Lawyers for Pedestrian Accidents

If you have been injured or know someone who has been killed in a Pedestrian Accident contact our Personal Injury Lawyers. Use the form on this page or call (815) 964-8303.

Often pedestrians seek financial recovery from the insurance company of the driver that hit them. But the cause of the accident can be shared between the driver and victim or multiple drivers. A pedestrian accident in Illinois can be legally fought under automotive accident laws, personal injury, and even workers’ compensation law. Keep reading for more info.

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users, and each of us is a pedestrian at some time. For those who sustain injuries in pedestrian accidents, there is legal help available. The compensation that a person may collect following a pedestrian accident can help ease the financial burdens created by the accident and provide much-needed assistance for the victim and their family. We work with pedestrian accidents every year.

If you’ve been hurt or a family member killed by a negligent motorist reach out to our accident attorneys (815) 964-8303 – there is no charge to call us. Our Consultation is FREE, you only pay if we win.

How to Proceed with a Pedestrian Accident Case

We’ve won several lawsuits for injured pedestrians.

Most pedestrian accidents we’ve encountered are the result of carelessness or a mistake by the driver. But sometimes the responsibility of the accident is shared, either between multiple drivers or between the pedestrian and the driver. But even if the responsibility is shared as a pedestrian, you still might have a strong case.

To learn more jump down the page to Liability in Pedestrian Crashes.

Don’t Weaken Your Pedestrian Accident Case

Legally, pedestrian accidents can get confusing. Many accident victims wait much too long before contacting a lawyer. If you’ve been in an accident, don’t wait to contact us. We’ll listen to your story and let you know how strong of a case you might have.

Just like in our Checklist for Car Accidents, pedestrians will want to take the same precautions to protect themselves and their families.

Make Sure Your Safe
Attend to any Medical Needs
Record and Keep Records of Everything
Contact an Attorney with a History of Pedestrian Lawsuits

Call or Text – 24/7 (815) 964-8303

The Aftermath of a Pedestrian Crash

A pedestrian crash is often shocking, for everyone.

The first thing to do is to ensure that you or anyone else who sustained injuries gets immediate medical attention. If possible, it’s also best to gather evidence from the scene. Take images and video while the incident is fresh in your mind. Even if you’re reading this page days after, you can go back and recount and record the incident. Photographs, video, and personal recordings (written or recorded) can help indicate that the collision caused damage to an involved vehicle. Such evidence helps to show the severity of the crash.

Collecting Evidence

The police should investigate and create an accident report. You should get a copy of the report for your records, and to share with an attorney. To get the contact information for the responding authorities in your area see our Areas Served Pages. Contact the office where you can get a copy of the crash report.

Seeking statements from witnesses is another way to build a case and show that a driver behaved negligently. Collecting contact information from witnesses before they leave the scene is important as they may not be easy to track down again.

It’s also possible to find security camera footage of the crash. Checking local businesses to see if they caught such images might later show that a driver is at fault.

Anything you can do to collect information about the case makes it stronger. If you hire our pedestrian attorneys, we’ll do much of this work for you.

Our lawyers at Rockford Personal Injury Attorneys start every case as if it is going to trial, as compared to just gathering some facts to settle with the insurance company. By starting your case as if it will see a trial, we’ll build a case that will win you the most compensation for your recovery.

Liability in Pedestrian Crashes

Pedestrian accidents cljai can be messy. It is not always clear that one person is to blame for the accident.

If the collision occurred because the driver was drunk and speeding, then proving the driver was liable might not be so hard. However, few crashes are that straightforward. In many incidents, the victim might share some of the blame for the crash.

Imagine that you are walking and decide to run across the street to catch the tail end of a flashing hand on a walk signal. A driver who turns left on a green light strikes you as you run into the road. In such a case, the driver can be at fault, but a court might also find that you share some of the blame.

In Illinois, a driver who strikes a pedestrian can be liable for the pedestrian’s injuries even if that pedestrian also engaged in negligent behavior. Illinois practices a modified comparative negligence when accidents have more than 1 person at-fault

Modified comparative negligence means that if the pedestrian, who is the victim in this scenario, is only 50 percent at fault or less, then a driver who was also at fault must compensate the victim for their injuries.

Damages will reflect the victim’s share of fault (Example).

In practice, assume that a court found a driver 60 percent at fault while a pedestrian was 40 percent at fault. The pedestrian would be able to collect 60 percent of his or her total damages. If the damages totaled at $100,000, then the recovery for the pedestrian would be $60,000.

Damage Compensation Available for Pedestrians

Medical Care and Rehabilitation

After an accident medical bills can easily pile up. A hospital stay can cost thousands of dollars. Each medical visit is another hurdle to jump through. At the very worst, you may need long term medical care including rehabilitation. Or maybe the need for physical therapy lasts for months or more following the initial injury. Each accident is different, but this medical debt shouldn’t be yours to deal with.

Lost Wages

Any significant injury, generally, also means that you’ll be missing out on some work. Work and wages that you would otherwise be entitled to if it weren’t for the accident. Lost wages can be recovered with a successful lawsuit. Financial hardship shouldn’t be something you have to go through in an accident that could have been prevented.

Economic Damages

Medical care and lost wages are included in economic damages. Damages are the law’s way of helping a victim recover from injuries that another person caused. The court will calculate the financial recovery based on several economic damages – Now and Future.

Non-Economic Damages

Even if all Economic Damages are accounted for, your financial recovery might not truely be whole. Non-Economic Damages are those damages related to losing experiences due to the accident. The experience of incredible pain and the loss of the ability to engage in activities you enjoy can take a toll. While you might not be able to work in the aftermath of a pedestrian crash, you also will not be able to participate in your softball league or go to dinner with friends. These damages can also be recovered.

It is difficult to put a price on the losses associated with missing out on recreational activities or the pain that a person endured because of serious injuries. Still, non-economic damages attempt to compensate the victim for such harm. In Illinois, you can recover for pain and suffering, and spouses can recover for the loss of consortium. In the tragic case of a fatal pedestrian crash, the family can also recover for the loss of the victim.

Punitive Damages

In some less common cases, an injured pedestrian might also be able to recover punitive damages. Punitive damages are different from the other categories in that they are not related to the injuries that the crash caused. Instead, punitive damages work to penalize a person who engaged in particularly wrongful conduct. For example a drunk driver may have to pay extra punitive damages for careless behavior.

Never Wait to Contact an Attorney

After an accident that you feel could have been prevented it’s a good idea to contact an attorney. An attorney will be able to speak to the insurers and carry out negotiations on your behalf. People often fail to understand the impact of what they say to insurance companies, and some will even agree to settlements that are far below that which they are entitled to as a result of the crash.

Learn More About Paul Marriett Here

Speak to an Pedestrian Crash Attorney Today

The legal system is complicated and full of technicalities that can be overwhelming. Injury victims can benefit from hiring an attorney who understands the process and can advocate on their behalf. The aftermath of a collision is stressful, and victims should focus on healing. An attorney can handle the battle to recover compensation.

If you or a loved one have been hurt, or injured as a pedestrian please contact us for a free, honest, no hassle consultation to see how we may be able to help. We’re available 24/7/365 at (815) 964-8303.

Legal Help After a Pedestrian Accident