Many victims of pedestrian accidents face long roads to recovery. When people are struck by careless drivers, devastating harm can occur.
Injured pedestrians can recover monetary damages from the motorists that caused their accidents. Unfortunately, the process is not always straightforward. Most defendants are represented by insurance companies who will hire teams of people to refute aspects of plaintiffs’ claims. A pedestrian accident lawyer can help fight insurers and pursue fair compensation.
If you were hurt because of a pedestrian accident in Long Island, get help building your case. Get in touch with our experienced Long Island pedestrian accident lawyers by calling The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 for a free review of your case.
Elements of a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Long Island
Pedestrian accident lawsuits can be tiresome and complex processes. Applicable strategies and analyses can vary from case to case. Still, every plaintiff must establish the following four elements for their lawsuits to succeed:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care
- The defendant did not adhere to their duty of care
- You were hurt because of the defendant’s breach of duty
- You incurred damages as a result of the injuries you suffered
During your free case review, our Long Island pedestrian accident lawyers can help determine if these elements are present. Accordingly, you can accurately assess the strength of your case.
Common Causes of Long Island Pedestrian Accidents
A high number of pedestrian accidents happen because motorists act carelessly behind the wheel. There are many forms of negligent conduct that lead to collisions with pedestrians. Our Long Island pedestrian accident lawyers will find out if your crash was caused by one of the following:
Running Red Lights
Pedestrians are often struck because drivers disobey traffic signals and run red lights. There are many reasons why a driver might be in a rush. However, when drivers become impatient and run red lights, pedestrians can suffer catastrophic consequences. Our team can help victims of such accidents seek monetary damages.
Speeding
Speeding drivers also cause pedestrian accidents. When travelling at high speeds, motorists will have difficulty controlling their vehicles and reacting to pedestrians on the roadways. Collisions that occur at high speeds are likely to cause severe harm. Victims of such accidents can reach out to our Long Island pedestrian accident lawyers for help finding the right doctors to treat their injuries.
Distracted Driving
Many pedestrians are struck by distracted drivers. Drivers can become distracted when they remove their hands from the wheel, divert their eyes from the road, or take their attention off the task of driving. There is a multitude of activities that can distract drivers:
- Talking on the phone
- Talking with other passengers
- Texting
- Viewing social media on a mobile device
- Playing music on a mobile device
- Drinking or eating
- Entering an address into a GPS
Some activities like texting or viewing social media can involve all three types of distraction. When distracted, motorists are prone to veering out of their lanes, ignoring traffic signals, and travelling at illegal speeds. Fortunately, distracted drivers in Long Island can be held accountable for pedestrian accidents they cause.
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is another cause of many pedestrian accidents. Drunk drivers will have trouble controlling their vehicles, seeing properly, and making safe decisions. Collisions caused by drunk drivers often occur at night and in crowded urban areas. Still, such accidents can occur anywhere and at any time. Our Long Island pedestrian accident lawyers can help build your case against a drunk driver.
Improper Left Turns
Lastly, improper left turns are a common cause of pedestrian accidents in Long Island. When drivers fail to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully using crosswalks, severe injuries can occur. Our attorneys can investigate whether your collision occurred because a motorist committed an improper left turn.
Evidence Used to Prove Fault in a Long Island Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit
In order to recover monetary damages in a pedestrian accident lawsuit, you must collect evidence that shows you were injured because of a defendant driver’s negligent actions. There are multiple types of evidence that can be used to accomplish this task. Our Long Island pedestrian accident lawyers can help obtain and preserve any of the following forms of evidence in your case:
Accident Reports
After a harmful pedestrian accident, a police officer should visit the scene to draft an accident report. An officer’s report can contain a wide array of information that points to the cause of an accident. For instance, such a report may contain statements made by drivers or an officer’s personal notes regarding how a crash happened. Our team can help acquire a copy of your pedestrian accident report.
Physical Evidence from the Accident Scene
Physical evidence from the scene of an accident may also help when proving that a careless motorist is at fault for your crash. For example, shattered glass from the scene may be matched with a defendant’s broken headlight to identify them as the person who hit you. Our Long Island pedestrian accident lawyers can help gather and preserve any pertinent evidence from the scene of your collision.
However, some evidence is hard to bring into court or preserve for an extended period of time. Therefore, plaintiffs can document evidence in other ways.
Photos from the Accident Scene
Photos from the accident scene are also useful when proving that defendants are at fault for pedestrian accidents. For instance, photos can be used to disprove drivers’ assertions as to why their accidents happened. A defendant motorist may state that a crash occurred because a traffic light was not working. In that case, photos or videos from the accident scene showing a working traffic light could be used to disprove the defendant’s theory. Our team can help assess the pertinence of any photos from the scene of your pedestrian accident during a free review of your case.
If You Were Hurt Because of a Long Island Pedestrian Accident, Our Attorneys Can Help
If you incurred injuries because of a pedestrian accident, seek support from our experienced Long Island pedestrian accident lawyers by calling The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 for a free review of your case.