One way your accident lawyer can help is by investigating and getting evidence for your claim. This typically starts by obtaining the police report, which is a great starting point for getting evidence. However, you may also need other evidence to support your claim against the other driver.
Evidence can include many different things. For instance:
- Professional accident reconstruction
- Witness statements
- Pictures
- Video footage from nearby cameras
All this can help with your case by proving fault and the circumstances of your accident.
Your Houston Car Accident Attorney Helps You Know the Value of Your Case
Another way your personal injury attorney can help with your case is helping calculate the value of your case. As a pedestrian injured by a negligent driver, you may face significant damages. For instance, medical expenses, lost wages, as well as non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
A mistake many car accident victims make is taking a low settlement from the insurance company because they don’t know the total of their damages or the value of their case. Your attorney has the legal knowledge and experience to help you determine the value of your case so you can avoid low settlements that don’t cover all your accident related damages.
Your Personal Injury Attorney Plays Hardball with the Insurance Company If Needed
In some cases, you may also need your Houston car accident attorney to fight for your rights to compensation after your accident. Many insurance companies will use tactics to reduce your compensation, such as arguing fault. While in most cases drivers are at-fault for pedestrian accidents, as drivers must yield to pedestrians by law.
However, the insurance company may argue that you share fault to reduce the amount they pay you. While pedestrians can share fault for a car accident, many insurance companies will use this to argue you share more negligence than you do. This is because in lawsuits, usually your final award amount is lower if you share fault. For instance, if you share 10% of fault, usually you get compensation minus 10%.
Having a lawyer on your side can help you fight against these tactics. When needed, your attorney can play hardball with the insurance company to get you maximum compensation.
Experienced Legal Services for Car Accident Victims – Maida Law Firm
After a car accident, choose Maida Law Firm to help you with your case. We help victims of car accidents get maximum compensation for your case. As a leading personal injury law firm, our seasoned professionals provide you with experienced legal guidance and services after a car accident. Contact us now to schedule a consultation with our team.