Houston Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Helping Injured Pedestrians Recover Compensation
You deserve to feel safe as a pedestrian in Texas, whether you’re taking a stroll when the weather is nice or walking to work or school out of necessity. Unfortunately, some drivers make this difficult, as they don’t use enough caution behind the wheel and end up striking pedestrians who are simply trying to reach their destination. If this has happened to you or a loved one, you should contact a Houston pedestrian accident lawyer so you can pursue compensation from the at-fault party.
At the Jarrett Law Firm, PLLC, our experienced pedestrian accident attorneys are committed to ensuring injury victims get the financial compensation they need to pay for their lost wages, medical bills, and other expenses that commonly arise after a pedestrian accident. So, if you suffered severe injuries or lost a loved one in a fatal pedestrian accident, call our Houston personal injury law firm to schedule a free consultation with compassionate lawyers.
What Are Some Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents?
Pedestrian accidents can occur for a range of reasons, but in most cases, they result from driver negligence. After all, pedestrians often have the right of way, and drivers are responsible for keeping an eye out for them in crosswalks, parking lots, and anywhere else they could reasonably expect to see someone walking or jogging.
The most common reasons pedestrian accidents occur include:
- Distracted driving due to texting, eating, or looking down at a map
- Reckless driving, such as running stop signs, ignoring traffic signals, or making illegal U-turns while pedestrians are crossing the street
- Drunk driving, which can impair judgment and slow down reaction times
- Fatigued driving, causing drivers to not notice pedestrians or even fall asleep at the wheel
- Speeding, including in neighborhoods and parking lots, making it hard to stop before hitting a pedestrian
- Failing to yield to pedestrians who have the right of way, such as in crosswalks or parking lots
- Driving in poor weather, such as rain or snow, where it’s hard to stop or see clearly
- Pedestrians unexpectedly darting into the road or crossing in the middle of a busy street
- Poor road conditions, such as broken or missing signs, traffic lights, or crosswalk signals
As you can see, most pedestrian accidents are caused by the driver’s negligence, though there are some exceptions to this. If you’re unsure who or what caused your pedestrian accident, the Houston pedestrian accident attorneys you hire for your case can get the answers you need before seeking compensation from the at-fault party.
Even if the pedestrian accident investigation finds that you’re partly at fault, you may still be able to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim. Our Houston pedestrian accident attorneys would be happy to walk you through your Texas pedestrian accident case and answer any questions you have as you seek compensation. Call our Houston pedestrian accident law firm today to get started on your claim.
What Are the Most Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries?
Pedestrian accident injuries are often extremely serious, as they can be permanent or even fatal for many pedestrian accident victims. This is especially the case in high-speed pedestrian accidents, though even a low-speed impact can cause serious injuries. When a vehicle made of over 2,000 pounds of steel collides with your body, you’re bound to sustain more than cuts and bruises, so you’ll likely need immediate medical attention for your serious injuries.
The most common pedestrian accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones, especially in the lower half of the body, including the hips and legs
- Internal injuries, including organ damage and internal bleeding
- Road rash
- Lacerations
- Paralysis
- Loss of limb
- Dislocated joints
- Soft tissue injuries
- Crush injuries
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Death
If you or a family member suffered any of these severe pedestrian injuries, you should expect to undergo extensive medical treatment. Even lacerations, broken bones, and dislocated joints can take weeks or months to heal, meaning you will likely need to take some time off work and see a doctor for your initial and follow-up care. You should not have to pay for these medical expenses yourself, which is why you should hire our team to help you file a pedestrian accident claim for the compensation you need.
Pedestrian accident victims who suffer traumatic brain injuries or other catastrophic injuries could spend months in the hospital and won’t be able to work during that time, if ever again. They deserve to rest assured they can pay their medical bills and other expenses despite not being able to earn an income, and that’s what pedestrian injury claims are for.
Simply put, if someone else caused you serious injuries by striking you with their car, they owe you financial compensation so you can pay your bills. Our Houston pedestrian accident attorneys will help you get the money you’re entitled to from any insurance companies representing the at-fault party, so call our firm today to get started on your personal injury claim.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Houston Pedestrian Accident?
If you sustained serious injuries in a Houston pedestrian accident, you might be feeling overwhelmed by the bills you’re facing as a result. They often include medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and more. It should not be up to you to pay these costs if you didn’t cause the pedestrian accident.
That’s why you should file an insurance claim to get fair compensation as you heal from your injuries. Our Houston pedestrian accident attorneys can help you pursue the economic and non-economic damages you deserve as an injured pedestrian. Consider the damages you may be entitled to, and then contact our Houston law office for a free consultation.
Medical Bills
Whether you suffered broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, or other significant injuries in a pedestrian accident, you’re likely in a lot of physical pain that can only be reduced by having access to the necessary medical treatment and sufficient time to rest. This may be out of reach if you’re struggling financially after the pedestrian accident, which is why most personal injury cases request financial compensation for medical bills.
A skilled Houston pedestrian accident lawyer can review your medical records and receipts to calculate the amount of money you will need to comfortably afford the medical care that’s necessary to help you heal. They’ll make sure to add up the costs of your hospital stay, surgery, medication, and follow-up care. If you will face future medical costs, such as additional surgeries and physical therapy, your pedestrian accident claim will also recover compensation for those expenses.
Property Damage
If the pedestrian accident you were involved in caused damage to your personal belongings, your pedestrian accident claim should cover the costs of repairing or replacing them. For example, if you were carrying a phone, purse, tablet, laptop, or headphones when you were struck by a car, a fair settlement should include enough money for a repair or replacement.
The same goes for any valuable items you were wearing, such as glasses, shoes, or clothing. You should not have to pay for the damages on your own when you didn’t cause the pedestrian accident, so we urge you to call a personal injury attorney from our law office to include property damage as part of your pedestrian accident claim.
Lost Wages
Most pedestrian accident victims need to request time off work to recover from their injuries. While taking a few days off work might not have a significant effect on your finances, taking off a week or more certainly can. If you don’t get much or any paid time off, your paycheck will be noticeably lower than usual once you return to work, making it hard to pay your bills.
This is why pedestrian accident victims should request compensation for lost wages in a personal injury lawsuit. It’s unfair for you to struggle to pay for food, housing, utilities, and other necessities as you heal from a crash that was caused by a negligent driver, not you. If you’re ready to calculate the lost income you’re entitled to, call our Houston pedestrian injury lawyers today. We’ll work hard to help you get the maximum compensation for lost income, as well as money to make up for the loss of your future earning capacity if you can no longer work after the accident.
Non-Economic Damages
Economic damages are meant to compensate you for any money you’ve already paid or will have to pay in the future as a direct result of your pedestrian accident. However, some damages don’t have a dollar amount attached to them and can be hard to calculate without help from a personal injury lawyer. These are called non-economic damages, and they refer to losses that are more emotional than financial.
Some examples of non-economic damages you can collect from a personal injury case include pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. Your specific non-economic damages will depend on the circumstances of your case, such as whether you now have scarring or a disability due to the accident, or if your injuries leave you unable to enjoy life as you used to. Call our firm today to speak with a caring personal injury attorney about the damages you can request in your pedestrian accident lawsuit.
Punitive Damages
Some pedestrian accident victims are entitled to punitive damages, though this is rare and only allowed in cases involving extreme negligence. For instance, if the negligent driver was particularly reckless and caused the accident while speeding or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the judge might order them to pay punitive damages.
The point of these damages is to punish the at-fault party so they don’t repeat the reckless behavior in the future. Your Houston personal injury attorney can review the details of your case and let you know if you’re likely to receive punitive damages from the negligent driver. Call our law office today to learn more about getting maximum compensation from your Texas personal injury lawsuit.
Wrongful Death
If you lost a close family member – such as a parent, spouse, or child – in a pedestrian accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. This type of personal injury claim is meant to help surviving family members get compensated for the costs associated with pedestrian fatalities caused by negligent drivers. After all, unexpected deaths can cause both financial and emotional distress.
Some of the expenses you might face after a pedestrian fatality include funeral and burial costs, hospital bills, and the loss of financial support if you depended on your loved one’s income. A fair settlement should compensate you for these and other expenses. In addition, you can request compensation for your mental anguish, the loss of companionship and support, and the loss of consortium, depending on the details of your case. Our team knows how to negotiate with insurance companies to get fair compensation for our clients, so call our firm to speak to a Houston pedestrian accident lawyer about your wrongful death case.
Why Should You Hire Our Houston Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?
Whether you’re recovering from your pedestrian accident injuries or grieving the sudden loss of a family member, you can count on the lawyers at the Jarrett Law Firm, PLLC, to provide the legal support you need for your case. We have years of experience filing personal injury cases that get our clients the maximum compensation from insurance companies, so you can rest assured your case is in good hands when you hire us.
From the moment you speak with us at your free consultation, we’ll focus on giving you personalized advice for your case, as we understand each pedestrian accident claim is unique and requires our full attention. In our effort to get you the maximum settlement you need, we’ll make sure to gather evidence to support your case, including medical records, witness statements, photos and videos from the accident scene, and the police report.
After we gather evidence that shows who caused the pedestrian accident, we will begin calculating the damages so you end up with a settlement that pays for your lost income, any property damage, the medical attention you needed, and other expenses from the pedestrian accident. We will then contact the at-fault driver’s insurance company to prove that the driver caused the crash and request the compensation you deserve. This step often requires us to go back and forth with negotiations until the insurance company agrees to pay a fair settlement, all while you rest and recover at home.
If this sounds more appealing to you than having to gather evidence and communicate with the insurance company on your own, it’s time to hire a trusted Houston personal injury lawyer for your case. Call 346-683-2240 today to schedule a free consultation with our caring legal team.