What Can You Receive In A Pedestrian Accident Claim?

If you are one of the hundreds of people hurt in pedestrian accidents in Oregon annually, you probably want to know what you can get for your medical bills, pain, and lost earnings. Getting hit by a car can lead to very serious injuries and you need money to recover.

Some things to remember about pedestrian accidents when talking to your Portland crosswalk accident lawyer:

First, determining what the typical settlement is in one of these cases is difficult. It also is not especially helpful because everyone’s case and injuries are different. Also, while your attorney can access general information about similar past cases, much of the information is confidential.

Second, liability for a pedestrian accident is not always as clear as we might think. You could even be partially responsible, which will affect the compensation you receive.

What Affects Your Pedestrian Claim Compensation?

It is difficult to know what your case is worth generally. It comes down to several important factors.

First, how severe are your injuries? The insurance adjuster will probably look at your injuries in terms of soft or hard. If you have ‘soft’ injuries, this means soft tissue injuries such as whiplash. This is a real injury but it is more difficult to prove. On the other hand, a hard injury is a broken bone, slipped disc, or internal injury. These injuries are easy to see and prove.

People with soft injuries tend to get less compensation, while hard injuries get more.

Second, how much time did you miss at work? Your past lost income will be part of your pedestrian accident settlement. Your Portland crosswalk accident lawyer also should fight for you to receive future lost income if you will continue to miss work during your recovery.

Third, what is the nature and extent of your treatments by your doctor? Not all medical services are looked at the same by the adjuster. The medical treatment you get from the doctor will affect how much the insurance company values it. If you get treatments from a chiropractor, for example, this is not valued as much as treatments from a physician.

Fourth, how do your pedestrian accident injuries affect your life? Pain and suffering and disruptions of life are more difficult to quantify but can be a major part of your settlement. You can make a more convincing argument to the insurance company if you keep an injury diary, describing the pain and discomfort you have from your injuries. Talk about how the injuries prevent you from doing things you enjoy.

Fifth, was there a clear fault for the accident? Some pedestrian accidents have clear liability but not all of them. For example, if you were in a crosswalk and had the right of way and a car struck you, liability is clear. The insurance company will probably give you an easier time and offer a higher settlement.

However, if you were crossing the road in the crosswalk and did not have the right of way, you could be partially to blame. If you are less than 50% responsible for the accident in Oregon, you can still receive compensation. However, your settlement will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

Last, how will your pedestrian accident injuries affect your life and ability to earn a living? If you have serious injuries that reduce your ability to make money at work, you could be entitled to future lost wages.

These are the variables that will affect the size of your pedestrian accident settlement. Find out more about what your case is worth by speaking to the best Portland crosswalk accident lawyer in your area.

How can you get the Most Money for your Personal Injury Claim?

Imagine if someone hits your car on the interstate in Portland and you slam into the concrete barrier and have severe facial injuries. You wonder if you will be able to prove the other driver caused the accident so you can get compensation. Yes, if the other driver clearly caused the accident, there is a high probability that you can get compensation. But how can you get the most money? Follow the tips we outline below, then speak to an accident attorney in Portland to have your case reviewed.

The best way to get more money for your claim is to get medical attention right away. Many people don’t want to go to the doctor after an accident, but this is always a mistake. You may not feel pain from your injuries for up to a day. But if you wait to see the doctor, your injuries may have gotten much worse. This could compromise your health as well as your personal injury claim. The insurance company will note that you did not go to the doctor right away and may claim that you were not seriously injured. Seeing a doctor right away shows that you were hurt and the injuries were related to the accident.

Second, you can get more money for your accident claim by following what your doctor says. Whatever the doctor tells you to do, you should do it. This means you need to go to all of your doctor’s appointments and any specialist appointments. If you have to miss one, reschedule it and attend as soon as possible. If you don’t follow what your doctor says, the insurance company may want to reduce what they pay you.

Third, be straight with your accident attorney Portland about your case. If you think you were partially at fault, you shouldn’t lie to your lawyer. Tell them everything about the case, both good and bad. Your attorney can only build the best case by fully understanding everything about it.

Do You Need A Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?

If you were hit by a car as a pedestrian recently, you could be overwhelmed with injuries and pain. You could need a pedestrian accident lawyer to help you get compensation for your injuries. Learn more below, and reach out to a pedestrian accident lawyer to help you get compensation.

First, a pedestrian accident lawyer can assist you with getting compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. After a pedestrian accident, you will probably have serious injuries. After all, a car hitting someone on the street usually causes nasty injuries, such as broken bones, internal injuries, organ damage, head injuries, cuts and scrapes, etc. It is important to have the money you need to recover from your injuries. A pedestrian accident lawyer knows what your case is worth and will fight to get you the most money.

Second, a pedestrian accident lawyer will help to get the most evidence to prove your case. In Oregon, the negligent party needs to compensate the injured for their losses, so getting the critical evidence is vital for getting compensation. Your attorney will have access to accident reconstruction experts and others who can help you build the best case. They also will interview all key witnesses and get their version of events put in the best light to benefit your case.

Third, a pedestrian accident lawyer Portland may help you get lower payments to your healthcare providers. Your healthcare providers may have a lien against your settlement, meaning they will get paid before you do. Your attorney may try to get them to take less money for their medical care. If that works, you can get more money in your pocket from the settlement.

These things are what a pedestrian accident attorney can do for you, so talk to your attorney today to find out if you have a case.

How A Accident Attorney Can Help With Medical Bills

If you were in a car accident, you could have thousands of dollars of medical bills that you cannot pay. How will you pay them? One way is to work with an accident attorney Portland Oregon to help you get a fair settlement or favourable verdict.

Your attorney can help you get more money for a settlement to cover your medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. When the case settles, your accident attorney in Portland Oregon can set up a medical lien to ensure that you get the medical treatments you need.

Once the case concludes, your medical providers are paid from the settlement. But it is common for lawyers to work with medical providers and insurance companies to pay the bills for less than you owe. Because they can get your bills paid for less in some cases, you can wind up with more money in your pocket. This is a less understood advantage of working with an accident attorney Portland Oregon but one that you should not discount.

It also is more likely that your attorney can get you more money if you see your medical providers immediately after the accident. While many injured parties might not want to see a doctor right away, this will almost always help you get a better settlement. When you go to the doctor as soon as possible, it ensures that the accident is connected to the accident. The insurance company will probably try to argue that you were not hurt in the accident if you do not get medical treatment right away.

Remember to engage with an accident attorney in Portland Oregon to help you get the best settlement and possibly get your medical bills covered for less. You could end up with more money in your pocket.

Who Pays Your Medical Bills In A Pedestrian Accident?

Being hit by a car as a pedestrian often leads to severe injuries, so who will pay your medical bills while the case is proceeding with your pedestrian accident lawyer?

In most states, the person who is liable for the accident must pay for your losses and damages. However, some states require drivers to have personal injury protection or PIP to pay for the first few thousand dollars of medical bills. After that, however, you still may have additional expenses and your pedestrian accident lawyer can file a lawsuit.

Parties who may be held liable for covering your medical expenses include:

Any of the drivers in the accident who may have been at fault
The owners of the vehicles if they weren’t the drivers
The drivers’ employers if they were on the clock when the accident happened.
Any entity that contributed to the accident, such as a government agency that didn’t maintain the road properly.
Your own auto and health insurance policies.

If necessary, you can rely on your own health insurance to cover your medical expenses after a pedestrian accident. The insurance company can seek reimbursement from the liable party after the case is settled. Your pedestrian accident lawyer can handle the reimbursement process for you.

If you do file a lawsuit after a pedestrian accident, you could make a claim against the other car drivers and owners. In most cases, the driver of the vehicle is at fault in a pedestrian accident, even if the walker wasn’t in a crosswalk at the time of contact.

This is because most states have laws that require vehicle drivers to be aware of what’s going on around them and to take action to avoid hitting pedestrians. The case may be more complex if you were not in a crosswalk, but your pedestrian accident lawyer still may be able to get you compensation for your damages.