Live ChatThe Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security reports that, in 2018, 1,525 pedestrians were involved in accidents on the roads of Tennessee. Of those, 475 accidents occurred in Shelby County alone. These numbers are part of an upward trend in pedestrian accidents across the country, believed to be largely related to increased cellphone usage and larger numbers of people walking to their destinations instead of driving.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, you need an experienced attorney who will help you and your family pursue the compensation and justice you deserve. The compassionate Memphis pedestrian accidents attorneys at Reaves Law Firm, PLLC are ready to be your voice. Our attorneys are strong advocates who fight for those who have been injured through no fault of their own and who feel like they have nowhere else to turn. When you feel like the odds are stacked against you by the big insurance companies and defense law firms, you can rely on our team to level the playing field.
Contact the Memphis pedestrian accidents lawyers of Reaves Law Firm, PLLC today for a free consultation. Our attorneys will explain what your options are, what you may be entitled to receive, and how we can help you and your family move forward after a serious accident.
If you were struck by a car while walking, you need to contact law enforcement and medical services immediately. Officers will arrive to collect evidence from the scene and interview you, the driver, and witnesses. Although the shock of being hit by a car may prevent you from initially feeling pain from injuries you suffered in the impact, a thorough examination by a medical professional is imperative. Moreover, having an official record of the accident and your injuries will serve as documentation in your claim for compensation.
Try to capture what the lighting and weather conditions were like at the time of the accident; where traffic signals, road markers, sidewalks, and crosswalks were; and what your perspective and the driver’s perspective may have been like at the time of the accident. If you are unable to do this due to a need for medical attention, ask a friend or family member to do so for you. Also take photos of your injuries right after the accident.
Insurance companies may try to pressure you to settle your case quickly for the promise of cash now. An attorney will help you understand what your claim is actually worth and can press the insurance companies and defense lawyers to offer you a fair and full settlement.
If you’ve been severely injured in a pedestrian accident, your time and energy should be focused on recovering from your injuries and getting back to your work, your family, and your life.
You shouldn’t have to waste time and energy fighting with insurance companies and law firms to get compensation for the medical bills and lost wages you are incurring as a result of your injuries.
Our pedestrian accident lawyers here at Reaves Law Firm, PLLC can take on that burden and be your voice to demand the compensation and justice you are entitled to. Our attorneys have an in-depth knowledge of personal injury laws, and our background as defense lawyers gives us a unique insight into how insurance companies fight personal injury claims.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a pedestrian accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses, both economic and non-economic. Pedestrians involved in accidents with motor vehicles may be entitled to four main types of compensation:
This covers surgeries, hospital stays, doctor’s visits, physical therapy, medication, medical equipment, and even renovations you need to make to your home to accommodate any disabilities you’ve suffered as a result of your injuries, such as wheelchair ramps, handlebars in the bathroom, or stairlifts.
This covers wages and income you miss out on while you’re out of work recovering from your injuries. If you can only return to work with fewer hours or at a lower paying job, these damages also cover the difference in income you’ve lost out on.
These damages compensate you for the physical and emotional pain you suffer as a result of your injuries. This also includes compensation for the loss of ability to participate in activities you enjoyed.
This compensates your spouse and your immediate family for the loss of your companionship, society, and services to the family as a result of your accident.
If you have a loved one who was killed as a pedestrian by a motor vehicle, you and your family may also be entitled to bring a wrongful death and survival claim. Through this claim, you can pursue compensation for medical bills, funeral costs, loss of income, loss of emotional support, and more.
Finally, if you decide to take your claim to trial, you or your loved one may be entitled to punitive damages if you are able to prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that the driver of the other vehicle acted maliciously, intentionally, or recklessly. Punitive damages are awarded only rarely in personal injury cases. As opposed to the above damages that are intended to compensate a victim for their losses, punitive damages are meant to punish a defendant for particularly reprehensible conduct and deter future similar conduct. The judge or jury must also consider factors such as the driver’s financial condition, the reprehensibility of the driver’s wrongdoing, the impact of the accident on the victim, the driver’s awareness of the amount of harm and motivation for causing such harm, or whether the driver attempted to conceal their misconduct.
The law places a limit on the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit to pursue a claim for your pedestrian accident injuries. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations. In Tennessee, the statute of limitations for personal injury or wrongful death actions such as those arising from a pedestrian accident is one year, typically measured from the date of the accident.
In certain cases, the court may decide to “toll,” or pause, the running of the statute of limitations. The court may decide to toll the statute of limitations for equitable reasons, such as if the pedestrian accident involves a hit-and-run or the driver of the vehicle takes some action to conceal their liability.
The bottom line is: If you do not file a lawsuit for your claim within the statute of limitations, you will be forever barred from filing a legal action on that claim. So it is important to speak with a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible to explain your situation and discuss your options.
Pedestrian accidents occur when there is some human error or system failure that prevents a driver from stopping in time to avoid a collision with a person walking on the street or sidewalk. Some of the common causes of pedestrian accidents include:
As long as your injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence, you should speak with a trusted pedestrian accident attorney about your legal rights.
Even if a pedestrian accident is not fatal to the victim, it can still very easily result in catastrophic injuries. Some of the severe injuries that pedestrians suffer in accidents include:
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident due to the negligence of a vehicle driver, you deserve to have skilled advocates be your voice, fighting for the compensation and justice you deserve.
Contact the Memphis pedestrian accidents lawyers of Reaves Law Firm, PLLC today for a free consultation to learn more about your legal options, the compensation you may be entitled to, and how we will aggressively advocate on your behalf.
