What Can You Do If You Are A Pedestrian And You Got Hit By A Car?
It’s unfortunate, but it can happen quite often. Getting hit by a car that’s speeding has become one of the main accidents pedestrians are dealing with. And a lot of the time, it’s the car’s driver at fault. But what can you do if you are a pedestrian and you just got hit by a car? Let’s find out.
First, you want to focus on safety
Right after the accident, you want to get out of the roadway, stay in a safe location and avoid making any sudden movements. Also, wait for any emergency responders and make sure that you are handling any injuries. Calling 911 if the injuries feel serious is a must, so keep that in mind.
Seek medical attention, that’s your main focus with this kind of stuff. And you also want to avoid any delayed injuries. They can be anything from concussions to internal bleeding, soft tissue, neck or back injuries. All of these can become problematic, so knowing how to address those can indeed make a massive difference.
Exchange information
If you can physically do it, make sure that you exchange information with the other driver. Do not argue, instead make sure that you stay calm. You want to exchange the information because that’s the right and legal thing to do.
Document the accident
Always take photos of the car accident location, the vehicles, traffic signals, street signs, skid marks and anything else you can. If you are unable to take photos, talk to a friend or anything of that nature. It always helps to do these things, because it will help streamline the process and prevent any issues.
Also, while there, try to speak with witnesses. They will help clarify some of the situation, figure out the driver behavior and other factors, vehicle speed and so on. Getting info regarding this stuff will help immensely, and having independent testimonies does matter in the case of accidents like these.
Preserve any physical evidence to the best of your capabilities. That’s the thing, having the means to preserve evidence will help more than you expect, especially in such use cases. That alone can be a game-changer, if you manage it appropriately.
Follow the treatment plan
Every car accident can bring all kinds of injuries. So the most important thing here is to attend to those injuries and get better. That means you have to go to the doctor, focus on physical therapy, follow-up examinations and all that kind of stuff. Keeping copies of the medical bills, prescriptions, appointment records, all of that will help quite a bit.
Common causes of pedestrian accidents
Before you call your Maine personal injury attorney, it makes sense to figure out what causes these pedestrian accidents and how you can take advantage of them. With that in mind, a very common cause is distracted driving, because drivers tend to do other things and they don’t focus on the road.
Another reason would be speeding, which is very problematic, because the driver doesn’t have enough time to react, which is going to be tricky to deal with. And of course, another problem here would be driving under the influence, which automatically affects not only your judgment, but your reaction time and coordination as well. Poor visibility is also going to cause problems, and that’s exactly what you need to pursue here.
Know your legal rights?
When it comes to car accidents, you always want to know your legal rights. And those will naturally vary based on the situation at hand. But you will have coverage for medical expenses, lost income, but also pain and suffering, property damage and so on. Granted, you want to talk with your personal injury attorney, so you can figure out the situation and how to tackle everything properly.
But what if you were outside of the crosswalk as a pedestrian? Then in that case, you will need to consult the traffic laws for your specific region. The outcome will depend on the driver conduct, visibility, state traffic laws, speed, comparative negligence rules and many other different criteria. It’s never a black and white situation, so stuff will indeed vary.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, a car accident can be very tricky to deal with if you are a pedestrian. That’s because you can have concussions and all kinds of problems that will become more problematic in the long run. Hence the reason why it comes as highly recommended to manage the situation at hand and figure out what you can do next. Don’t just enter these situations randomly. Be prepared and it will streamline things more effectively. Yes, it will be difficult at first, but once you know how to better adapt and find the right treatment, you can then pursue the situation in court.
