Charleston Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

A pedestrian will rarely emerge from an accident without suffering one or more serious injuries. They have nothing to protect themselves from the full impact of the vehicle. In addition, these accidents often occur at high speeds because drivers have made little to no effort to stop to avoid the crash. You may be entitled to a significant settlement check if you have been injured in a pedestrian accident. A pedestrian accident lawyer can handle the legal process and fight to get you the full compensation you deserve.

Why Is Charleston Dangerous for Pedestrians?

South Carolina has some of the worst safety rankings in the country for anything involving roadways, including pedestrian accidents. The Palmetto State has been ranked as the third most dangerous state for pedestrians, and North Charleston is ranked as the ninth most dangerous metro area for pedestrians nationwide. In general, South Carolinians are not the safest or most alert drivers.

Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

Drivers can cause pedestrian accidents with a momentary mistake that can change the course of your life. Common causes of pedestrian accidents include:

• Failure to see a crosswalk and stop in time
• Distracted driving, which causes a motorist not to see a pedestrian
• Drunk driving
• Reckless driving
• Failure to maintain the brakes on the car
• Speeding
• Poorly designed or signed intersections

No matter the cause of the pedestrian accident, you would likely be facing serious injuries from which you may never recover. 

Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries

Pedestrian accidents are dangerous because you have nothing to protect yourself from the hard impact with the vehicle. You would either be thrown through the car’s windshield or thrown through the air to the hard pavement. There is little to no chance you would leave a pedestrian accident completely unscathed. Common pedestrian accident injuries include the following:

• Fractures and broken bones
• Head and neck injuries
• Cuts and lacerations
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Soft tissue injuries

You should always seek immediate medical attention when injured in a pedestrian accident. You must adhere to your care and follow the doctor’s recommendations. The insurance company will be watching closely to see what you have done to help yourself because they may offer you less compensation if they think your condition worsened because of your own lack of attention to your health. 

How to Win a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit

To qualify for money for your pedestrian accident injuries, you need to show that the driver involved in your accident was negligent. In a pedestrian accident case, negligence means the driver did something the ordinary motorist would not have done under the circumstances. Since you are the claimant seeking money, you would need to meet your burden of proof to win your case. You would do this by coming forward with evidence that shows what the driver did, which could include:

• Witness testimony from people who saw the accident
• Pictures of the scene of the accident
• Video camera footage of the crash
• The police report written by the officer who investigated
• Testimony from an accident reconstruction expert 

How Much Is My Pedestrian Accident Case Worth?

Pedestrian accident damages depend on the nature of your specific injuries. When you have suffered any type of physical injury, it can impact your life in several ways. You are entitled to compensation for all of these. The challenge is knowing how much you should seek compensation for because many of these damage elements are subjective. Your pedestrian accident compensation may include the following: 

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death damages for a family that lost a loved one 

You are entitled to be paid both for the damages you suffered before you filed the claim and those you will endure in the future. 

Challenges in Pedestrian Accident Cases

Not every pedestrian accident is the fault of the driver. The insurance company is incentivized to blame you for the accident because it would mean that they either need to pay you less or nothing at all. While you are dealing with serious injuries, you may also need to rebut any allegations that you bear some or all of the blame for the pedestrian accident. Your pedestrian accident lawyer would need to present evidence that would absolve you of any fault at the same time that they attempt to prove the driver’s responsibility for the incident.

Given the amount of compensation in your pedestrian accident claim, you may be looking at a lengthy and difficult legal process. All of this unfolds at the same time that you are attempting to recover from your injuries to the fullest extent possible. As difficult as your financial situation may seem, you need to hold out to get the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve after what could be a lengthy legal fight. 

Why You Need a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

When you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you are in no shape to handle the legal process on your own. Not only are you dealing with serious physical injuries, but you also have little knowledge of the claims process and how to deal with an insurance company. You can level the playing field when you hire an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer.

Contact the Charleston Pedestrian Accident Lawyers at Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC Today for Help With Your Case

If you have been injured while walking on or crossing Charleston streets, reach out to the Charleston pedestrian accident lawyers at Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC. For a free consultation, call us at 843-727-6500 or submit our online contact form. With offices located in Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Aiken, and Columbia, South Carolina, we gladly serve clients throughout South Carolina.