Drivers of motor vehicles have a responsibility toward pedestrians sharing the streets with them. That responsibility is often breached, however, leading to catastrophic results for the vulnerable road user. If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, you’ve likely suffered serious injuries and are struggling with financial issues as a result. You have the opportunity to recover some of the losses you’ve suffered by filing a personal injury claim. To do so, it’s important to hire a Levittown pedestrian accident lawyer.
At Wapner Newman, our team of pedestrian collision lawyers can guide you through the process of proving that you deserve compensation for what you’ve suffered. With experienced representation, you have a good chance of recovering damages.
Have you been injured in a pedestrian accident? Call our team of Levittown pedestrian accident lawyers at (215) 569-0900.
Why Choose Us?
Rely on Experienced Pedestrian Accident Attorneys
At Wapner Newman, we have decades of experience helping those who have suffered because of someone else’s negligent or wrongful conduct. Our team is made up of more than a dozen attorneys licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and we’ve helped clients recover significant settlements and jury awards throughout our careers.
We offer compassionate representation to ensure that you always feel supported. Going through an accident that leaves you with injuries can cause emotional trauma, and we take that into consideration. You’ll never feel disrespected or unheard with us. We function as your sword and shield, helping you recover losses without putting you at risk of further emotional distress.
The Most Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Our Levittown pedestrian collision lawyers have seen accidents occur for a variety of reasons. In Pennsylvania, a few common causes of pedestrian accidents stand out.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving refers to operating a motor vehicle while doing something else. Although the most common distraction is using a phone while driving, it’s not the only one. Eating or drinking, changing radio stations, or glancing at your GPS can all have the same dangerous consequences.
In 2020, there were 587 vulnerable road user deaths throughout the United States because of distracted driving. It’s not difficult to understand why. If a driver isn’t paying attention to what’s happening around them, they can easily miss seeing a pedestrian crossing the street.
Speeding
Drivers who are operating a vehicle at higher speeds than allowed by law or by road conditions will have a shorter amount of time to stop to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Speeding accidents are also much more likely to result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities because the force of the hit is much greater.
Intoxicated Driving
Anyone operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol will put everyone else on the road in danger. Even one drink can make a driver less coordinated while also affecting their reflexes. To make matters worse, they may also be more reckless. The same thing applies to drugs.
Fatigued Driving
Drivers who are tired behind the wheel can experience similar effects on their reflexes and coordination as if they were intoxicated. Exhausted drivers can also run the risk of falling asleep at the wheel, leading to all manner of dangerous consequences.
Reckless Driving
A driver who operates a vehicle without concern for the safety of others is driving recklessly. This behavior can include speeding excessively, running red lights and stop signs, and rapidly changing lanes. Any of these actions can result in serious injuries for pedestrians.
Basics of Pedestrian Personal Injury Claims
Understanding What Your Rights Are
If you have been in a pedestrian accident caused by someone’s wrongful or negligent conduct, one of the legal recourses you have is to file a personal injury claim. For these claims, you will have to show that the other person was negligent. That means you need to meet a few essential requirements.
First, you’ll have to demonstrate that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care and that they breached it. Anyone operating a vehicle owes others on the road the responsibility of driving carefully while obeying all traffic laws. If the driver is intoxicated, for example, they’ve breached their duty of care. You then have to show that the person’s conduct led you to suffer injuries for which you can be compensated.
Keep in mind that you have to abide by time limits called statutes of limitations. In Pennsylvania, you generally have two years to file a claim after a pedestrian accident. There are exceptions to this, however, so you should contact our Levittown pedestrian collision attorneys right away to ensure you don’t miss the deadline. If you do miss it, you won’t be able to get compensation.
We know how tough dealing with all of the legal aspects of a claim can be, especially if you’re suffering from injuries. By hiring our pedestrian accident lawyers, you can receive the assistance you need so you can focus on healing and not on the legal process.
We recently helped a pedestrian recover $16 million after being struck by an impaired driver.
Damages You Can Claim After a Pedestrian Accident
When you file a claim, you have the chance to receive economic and non-economic damages. These are compensatory damages that can help you recover the various losses you’ve suffered.
Economic Damages
Economic damages help you recover financial losses, beginning with medical expenses. They cover hospital stays, ambulance fees, and even any medical equipment you may need to buy to accommodate a disability. If you have to receive long-term medical care, you can also get coverage for this.
Economic damages include lost wages, too. After an accident, you may need to recover in the hospital or at home, and that means missing work. You can get compensation for the salaries, bonuses, and commissions you would have received if the accident hadn’t occurred. You could also receive compensation if your injuries are so severe that you can’t return to work in the same capacity or at all.
Non-Economic Damages
To recover losses that aren’t financial, you can rely on non-economic damages. These cover the distress you experienced because of the accident, and they can compensate you for loss of enjoyment of life. If a loved one died or suffered disabling injuries in the accident, you may be able to claim loss of consortium, which compensates you for the loss of support and companionship.
Levittown Pedestrian Accident FAQs
At Wapner Newman, we know that you likely have lots of questions about the process of filing a claim. Our Pennsylvania pedestrian accident lawyers offer the answers you need.
What evidence can I use to prove that the other party was negligent?
There’s a lot of evidence that you can obtain at the scene of the accident, including photos, videos, and eyewitness statements. All of these can offer an idea of how the accident occurred. If you’re well enough to do so after the collision, take lots of pictures of the vehicle that hit you, as well as of any traffic signs. If there are skid marks on the road, document these. You can also rely on the police report to offer insight into the crash.
You’ll need medical records that show the injuries you suffered and the treatments you underwent. Of course, our team of Pennsylvania pedestrian collision lawyers will help you gather all of this evidence.
Can I file a claim if I was partly responsible for the accident?
Yes. Pennsylvania follows modified comparative negligence laws that allow you to recover losses even if you were partly responsible — as long as your percentage of fault isn’t greater than the other party’s. An example would be if you were crossing a crosswalk while texting and a car hit you. The driver should have given you the right-of-way, but you can be seen as partly responsible because you were looking down at your phone.
How long do I have to file a claim after a pedestrian accident?
Generally, you have two years to do so. It’s essential, however, not to wait to hire our team of pedestrian injury lawyers. There may be exceptions to the time you have that could put you at risk of missing the deadline.
Can I get compensation for emotional distress?
Accidents can be traumatic, so filing a claim does allow you to recover damages for pain and suffering as part of non-economic damages. We can help you better understand your options when you contact our Levittown pedestrian crash attorneys.
To get further answers to your questions, don’t hesitate to contact our team at Wapner Newman.
Rely on Experienced Levittown Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
As you deal with injuries and other losses, it can seem impossible to also worry about filing a claim. That’s where our team of Levittown pedestrian crash lawyers comes in. At Wapner Newman, we can help you gather evidence and negotiate with insurers on your behalf so that you have a chance to get fair compensation.
Contact Wapner Newman at (215) 569-0900 to speak with one of our pedestrian accident lawyers.