The little man on the sign turns on, so you start walking across the crosswalk when—BAM!—you find yourself spread across the hood of some guy’s car. He’s just as shocked as you, by the look on his face. You never thought you would need a pedestrian accident lawyer, but here you are, in pain, more pain than you thought possible.
Despite the pain, the first thought that pops into your head is, “This is going to cost a lot.” Probably more than you can afford. Good thing you and the at-fault driver have insurance.
The question is, do you know how to get the most out of that insurance? Do you know how to get what you need for your injuries? What about pain and suffering?
You think you can just file a claim and the insurance company—a for-profit company with a bottom line—is just going to hand over a fair settlement? If you weren’t in so much pain right now, you might get laughed at.
If you are not sure whether you need to hire a pedestrian accident lawyer, there are some critical things that we do to help our clients that you should know about. Here’s what we do.
We Gather and Review Evidence
At RRBH Law, our attorneys work with various experts and law enforcement officials to gather evidence to support our clients’ cases. From recreating the scene of the accident and collecting witness statements to reviewing video and photographic evidence, we do it all. In addition to your statement of how events unfolded during the accident, these pieces of evidence will be crucial in constructing a case should we need to litigate your claim.
We Help with Claims and Negotiate with the Insurance Company
Of course, before a pedestrian accident lawyer can take a case to court, you must first try to recover damages by filing a claim with the proper insurance company. If you own a car, you will need to file a claim first against your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. If you don’t own a car, you can file a claim against the driver’s PIP. Unfortunately, the minimum amount that Florida requires drivers to carry in PIP is $10,000—that’s often way short of what you need when you are injured.
Once PIP is exhausted, we will negotiate with the driver’s insurance company to try and come to a fair settlement.
We File Lawsuits for You
If you still need help paying for the expenses associated with your injuries, we may need to consider litigation against the at-fault driver. At this point, you will need an attorney to file a lawsuit and prepare for litigation.
Get Help from a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer at RRBH Law
Of course, it can be (and often is) much more complicated than this blog post makes it seem. Are you unsure whether you have a case? Not sure that you can afford an attorney? That’s where we come in. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
Let us be your voice during this trying time.