The many cars, trucks, buses, taxis, and motorcycles on New Jersey’s roadways pose a serious threat to pedestrians. Not only do they have to worry about drivers failing to obey traffic signals or yield to crosswalks, but they must also fear the danger of intoxicated drivers.
When you are involved in an accident with an automobile as a pedestrian, it can often lead to serious injury since pedestrians are not afforded the protections of seatbelts, airbags, and metal exteriors.
If this accident was the result of the reckless or negligent actions of another driver, you are entitled to seek compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering through a personal injury claim.
At The Law Office of Fredson Statmore Bitterman, our Bloomfield pedestrian accident lawyers have more than 50 years of experience helping clients to recover compensation. With millions of dollars already recovered for our clients in verdicts and settlements across New Jersey, we have the track record of success you need in order to successfully resolve any injury matter.
What Do I Do if I Have Been Involved in a Pedestrian Accident?
As with any type of serious accident, there are two important steps to take in the aftermath, even if you believe you haven’t been injured.
The first step is to seek medical attention. This is for two reasons. One, many injuries do not manifest themselves immediately following an accident. For example, it can take an injury victim several days to discover injuries to the brain, and the sooner you seek medical treatment for these injuries, the less damage they can potentially cause you.
Additionally, it is important to seek medical treatment following a pedestrian accident in order to preserve the strength of any potential injury claim you may have. The more time that passes between the accident and the discovery of any injuries, the harder it becomes for your attorney to prove the link between the two.
The second important step to take following a Bloomfield pedestrian accident is to contact an experienced attorney before giving any information to an insurance company. Insurance companies will often use your own words against you should you choose to pursue a personal injury claim, and it is important to have a solid understanding of your rights and options before speaking with the insurance company.
Proving Fault in a Pedestrian Accident
In order to recover compensation in a pedestrian accident injury case, you and your Bloomfield attorney must be able to prove that the responsible parties are, in fact, responsible. Sometimes this can be relatively straightforward, as many roads and intersections have cameras installed whose footage can be used to show reckless actions like speeding, running a stop sign or red light, or failing to yield to a pedestrian crosswalk.
Other times, the issue of fault may be much more in question. It is even possible for the injured party to be partially at fault themselves.
When this is the case, retaining the counsel of an experienced attorney can be critical to the success of your case, as the compensation you recover is reduced by the percentage of fault you are determined to have (known as comparative negligence). Additionally, if it is determined that you were more at fault than the other parties of the accident, your pedestrian accident claim will be dismissed entirely.
Our team can help protect you from wrongly being assigned fault, and help you to ensure you recover the most compensation possible.
Contact Our Bloomfield Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Today
Led by a New Jersey Supreme Court-certified civil trial attorney, our team has already recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for our clients, and we are prepared to do the same for you. Our firm believes in keeping our clients informed and involved throughout the legal process, as the more you know about your case and your options, the better we can work to secure the outcome that meets your unique needs and concerns in any situation.
To speak with our firm today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your potential pedestrian accident injury case, please contact us online or through one of our offices. Our Bloomfield pedestrian accident lawyers are standing by to help.
