Buffalo Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
We often think walking down a sidewalk and crossing the street are harmless endeavors, but there are always risks when cars are involved. Pedestrians can be severely injured by negligent drivers who run off the road or fail to yield to crossing pedestrians.
Pedestrian accidents often happen because drivers are negligent. Failing to stop at crosswalks or intersections may cause crashes with pedestrians simply crossing the road. In other cases, drivers who lose control of their vehicle might run up on sidewalks or other pedestrian walkways, injuring the people there. Immediately following an accident, you or someone with you should call for help. After receiving medical attention, you should contact an attorney. You can file a lawsuit against the negligent driver for damages, including the cost of medical care, lost income, pain, suffering, and more. You will need as much evidence as possible to support your claims, much of which may come directly from the accident scene.
Our Buffalo pedestrian accident lawyers can assist you in your case. You deserve justice, and the negligent driver should be held accountable. For a free case assessment, call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.
How Pedestrian Accidents Can Happen in Buffalo
Many pedestrian accidents happen at intersections and crosswalks. When pedestrians are crossing the road, vehicles are almost always required to yield. Some crosswalks have traffic lights to regulate pedestrian and vehicle traffic, while others do not have lights. In any case, vehicles usually must stop for pedestrians.
Pedestrian collisions can also happen if a driver loses control of their vehicle and runs up on sidewalks or other pedestrian walkways. The reason why the driver lost control might help our Buffalo pedestrian accident layers prove they are liable. For example, was the driver intoxicated, distracted, or driving recklessly? If the answer is yes, they should be held liable for your injuries.
Parking lots are common scenes of pedestrian accidents because they are often filled with vehicles looking to park and pedestrians entering or exiting their cars. Even though vehicles tend to move slower in parking lots, collisions with pedestrians can still be severe, and drivers may be liable for pedestrians’ injuries.
What to Do Immediately After a Pedestrian Accident in Buffalo
If you are injured in a pedestrian accident, the very first thing you should do is call for help. Some pedestrians are too badly injured to call for help on their own. If possible, someone else at the scene should call for help for you. In many cases, the driver can call for help because there are usually not severely injured.
If you can, you should observe and take note of your surroundings. Details about the time of day, weather conditions, and traffic might all be important later. Take pictures and record some videos with a camera or cell phone. These recordings might preserve several important details our Buffalo pedestrian accident lawyer can use to prove the driver is liable.
Once you have gotten emergency medical care and feel better, you should contact a lawyer. The sooner you call a lawyer, the sooner they can begin working on your case. Important evidence might disappear if you wait too long to speak with an attorney. Remember, speaking with a lawyer does not mean you have to file a lawsuit. There might be other legal options to explore, and our lawyers can help you.
Damages You Can Recover for a Buffalo Pedestrian Accident
The damages in a pedestrian accident lawsuit are often very significant for the pedestrian. Meanwhile, the vehicle driver rarely suffers any serious damages. Our Buffalo pedestrian accident lawyers can help you take stock of all your damages so you do not miss out on any compensation.
Medical bills are very expensive, even for people with health insurance. Pedestrians struck by vehicles often suffer extreme injuries requiring extensive medical treatment. Costly surgeries, procedures, medications, physical therapy, and repeated doctor visits add astronomical damages.
You must also consider the value of lost property. Pedestrians are sometimes carrying valuable personal belongings that are lost in the accident. A student might have their expensive laptop computer in a backpack smashed under the car’s tires. Perhaps you were wearing a wedding ring that fell off your hand in the accident and was never recovered. These damages might seem small compared to your physical injuries, but they must be accounted for.
Monetary losses are not the only injuries that deserve compensation. Injured pedestrians may experience excruciating pain that also deserves compensation. In addition, the emotional trauma and psychological damage a pedestrian endures should be assessed. These damages are more subjective and difficult to place a price tag on. However, our legal team can help you evaluate these damages by examining how they affect your daily life.
Evidence You Need for a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Buffalo
Proving the defendant in your case is liable for the accident will be far easier said than done. You need as much evidence as possible to support your claims for damages. To begin our search for evidence, our Buffalo pedestrian accident attorneys can start at the scene of the accident.
As mentioned earlier, you should take pictures and record videos of the accident scene if you can. Any recordings from the accident scene help to preserve it. Law enforcement may begin to clean up the scene almost immediately after you are taken to the hospital, and important evidence will be lost. Some of this evidence might be captured in a photo or video.
Your medical records are necessary to prove the extent of your physical injuries, the treatments you endured, and the cost of your medical bills. Getting medical treatment quickly is crucial to ensure the accuracy of your medical records. If you wait a while after the accident to seek medical attention, your records will be less accurate and may be challenged in court.
Even without recordings from the accident scene, witness testimony can be incredibly useful when trying to prove liability. Not only can you testify about your experience during the crash, but other people who saw the accident can testify too. The more people whose stories and testimony align with yours, the more likely you will be awarded compensation.
Call Our Buffalo Pedestrian Accident Lawyers for Help Now
Pedestrian accidents often leave the pedestrian with severe injuries while the driver walks away with minimal damage. The driver should be held liable for what they did to you, and our Buffalo pedestrian accident lawyers can help make that happen. Call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 for a free case review.