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Rancho Cordova Pedestrian Accident Attorney
Thousands of people walk through the busy metropolitan areas of California every day, and most are able to reach their destinations safely. However, pedestrian accidents do happen in the Rancho Cordova area, often with devastating results. Whenever a motor vehicle driver hits a pedestrian, even at low to moderate speed, the victim is likely to suffer a host of potentially life-threatening injuries.
Representing Victims of Pedestrian Accidents in Rancho Cordova, CA
If you or a member of your family recently suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages. Identifying the driver responsible for the incident is just the first step in your case; you must then prove the full extent of the losses you suffered from their actions and pursue compensation through the appropriate channels. Your recovery efforts from a pedestrian accident are likely to include an auto insurance claim followed by a personal injury case, and you have a much greater chance of success with both of these claims when you have legal counsel you can trust on your side.
Kreeger Law Firm offers compassionate, client-focused personal injury counsel in Rancho Cordova. Our firm has years of experience handling the most challenging civil claims for damages in the area, and we know what challenges you are likely to face as you seek compensation for the damages you suffered in a pedestrian accident. You have a limited time in which to pursue your recovery, so it is crucial that you reach out to experienced legal representation as soon as possible after your accident.
Proving Liability for a Pedestrian Accident in Rancho Cordova
The state enforces the fault rule for all vehicle accidents, including pedestrian accidents. This means that the driver responsible for causing an accident is liable for all resulting damages. The law also upholds that all drivers have a responsibility to always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians at all times. With these statutes in mind, it’s accurate to conclude that a driver is almost always at fault for a pedestrian accident in Rancho Cordova.
You must firmly establish liability for your accident before you can recover compensation for your losses. Various types of evidence could be crucial to your case, from eyewitness accounts to traffic camera footage. If you were severely injured in the accident and rushed to the hospital, you may have little to no recollection of the events that transpired. Working with an experienced Rancho Cordova pedestrian accident attorney ensures that you can gather the evidence needed to build your case, identifying the driver responsible for the accident and proof of how they caused it.
Claiming Compensation for Your Pedestrian Accident
Once you have accurately identified the party or parties responsible for causing your pedestrian accident, you can proceed with claiming compensation for the losses you suffered because of their negligence or misconduct. All drivers in the state are required to have auto insurance that meets basic coverage requirements for bodily injury, and filing a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance can be a valuable first step in your recovery process. An experienced Rancho Cordova pedestrian accident attorney can guide you through the claim filing process, and an insurance carrier will be unlikely to attempt any bad faith handling of your claim once they see that you have legal counsel advising you.
Insurance alone would be unlikely to fully cover your damages if you suffered catastrophic injuries in the pedestrian accident. If this applies to your situation, you will then need to file a personal injury claim against the driver who hit you. To succeed with this claim, you must prove the defendant directly caused the damages, and you must provide evidence showing the full extent of those damages. A successful personal injury claim in Rancho Cordova has the potential to yield various forms of compensation, including:
- Repayment of your medical expenses. The insurance claim you file against the at-fault driver may yield compensation for the medical care you require after your accident, but it will be unlikely to cover the full range of medical expenses you can claim. The defendant who injured you is liable for all medical treatment costs arising from the accident they caused, including future rehabilitative care.
- Compensation for lost wages. If your pedestrian accident has left you unable to work and earn income, the defendant is liable for the income lost during your recovery. You can also claim compensation for vacation time you were forced to use in the immediate aftermath of your accident.
- Compensation for your lost future earning potential. There is a high risk of a pedestrian accident resulting in catastrophic injuries, and if this applies to your situation, you could be unable to work at all in the future. Your Rancho Cordova pedestrian accident attorney can help calculate how much you would have reasonably expected to earn in the future had the accident not occurred and add these projected losses to your claim.
- Pain and suffering compensation. California law allows a personal injury plaintiff to claim compensation for non-economic damages, specifically their pain and suffering caused by the defendant’s negligence or intentional misconduct. There is no limit on the amount you can claim, and your attorney can help determine a suitable figure that reasonably reflects the extent and severity of the harm you suffered. For many plaintiffs in personal injury cases, their pain and suffering compensation eclipses the amount received for their economic damages.
Ultimately, a pedestrian accident claim has the potential to yield a substantial case award, but to have the greatest chance of success with the claim, you must have legal counsel you can trust advising you. A Rancho Cordova pedestrian accident attorney can guide you through every step of your recovery efforts and help maximize your recovery as much as California law allows.
FAQs
Q: When Can a Pedestrian Be at Fault for an Accident?
A: It’s possible for a pedestrian to share fault for their recent accident if they crossed the street illegally or were otherwise negligent in a manner that contributed to causing the accident. Jaywalking is the most commonly cited issue that places partial fault on a pedestrian. If a plaintiff in any vehicle accident claim shares liability for the incident, they lose a percentage of their case award as a penalty. The judge overseeing the case will assign each liable party an appropriate fault percentage.
Q: What Are the Most Common Injuries Cited in Pedestrian Accident Cases?
A: Whenever a motor vehicle hits a pedestrian, the victim is likely to suffer extreme injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, facial injuries, and spinal cord injuries are just a few examples, and most victims of these incidents will sustain multiple serious injuries that require extensive recovery time. If you can prove that another party is liable for your injury, you can hold them accountable for all medical expenses you face in the aftermath, along with all other damages they inflicted.
Q: Why Do I Need to Hire a Rancho Cordova Pedestrian Accident Attorney?
A: There is no strict requirement that you must hire legal counsel for your pedestrian accident claim in Rancho Cordova, but having legal representation you can trust advising you will make it easier for you to approach your case with confidence. You will not only be more likely to win your case but also maximize your recovery. Your attorney can streamline your proceedings and potentially identify avenues of compensation you did not know were available to you.
Q: How Much Compensation Can I Win From My Pedestrian Accident Case?
A: The personal injury laws of the state allow you to seek full repayment of any direct financial losses you suffered in your pedestrian accident. These are likely to include your immediate and long-term medical expenses, lost wages, and lost future earning capacity if the accident has left you permanently disabled. You also have the right to claim pain and suffering compensation from the defendant, and state law does not apply any limit to how much you can claim for a pedestrian accident.
Q: What Are Attorneys’ Fees for a Rancho Cordova Pedestrian Accident Attorney?
A: Most personal injury attorneys accepting clients do so on a contingency fee basis. The average person cannot afford expensive upfront attorneys’ fees, and some may believe that hiring an attorney would be more expensive than the total of their claimable damages. Under a contingency fee agreement, the client only pays a fee if and when their attorney wins their case. There is no fee if they lose, and if they win, they only pay the attorney a percentage of the total amount recovered, so there is no risk to the client of paying more in legal fees than they win from the defendant.
Kreeger Law Firm routinely helps injured clients in Rancho Cordova and surrounding communities will all manner of personal injury claims. We take time to develop individualized case strategies for each of the clients we represent, and we know how to identify the greatest points of contention in any civil claim for damages. If you are ready to pursue compensation for the losses you sustained from your recent accident, contact Kreeger Law Firm today to schedule your free consult with a seasoned Rancho Cordova pedestrian accident lawyer you can trust.
