Were you or a loved one severely injured while walking? Here is what you should know about a pedestrian accident. Call our Phoenix attorneys.
1) Pedestrian Accident Claim Timeline
Here in Phoenix, as it relates to resolving personal injury claims, there’s always a great degree of anxiety. Outside of those few months where it’s scorching heat here, the rest of the year is beautiful weather. It’s an outdoors state. People like to get outside and do things, so they want to get back into the normal flow of life— get back to school, back to work, and back to our outdoor activities. In the midst of that, if you’ve been an injured party of a pedestrian accident, you have to be careful and make sure that you take the time that is necessary. You may get anxious and want to know how long it’s going to take to resolve this, and the answer is always, “We don’t know.” It’s going to be dependent upon how long it takes for you to heal and get back up on your feet, and there a number of variables that could be involved in that.
It also depends on if this case is going to be settled prior to filing a case in the courts or if it’s going to happen after a lawsuit. Is it going to be settled after the suit is filed, or is this going to have to go all the way to trial? One of the things that we try to make sure we do here at Smith and Green is walk you through the process, giving you guide points and markers along the way to let you know how the case is progressing, so that there is not some imaginary date out there that keeps moving forward on you. We walk you through that process.
If there are timing concerns, always discuss those with your lawyer so that you can resolve some of the anxiety because it could settle fast or it could take a large amount of time to get it settled. You want to talk with your attorney about all of the time concerns that you have as it relates to your pedestrian incident.
2) Pedestrian Accident Claim Value
If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you or one of your loved ones have been injured in a pedestrian accident. Of course, our primary concern is that you are faring well and that you are recovering well and getting back up to your full strength. There are a lot of questions that come to your mind while you are healing, including questions related to the value of your case.
There are a few things that we always consider here at Smith and Green when valuing a pedestrian-related case. One is the injuries. The injuries are always the driving force. Is this a soft tissue injury? Is this a scratch, a cut, or is this a loss of limb? Unfortunately, in some cases, there’s loss of life and we’re pursuing claims on behalf of a decedent’s estate.
We look at the treatment that has been received as a result of those injuries and the treatment that could be needed in the future as it relates to those injuries. Loss of time away from work, from family members, special and significant events that you were supposed to attend, loss of consortium and loss of enjoyment of life – we put all of these things in a big pot to try to determine what the value of your case will be. You’ll have a candid, fluid talk with your assigned attorney regarding all of these issues, and then work collaboratively with your attorney to come up with a value of the case that will be pursued early on via demand letters with the insurance company. If that’s unsuccessful, then that amount would be placed into a lawsuit and would be pursued in court of competent jurisdiction, particularly here in the state of Arizona.
3) Mistakes After a Pedestrian Accident
If you’re watching the news at night and you hear of a pedestrian-related accident, the first thing you think is, “Oh, my, that bad driver.” That’s a common mistake that people make with regards to pedestrian accidents. They assume that it’s obvious that they’re not at fault because they’re a pedestrian, so they start saying too much, posting things on social media, and acting like it’s a slam dunk case. A lot of times, it’s not a slam dunk case.
The other side and their insurance company are going to find a million and ten ways why you, the pedestrian, is at fault or the reason why this vehicle ran into you. We see this mistake quite often in our experience in litigating these cases. Be careful not to run to social media and post too much. Be careful not to hurry your rehabilitation process. Don’t kick the can down the road, necessarily, but also take as much time as you need to heal. Talk with your attorney about your treatment process so they can keep you updated on time frames and how the case is proceeding.
Don’t rush back to everyday activities too fast. More importantly, don’t give up on your case. Don’t get frustrated along the way. Sometimes the wheels of justice turn slow, but if you have been a victim, an injured party in a pedestrian accident, you’re going to have to go through the process. One of our attorneys will walk through that process with you. Here in the state of Arizona or wherever your case may be, give us a call and we’ll walk you through the process and help you avoid making some of the common mistakes that litigants make.
Were you or a loved one severely injured after being hit by a vehicle in Arizona and have questions about what you should know about a pedestrian accident? Contact experienced Phoenix Pedestrian Accident Attorneys at Smith & Green today for a legal consultation.
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