How Can a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyer Help When a Pedestrian is Hit by a Car?

Bernheim Kelley Battista LLC is a South Florida personal injury law firm that can represent you if you are a pedestrian hit by a car. Pedestrian accidents are unfortunately common in South Florida because there is heavy traffic and few public transportation options. Some locations in the Fort Lauderdale area are notorious for their high rate of pedestrian accidents because high speed limits and insufficient street lights are a dangerous combination. Accidents where a vehicle strikes a pedestrian often result in serious injuries for the pedestrian, even when the car does not get damaged and the occupants of the car do not get hurt. If you got hit by a car while you were walking, contact a Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer.

Five Things Pedestrians Should Do After Being Hit by a Car

If you do these five things immediately after being hit by a car when you are walking, you can avoid making your injuries worse, and you can improve your chances of getting the money you need to cover your accident-related losses:

• Take pictures of the vehicle that hit you, your injuries, and your surroundings
• File a police report at the scene of the accident
• Get the contact information of the driver that caused the accident
• Go to the hospital to have your injuries examined and for treatment of acute injuries
• Contact a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer

How Can Pedestrians Cover Their Medical Bills After a Car Accident?

Car insurance claims are the most common way that people get reimbursement for their medical bills after a car accident. The insurance company of the at-fault driver usually pays the medical bills of all the people the driver injured. This can include the occupants of a struck vehicle, passengers in the driver’s own car, or even pedestrians.

When you go to the hospital after the accident, your health insurance will pay its portion for your treatment, and you will get bills for the rest. Your eventual insurance settlement will reimburse you and your health insurance company for the money you spent on your treatment.

Legal Options for Injured Pedestrians

If your injuries are severe, then the insurance payout might not be enough to cover all your accident-related medical bills. Typical car accident settlement amounts are not enough to cover hospitalizations, surgeries, and follow-up treatment. By contrast, how much can someone sue for a car accident is theoretically limitless. You have probably seen news stories about people who suffered catastrophic injuries after being hit by a car and later received millions of dollars in damages from a personal injury lawsuit.

How long after an accident can you claim injury is not limitless. You must abide by the statute of limitations, which is the deadline for filing a lawsuit. In Florida, the statute of limitations for car accident lawsuits is two years after the accident. It takes a long time to prepare for a lawsuit, so you should contact a lawyer much sooner.

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How Much Money Can an Injured Pedestrian Get from a Car Accident Lawsuit?

The purpose of a car accident lawsuit is to recover all the money you lost because of the accident. Therefore, you can receive the following damages:

• Medical bills resulting from the accident
• Lost income if you were unable to work after the accident
• Compensation for medical bills you will incur in the future because of your injuries
• Future lost income, if you are still unable to return to work
• Pain and suffering

Understanding Damages in a Pedestrian Car Accident Case

The term “damages” refers to the money that the court awards to the plaintiff (the injured person) in a personal injury lawsuit. The damages you can win include economic and noneconomic damages. 

Economic damages are reimbursement for quantifiable financial losses you suffered because of the accident, such as medical bills and lost income. Noneconomic damages are compensation for non-financial ways that the accident affected your life. They are sometimes called pain and suffering. The more serious your injuries, the greater the amount of noneconomic damages.

Can a Collision with a Car be the Pedestrian’s Fault?

Drivers always have a responsibility to avoid hitting pedestrians and bicyclists. A driver’s negligence is more obvious if they hit a pedestrian on a crosswalk or sidewalk than if the pedestrian is attempting to cross in the middle of heavy traffic.

Florida is a comparative negligence state, which means that an accident can be partially the fault of more than one person. The insurance company may not assign you 100% of the fault if the pedestrian was crossing the road in a dangerous place.

To learn more, schedule a free consultation with us today.

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Will Your Car Insurance Pay the Claim if You Strike a Pedestrian?

Florida law requires all drivers to carry liability insurance. This insurance covers injuries that you cause to other people, including pedestrians. Unless the pedestrian’s injuries are very serious, a claim with your insurance company should be able to pay the pedestrian’s medical bills.

Should I Hire a Lawyer if the Accident Was My Fault?

You should hire a lawyer if you strike a pedestrian. A lawyer can help you with how to dispute car accident fault. It is still to your advantage to be only partially at fault for the accident instead of entirely at fault, even if your insurance is paying the claim and you are not paying the pedestrian’s medical bills out of your own pocket.

If you think you could face criminal charges for the accident, you should hire a criminal defense lawyer. You could face criminal charges if you were drunk or if it was a hit-and-run or a road rage incident.

Why Should You Hire BK Law for Pedestrian Accidents?

BK Law can help you get the money you need to cover your medical bills and other financial losses if you are a pedestrian hit by a car. Contact BK Law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to schedule a consultation.