Useful Tips For Pedestrians On How To Protect Their Rights When Hit By A Car
In 2018, 893 pedestrians were killed by reckless drivers in California. An additional 14,000 pedestrians were injured the same year. If you have been involved in an accident with a car as a pedestrian that wasn’t your fault, then you may be eligible for compensation.
While you are technically entitled to compensation after an accident that wasn’t your fault, it doesn’t always work like that. If there isn’t any evidence and you don’t strive to protect your legal right to compensation, then nobody will be able to help you.
This article will provide some useful tips on how to protect your rights so that you can receive the compensation that you deserve:
Phone the Police
Immediately after a car accident, it is very important that you contact the police. This is especially important if the driver appears to be intoxicated. If you are injured or are unable to phone the police yourself, you should ask passers-by to. In addition to phoning the police, you need to phone the paramedics. Injuries caused by fast-moving vehicles can be very serious.
Visit A Doctor
Once you have been discharged from the hospital, you should book an appointment with your doctor. This is so that you can get medical evidence supporting your claim. When you contact an attorney and advance your claim, the first thing that they will ask you for is medical evidence of your injuries. Unfortunately, most hospital ER departments do not keep records for more than 24-hours at a time. This means that any medical evidence could be lost by the time that you leave the hospital. In addition to acquiring medical evidence from your physician, you should talk to them about your injuries and how you should move forward.
Contact an Attorney
You need an attorney if you are going to make a personal injury claim. Unfortunately, many claimants try to represent themselves to save money. This rarely works, and often, their claims are dismissed or they don’t receive maximum compensation. According to the legal specialists from www.injury-attorneys.com, accidents can leave victims’ lives shattered. Because of this, you mustn’t take any shortcuts with your claim. Most attorneys who specialize in personal injury lawyers offer their services on a no-win fee basis, which means that you don’t have to pay them until you win.
Witness Statements
If you had any friends or family present when the accident took place, then their statements will come in very handy when the insurance company is investigating your claim. You must give the names and contact information of any and all witnesses straight to your attorney so that they can interview them and gather as much evidence as possible. It may also be worth asking around in local businesses for CCTV of the accident, although your attorney will probably be one step ahead of you with this. Witness statements can be very effective in ensuring that you receive the maximum amount of compensation.
Acquiring Evidence
In addition to taking witness statements, you should acquire as much evidence as you can. Evidence that the accident was not your fault will ensure you receive compensation. If you are not seriously injured on the scene of the accident, then most experts would recommend taking videos of the scene, and the driver. You should also document your injuries by taking photographs and videos. Video evidence that shows you were not at fault can’t be argued with. You should also ask friends and family present to take their own videos to strengthen your case.
Admitting Fault
It’s human nature for one to want to admit fault, even when it isn’t actually one’s fault. Make sure that you do not admit fault at any time. If you admit fault, then the insurance company investigating your case may turn your case down, which will mean that you have to take it to court. When the police or ambulance services speak to you, say nothing that could be used against you. You can’t confirm or deny that anything is your fault until you have seen all of the evidence, and until everything has been thoroughly investigated.
Exaggerating Events
Never exaggerate events after a car accident. If you exaggerate or lie, the insurance company investigating you will use this against you and likely terminate your case. Be as truthful as possible and make sure not to embellish facts. If you don’t know the answer to a question, then explain that you don’t remember instead of improvising.
Car accidents can be fatal. Because of this, they must be taken very seriously. The best way to get reckless drivers off of the streets is to punish them, by making a claim against them and suing them. Follow this article’s advice and your claim should go off without a hitch.