Pedestrian accidents can be equally physically painful and emotionally distressing for victims. Let our attorneys help you figure out your next steps, calculate your deserved recovery, and help you get it.
Documenting pedestrian accidents is important, so call 911 if a driver hits you. Let paramedics treat your injuries and tell officers what happened. We can get and review the police report later on, along with emergency medical records. You have three years to sue but can file much sooner for a faster recovery. Your lawsuit may cover medical bills, missed income, and subjective harms like physical pain and mental suffering. Victims help their claims by staying on top of medical appointments and relying on our lawyers to oversee their recoveries.
Call (718) 841-0083 for a free and confidential case review from The Carrion Law Firm’s pedestrian accident lawyers.
Should I Call 911 for a Pedestrian Accident in Inwood?
Calling 911 after a pedestrian accident to ensure law enforcement arrives. Police officers can process the scene, get information from the at-fault driver, and write an accident report while you receive urgent medical attention.
V.A.T. Law § 600(2) makes police reporting mandatory if someone is hurt in a car accident. Pedestrian accidents are sometimes also hit-and-runs, and victims should also call the police in these situations. Fleeing a crash site is illegal, and law enforcement may investigate the at-fault driver’s identity, benefiting your civil case.
Officers will also write an accident report. It will contain the driver’s information, your information, and the accident’s apparent cause, date, location, and time. Our pedestrian accident lawyers can help get this report from the New York City Police Department while you are recovering.
With officers there to collect information, you can get medical attention from paramedics. When you call 911, tell the operator you are hurt and need an ambulance. Paramedics can treat lacerations, safely transport victims with neck injuries, and bring injured pedestrians to the hospital.
How Long Do I Have to Sue for a Pedestrian Accident in Inwood?
New York gives pedestrians three years to sue negligent drivers. Make your recovery a priority and contact our lawyers immediately.
Though you have three years to file, we may need much of that time to get evidence, interview witnesses, review photos, add damages, and prepare arguments. Waiting puts some evidence at risk. For example, footage from local security cameras showing the driver being erratic and hitting you might get deleted with time.
What Damages Will My Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit Cover?
We can get your pedestrian accident lawsuit to cover all damages from the incident. Let us calculate your deserved recovery, so you know the claim’s value before filing.
Medical Bills
Victims suffer bad injuries when cars hit pedestrians, even at slower speeds. You might fall and hit your head on the pavement, sustaining a permanent traumatic brain injury or skull fracture.
Victims might get pinned between or beneath vehicles, suffering crushing injuries. Back and neck injuries are also common, as are compound fractures and painful contusions.
These injuries generate expensive medical bills. You may need months or years of surgeries, therapies, and other procedures to make a full physical recovery. We seek relief for all medical bills, including future expenses. Your physicians can testify about upcoming treatments and help us estimate their costs.
Lost Wages
Concussions and broken bones stop victims from working for weeks or months. On the other hand, a back injury ending in paraplegia affects a victim’s income much longer. Income records let us calculate your lost wages, and medical records prove you cannot work with your injuries.
Other Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Some victims need medical aides at home during their recoveries. A bad back injury may stop you from being your child’s primary caregiver, making you incur childcare expenses. You may need to get a wheelchair, add wheelchair ramps to your home, and get transportation to doctor appointments that accommodate your wheelchair. All of these are out-of-pocket expenses your lawsuit can cover.
Pain and Suffering
New York’s no-fault rules for car accidents include pedestrian accidents. As a pedestrian, your personal injury protection (PIP) still covers you. If a car hits you, PIP is your first option to cover medical bills and lost wages. Only if your injuries are “serious” enough can you sue for non-economic damages.
Non-economic damages are the intangible harms you experience, like physical pain and mental suffering. These harms are subjective, and victims can prove them through their testimony.
Limb loss, significant disfigurement, and a fracture let pedestrians sue for non-economic damages. As do many permanent internal injuries and some non-permanent injuries, depending on their impact on the victim’s life.
What Can I Do to Help My Inwood Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit?
One of the best things you can do for your lawsuit is to stay committed to your physical recovery. Keep going to all follow-up appointments with doctors, and do not delay important procedures.
Having ample medical records benefits your case. They let us show you are following your treatment plan and how severe your injuries are. If you miss appointments and your injuries worsen, the defendant might argue they should not cover additional procedures. Avoid this by staying on top of follow-ups, physical therapy sessions, and other appointments.
Listen to your doctor’s advice. If they warn you against returning to work, do not test your ability. Do not engage in any physical activities that might worsen your injury.
You can also help your case by letting our lawyers handle it. We can start preparing while you are still physically recovering so we do not waste any of the statute of limitations. In addition to gathering evidence, we can write and file your complaint, negotiate a settlement, and even go to trial if necessary.
Call Us About Your Inwood Pedestrian Accident Now
Call (718) 841-0083 for help with your case from The Carrion Law Firm’s pedestrian accident lawyers.