Pedestrian accidents can be physically and financially devastating to victims and their families, making it important to secure legal representation for your Bethlehem pedestrian accident case right away. With a Bethlehem pedestrian accident lawyer from Munley Law, you will have a professional legal team to go up against the insurance company or the negligent driver so you can focus on your health.
As a pedestrian, you have rights. Call Munley Law following your accident to begin the legal process.
How Often Do Pedestrian Accidents Occur?
In 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) reported 3,160 pedestrian injuries and 184 fatalities, representing nearly three percent of all reported traffic incidents and more than 15 percent of fatalities.
Both victims and their families can benefit from retaining a pedestrian accident attorney early on, as data shows that personal injury victims who secure legal help get more compensation than victims who do not. And when medical bills begin to pile, and your injuries keep you out of work, you can’t afford to miss out on any compensation that you may be entitled to.
However, you need to hire the right attorney for your personal injury claim, as not all are equipped for the delicate nature of pedestrian accidents in Bethlehem.
How Can a Bethlehem Pedestrian Accident Attorney Help?
At Munley Law, we’ve worked with accident victims and their families through the complicated legal claims process, including those of pedestrian accidents. Though you are never required to hire an attorney for a case, there are benefits to doing so. A Munley Law pedestrian accident attorney in Bethlehem can help you in the following ways:
Utilize Past Experience
The Lehigh Valley personal injury lawyers of Munley Law have represented pedestrian accident victims in Bethlehem and across Pennsylvania for decades. With a track record of recovering thousands to millions of dollars in damages for clients, we fight tirelessly against the insurance company and at-fault drivers for your medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Dedicated Legal Representation
In some law firms, clients are passed around the office. At Munley Law, your personal injury lawsuit requires dedication from start to finish. This is why you’ll know who is on your legal team immediately and have an open line of communication.
The aftermath of a pedestrian-car accident is overwhelming enough, so we work hard to ensure you feel supported every step of the way.
Customized Strategy For Bethlehem Personal Injury Cases
Pedestrian laws and traffic violations in Pennsylvania are fairly straightforward, yet drivers behave recklessly behind the wheel daily, injuring vulnerable road users. With a deep understanding of the rights and regulations of PA roadways, our pedestrian accident lawyers will build you a customized strategy that fits your specific case.
So whether a driver failed to yield to you as you walked the crosswalk or you were clipped by a turning driver in a parking lot, our lawyers will consider all avenues of the legal council to build you a case.
Secure Full Compensation
The physical and financial toll a pedestrian accident will take on a family is gut-wrenching. From medical expenses to time away from work, property damage, and emotional trauma, what you’ll be paying is more than just dollars and cents.
This is why we’ll review the insurance company’s settlement offer and work to negotiate how much compensation you should receive. And, if the insurance doesn’t cover your injuries, we’ll press forward with a lawsuit to make up the difference for your losses.
Settlements for most pedestrian accidents range from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars for minor to serious injuries. But for catastrophic injuries that lead to traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, and even death, families have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.
But you can’t take on the insurance company alone—you need to call Munley Law. If you accept a settlement offer, you forfeit your right to further compensation.
What Makes Pedestrian Accident Claims So Complicated?
Most pedestrian accident cases involve distracted drivers not paying attention to the road or motorists driving recklessly. However, there are situations where a third party may be involved in a car accident, which leads to you being hurt. Liability becomes the most complicated factor in pedestrian accident claims, and negligence must be proven against the proper party.
Liable Parties in Bethlehem Pedestrian Accident Claims
Several parties may be at fault for a pedestrian accident. It could be the driver of the car that hit the pedestrian, another motorist who caused an accident that led to you being hurt, a vehicle manufacturer for a faulty part on the car, or another entity for not properly maintaining roadways, sidewalks, and crosswalks which lead to an accident.
To establish liability, you need to consider the actions that occurred at the time of the accident. This includes:
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Reckless driving
- Fatigued driving
- Failure to yield to pedestrians
- Failure to check for pedestrians before turning
- Making unsafe turns or passing off other drivers
- Failure to obey traffic devices
- Brake failure
- Inactive crosswalk lights
Several situations may arise that cause a pedestrian accident, but knowing who is responsible for the collision will be critical for your case.
Will Legal Representation Help If I’m Partially At Fault?
Pedestrians do not always have the right of way, but drivers are expected to be aware of pedestrians and practice safe driving. However, there may be a situation where a pedestrian is partially to blame for an accident. For example, if there are crosswalk signs alerting pedestrians when they can walk, and you do not obey those signs and cross anyway, you can be found partially liable for a collision.
Further, there is a rise in distracted walking injuries, where pedestrians do not pay attention to where they are going, leading to accidents.
Suppose you are partially to blame for a pedestrian accident. In that case, your legal representative may still be able to help you secure compensation for your losses so long as you are less than 51 percent at fault for the accident. How much fault you hold will also directly impact the compensation you recover. For example, under Pennsylvania contributory negligence law, if you were 20 percent at fault for an accident and accumulated damages of $110,000, your compensation would be adjusted to $88,000.
Situations like these make it all the more important to work with a Bethlehem law firm as soon as possible following a pedestrian accident, as the insurance company will try to use your partial negligence to minimize compensation.
If you have questions about your liability in a pedestrian collision, Munley Law can guide you through your options.
What Compensation Can I Recover in a Pedestrian Accident Case?
Much like other personal injury claims, you may be entitled to certain compensation for your injuries.
Economic Damages in a Pedestrian Car Accident Case
Economic damages are those losses that can be verified through receipts and documentation of losses or injuries. These include:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Current and future lost wages
- Rehabilitation
- Property damages
- Lost earning capacity
- Funeral and burial costs
Non-Economic Damages in Pedestrian Claims
Victims and their families may also be entitled to non-economic damages for serious injury following a motor vehicle accident. These subjective, non-specific damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Diminished quality of life
How much compensation you recover will ultimately depend on the severity of your injuries. Further, how you get compensation may also vary. For victims who file a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance claim, medical expenses will be paid out from the insurance to the medical provider. In contrast, lost wages will go directly to the victim from the insurance company.
How Can My Personal Injury Lawyer Maximize My Compensation?
To ensure you secure the compensation you are entitled to for your pedestrian accident claim, your best option is to connect with an attorney immediately to learn your legal rights. From there, your legal team will help build a case by gathering evidence such as:
- The police report
- Interviews with witnesses
- Medical records
In addition, they will review the specifics of the applicable insurance policies- be it your own or the drivers involved- to see what recovery options exist. This includes handling negotiations or taking legal action if required.
Call Our Bethlehem Pedestrian Accident Attorney Now
If you or a loved one were involved in a pedestrian accident in a marked crosswalk, parking lot, sidewalk, etc., know that you have legal options. Whether you were clipped by a driver speeding through a red light, or were injured in busy parking lots, Munley Law will keep your best interests in the forefront of all we do.
For a no-obligation, free consultation, contact the Bethlehem pedestrian accident attorneys of Munley Law. Our firm works on a contingency basis, which means we don’t get paid unless you win compensation for your losses.
