Tampa lawyers handle pedestrian injury cases linked to car accidents in different ways, depending on how the accident happened and the losses you suffered. Every case is unique, and your legal strategy should reflect the specific facts and evidence involved. A lawyer can review what happened and outline the best path forward for your recovery.
Our Tampa pedestrian accident lawyers can collect evidence to support your case, identify the liable party, and develop a strong strategy for pursuing compensation. They will consider the severity of your injuries and help you decide whether to file a claim or a lawsuit. With our legal team’s experience and commitment, you can focus on healing while we work to protect your rights.
How Tampa Attorneys Collect Evidence After a Car Accident
Gathering evidence is one of the most important steps our lawyers can take on your behalf. The information we collect during this stage will help us decide how to handle your pedestrian injury case from that point forward.
Common forms of evidence include:
- Obtaining police reports from the Tampa Police Department (or whichever authority responded to the crash)
- Interviewing everyone involved in the accident, including you and the other driver
- Reviewing photos and video footage of the accident itself or the moments before or after
- Asking experts to weigh in on what effect your injuries will have on your life, how much the accident will cost over your lifetime, and how the accident happened
Armed with evidence like this, our law firm can answer any number of critical questions, such as:
- Who caused your accident?
- What kinds of damages are you entitled to?
- What is the best way to pursue compensation in your case?
- What arguments can we use to persuade the insurance company to pay you?
- What arguments might the insurance company use to avoid paying you?
The Liable Party’s Identity Could Influence How Your Car Accident Case Goes
Pedestrian accidents happen for any number of reasons:
- Drivers fail to yield the right of way or to keep an eye out for pedestrians.
- Auto part manufacturers allow defective brakes, steering columns, and other parts to go to market, causing drivers to lose control of their vehicles.
- Government agencies do not address roadway hazards (e.g., potholes) in a timely manner.
- Companies that employ drivers (e.g., delivery companies) may ignore relevant laws and urge drivers to act in unsafe ways in order to save the company money.
In some cases, more than one party is liable for an accident. For example, a distracted driver may not notice an unfilled pothole until it is too late, which causes them to lose control. Both the distracted driver and the agency responsible for maintaining the roadway could share liability in this situation.
Our Tampa car accident lawyers handle cases differently based on who is liable:
- With individual drivers, we typically file a claim with their insurance company, though we can also file with your uninsured motorist policy or sue the driver if they do not have the legally mandated amount of insurance.
- If the driver was on the job at the time, we might file a claim with their employer, since employers are often liable for their employees’ negligence.
- If a government agency was responsible, we might have to meet different deadlines or file different kinds of documents.
How Your Car Accident Injuries Could Affect Your Legal Case
There are several ways that the type and severity of the injuries you sustained could affect your case:
- If you are still receiving medical care, we might have to consult with medical professionals who can estimate what your future medical costs and overall prognosis might look like.
- Cases involving catastrophic injuries (which may be more likely when pedestrians are involved, since they have no protection against large vehicles) can be very complex and, often, worth a great deal of money. This makes it more likely that the insurance company will try to fight your claim.
- If you suffered more than one kind of injury, you will need to submit proof that each individual injury and its consequences are a result of the accident.
This is why it is so important for you to seek medical care immediately after your injury: not only will you get the treatment you need, you will create a medical record that helps us prove what kinds of injuries you suffered, how much your treatment costs, and so on.
Will Your Lawyer File a Claim or a Lawsuit After a Pedestrian Accident?
Again, this depends on what the evidence shows and on how the insurance company responds to the accident. In many cases, they are willing to negotiate a settlement, so only filing a claim is necessary.
If we have to file a lawsuit, your case might go in one of several different ways:
- The insurance company might agree to negotiate (or continue negotiating) as soon as they receive notice that we are filing suit.
- Both sides might start preparing for trial or even begin the trial itself, only for the insurance company to agree to negotiate before the trial concludes.
- We might have to see the trial through to the finish, in which case we would work hard to persuade the jury to rule in your favor.
Know that you have a limited time to begin a lawsuit following a crash. Missing this deadline could mean permanently sacrificing your right to recover compensation and hold the at-fault party responsible.
Once you hire us, our legal team can start on your case promptly. You would be able to focus on getting treatment for your injuries while we hold the parties responsible for your pedestrian accident accountable.
Let Our Tampa Personal Injury Lawyers Fight For Your Rights
At Anidjar & Levine, we do the fighting so you do not have to. Our Tampa lawyers handle pedestrian injury cases linked to car accidents on an individual basis, coming up with personalized legal strategies to meet each client’s needs. Call us today for a free consultation to learn more.
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