Pedestrians are incredibly vulnerable to injury in a car accident as there is no shell of a car around them to protect them. Without a car or airbags, people hit by cars on foot could face broken bones, internal injuries, and even death.
If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, working with a lawyer can help you get the compensation you need. Whether you are suing for your own injuries or the death of a loved one, our law firm can represent you in your case and fight to seek justice for the injuries.
Contact our Birmingham, AL pedestrian accident lawyers today at Howe Law by calling (844) 876-4357 for a free case evaluation.
When to Call a Lawyer for Help with a Pedestrian Car Accident in Gadsden, AL
After an accident, you could be left with a lot of questions, a lot of pain, and a lot of things to do. It is important to get medical care, finish treatment, report the accident, and collect any evidence you can. But you should also consider calling a pedestrian accident lawyer as soon as you can after the crash.
The sooner you begin working with an attorney, the sooner we can begin helping with your case. We can collect evidence while you recover in the hospital. We can track and keep your medical bills and other damages organized. We can advise you on how to document your recovery to help prove your pain and suffering. And we can also begin claims and negotiations with the at-fault driver and their insurance company to try to get bills paid sooner rather than months after the accident.
In many cases, our lawyers can focus on a lot of the tasks and help you cross off items on your To-Do List while you focus on your recovery and getting life back as close as you can to normal.
Suing for Injury and Death Cases involving Pedestrian Accidents in Gadsden, AL
Victims of injury can sue for their own injuries if they were hit by a car while walking on foot. In most cases, this is how cases are filed for injuries after a pedestrian accident.
You can also sue on behalf of your child if they are a minor. This can help parents sue for their children’s injuries whether they were also injured in the crash or whether their child was the only victim.
Certain family members are also entitled to sue for the death of a loved one. Hit and run and drunk driving accidents are often deadly for pedestrians, and pedestrians are the most likely to die in a car crash (as compared to drivers, passengers, or cyclists). Damages paid through these wrongful death lawsuits can often help the family move forward by providing compensation for lost wages, funeral expenses, and more.
Common Injuries to Pedestrians in Car Crashes in Gadsden, AL
Pedestrian accident victims face a wide range of injuries, many of them severe. While they can certainly face injuries like cuts, scrapes, and bruises, we will instead focus more on the severe injuries these victims often seek compensation for:
Broken Bones
As a pedestrian hit by a car, you could face a broken leg, broken arm, or other broken bones. Broken ribs, collar bones, and even skulls and vertebrae are not uncommon injuries. Often, these injuries need surgery to treat serious breaks and reset the bones or reinforce them with pins, rods, and screws. In many cases, older adults face more severe injuries, such as broken hips.
Head Injuries
Concussions and traumatic brain injuries can occur in a pedestrian accident if you were thrown to the ground or into another object or if you were low to the ground when you were hit. A concussion is severe enough to be considered a medical emergency in many cases because it is often difficult to tell how serious a head injury is without examination at a hospital. In cases of severe head injuries where traumatic brain injuries occur, victims could be left with disabilities that affect them for the rest of their lives.
Spinal Injuries and Paralysis
If you suffer a serious injury to the back or neck, it could damage your spinal cord. These injuries have the propensity to leave you paralyzed, either partially or fully. Often, spinal cord injuries affect you from the point of injury down, meaning that an injury to the cervical spine in the neck could leave you totally paralyzed, while an injury in the lower back’s lumbar spine might leave you paralyzed in the legs.
Internal Injuries
Many injuries are not obvious to the eye, but they are incredibly serious. Internal organs like the lungs could be damaged in a crash, especially if they are punctured by a broken rib. Other organs and internal processes are also susceptible to injury from the blunt-force trauma of a car crash. It is important to have X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs after an injury to uncover these kinds of injuries, so you should always go to the hospital as soon as you can after a crash.
Blood Loss
Cuts, compound fractures, and open wounds can all bleed profusely if they are left untreated. Calling 911 is vital after an accident if you are bleeding. Many hit and run accidents leave victims on the side of the road, and high levels of blood loss are more common in these accidents. Even when ambulances show up immediately, blood loss can lead to complications and require additional treatment, such as transfusions at the hospital. Blood loss during surgery can also be dangerous and must be properly treated by your physician.
Call Our Gadsden Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Today
If you were hit by a car, call (844) 876-4357 to speak with Howe Law’s pedestrian accident lawyers in a free case review right away.
