What to Do If You Get Hit by a Car While Walking
Being hit by a car can leave you disoriented, confused, and in pain. If you’re able, you should get to safety, but if you can’t move, you should remain still and wait for help. Ask someone to call 911 for medical assistance and police support.
Additional steps you should take if you’re a pedestrian who’s been hit by a car in California include the following:
1) Immediately Seek Treatment For Your Injuries
The first and most critical step you should take as a pedestrian after being hit by a car is to seek medical treatment immediately. Pedestrians do not have the protections that a passenger vehicle does, and injuries from being hit by a car can be incredibly severe or fatal.
Allow a medical expert to evaluate and treat your injuries as soon as possible. Many injuries sustained during an auto-pedestrian accident are internal and will not present with symptoms right away. These types of internal injuries can be fatal and must be detected quickly for proper treatment.
Seeking medical treatment after a pedestrian accident will also create essential medical documentation. This documentation shows the extent of the injuries you sustained. This type of evidence is key to a successful legal case against the driver of the car that hit you.
It will also help protect you from predatory insurance companies that claim you were not actually injured in the car accident. Insurance companies, even if they say they want to help, will often take your statements and twist them to make it seem as though your injuries are not serious. That’s why you must see a doctor after you are hit to make sure there is written documentation of your physical pain and injuries.
Keep all medical documentation your healthcare provider gave you regarding the injuries from the accident. Make a file with all receipts related to the accident, including any bills for medical care or medications. If you have to take days off work due to your injuries, document how many hours you have missed and your lost wages for those hours.
2) Gather Evidence and Contact Information
If your injuries are not serious and you are able to gather evidence, begin by taking down the contact information and insurance information for the driver who hit you. Take pictures of your injuries, the vehicle, road signs, and anything else that will show what happened. If there are witnesses, ask them for their details so your pedestrian accident lawyer can interview them later.
If you are too severely injured, ask someone at the scene to get this information for you. Speak to the police to tell your side of what happened. Later, your attorney can request a copy of the car accident police report either from local law enforcement or the California Highway Patrol.
3) Contact an Attorney Before Speaking to the Insurance Company
Once you have the driver’s insurance details, you can contact the company to file a claim against their mandatory liability coverage. It’s important that you take this step since the driver may have given false information and not have insurance, or they may choose not to report the accident. However, before you begin talking to the insurance adjusters, you should arrange a free consultation with a pedestrian accident attorney.
An experienced injury attorney will be able to obtain the maximum amount of car accident compensation for victims and will navigate confusing insurance company tactics.
Once you have secured an attorney, they will communicate with the insurance company and negotiate on your behalf to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact our California pedestrian accident lawyers at Curtis Legal Group and schedule your free consultation to learn more today.