Compared with motor vehicle occupants, pedestrians are at a significant disadvantage in an accident scenario. Unlike car drivers and passengers, pedestrians have direct exposure to the ground and the rest of their surrounding environment. If they fall on the ground during an car accident, they are far more likely than a motor vehicle driver or passenger to suffer permanent and sometimes deadly injuries.
If you suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident due to a negligent driver, you need to speak with legal counsel immediately about your potential legal options. The experienced Petoskey pedestrian accident lawyers at Michigan Injury Lawyers can meet with you to discuss your pedestrian accident and decide on the best way to pursue the monetary compensation and damages you deserve.
In some situations, we can recover favorable monetary compensation for you via settlement, while at other times, we may need to litigate your case in the Michigan court system. Whatever the case, you can rest assured that we will aggressively fight for your legal rights and pursue the highest amount of monetary compensation available to you in your case.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a skilled Petoskey pedestrian accident lawyer, please speak with a member of our office today.
- Why Choose Us?
- How Much Is My Pedestrian Accident Claim Worth?
- Where Do Pedestrian Accidents Frequently Happen in Petoskey?
- Common Causes of Petoskey Pedestrian Accidents
- Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
- Fighting the Insurance Company
- What to Do Following a Pedestrian Accident in Petoskey
- Speak With an Experienced Petoskey Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today
Why Choose Us?
When finding legal representation following a pedestrian accident, we know you have many choices available. You want the strongest team of attorneys advocating for you following your accident.
The compassionate and experienced legal team at Michigan Injury Lawyers has significant experience obtaining favorable settlement compensation and litigation results for their injured clients. Our attorneys are just as effective at the settlement negotiations table as they are in the courtroom. In fact, our past results speak for themselves.
Let us recover the monetary compensation you need and deserve for your recent pedestrian accident injuries.
How Much Is My Pedestrian Accident Claim Worth?
The monetary compensation you can collect from the insurance company after a pedestrian accident depends upon various circumstances. Every pedestrian accident case is different, and not all accident victims will recover the same monetary damages.
The damages you can recover in your case will likely depend on the specific circumstances surrounding your accident, the injuries that you sustain in your accident, the available insurance policy coverage limits, the nature and extent of your injuries, the cost of your medical treatment, and whether or not you missed time from work after your accident (and if so, the amount of time you missed).
Since Michigan is a no-fault state, pedestrian accident victims may first turn to their own insurance company by filing a claim for personal injury protection (PIP) benefits.
As part of a PIP claim, pedestrian accident victims may recover compensation for their medical expenses and loss of income. However, if they suffered severe injuries in their accident or their total losses exceed their available PIP coverage, they can file a personal injury claim or a lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
As part of a so-called third-party claim, the accident victim can recover monetary damages for all their anticipated medical costs, permanent disability or disfigurement, lifetime care costs, loss of spousal consortium, inconvenience, mental distress, past and future pain and suffering, lost quality of life, and loss of the ability to use an injured body part (such as full or partial paralysis).
To recover third-party damages from a pedestrian accident, the victim must satisfy their legal burden of proof. Specifically, they must show that a driver failed to act reasonably under the circumstances, usually by violating one or more traffic laws or engaging in distracted, reckless, or intoxicated motor vehicle operations. Additionally, the pedestrian must show that this deviation from the standard of care caused both the pedestrian accident and the subsequent injuries.
When determining your case's ultimate monetary value, our legal team can be an invaluable resource. We can use our knowledge and experience of past cases to ballpark the likely value of your case. We can then set to work on maximizing the total monetary compensation you recover for your accident-related losses.
Where Do Pedestrian Accidents Frequently Happen in Petoskey?
Pedestrian accidents in Petoskey can happen anywhere motor vehicles and pedestrians are near one another. We see these accidents most in the downtown area, where numerous traffic intersections with crosswalks exist. In addition to intersection crosswalks, pedestrian accidents may happen in parking lots, garages, and near sidewalks and bicycle lanes.
You are not alone if you suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident in one of these locations. Retain a skilled attorney to represent your legal interests as soon as possible after your pedestrian accident.
Our knowledgeable legal team can immediately begin investigating your accident circumstances and determine your eligibility for filing a pedestrian accident claim or lawsuit. If you can move forward with the case, we can handle your case every step of the way and work to secure the favorable monetary compensation you deserve.
Common Causes of Petoskey Pedestrian Accidents
In almost all circumstances, Petoskey pedestrian accidents usually result from driver error. In some situations, negligent drivers violate one or more traffic laws, especially near intersections with pedestrian crosswalks.
For example, a driver might speed, run a red light or stop sign, or attempt to pass other traffic at or near a traffic intersection. However, in the process, they may negligently cause their vehicle to strike a lawfully present pedestrian at an intersection crosswalk, causing them to fall on the ground and suffer serious injuries.
At other times, a pedestrian accident may occur when a driver fails to use their rearview mirror or backup camera when pulling out of a parking space. When a driver fails to look behind their vehicle when pulling out, they may negligently strike a pedestrian in their path.
Pedestrian accidents may also happen at traffic intersections, parking lots, or parking garages when people drive distractedly. Distracted driving is a major public safety concern in Petoskey and across the U.S., and it can take many forms.
Driver distraction happens whenever a driver looks at or pays attention to anything other than the road, such as the vehicle entertainment system or GPS. Drivers may also become distracted when they text and drive or make phone calls, even when using a hands-free device.
Some drivers become distracted due to passengers, including children in the back, or by simply daydreaming or losing concentration. When a driver takes their attention off the road, even for a short time, they may fail to see a pedestrian and hit them while crossing the street or walking on the shoulder.
Too many pedestrian accidents occur when drivers are illegally under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A driver with a blood alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 percent is legally intoxicated, though impairment can happen with a lower BAC for many people.
Impaired and drunk driving poses grave dangers for pedestrians and other drivers/passengers. Alcohol severely affects a driver's vision, depth perception, and mental capabilities. For example, a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs may experience blurred vision that prevents them from seeing a nearby pedestrian.
It may also affect the driver's depth perception, preventing them from measuring the distance between their vehicle and the pedestrian. Moreover, an intoxicated driver may experience delayed reflex and reaction time, preventing them from stopping their vehicle even if they see a pedestrian nearby.
If you or someone you love suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident that resulted from driver negligence, speak with experienced legal counsel as quickly as possible.
At Michigan Injury Lawyers, our team can promptly investigate your accident circumstances and file the appropriate claim or lawsuit, seeking the monetary recovery you deserve. We regularly bring claims against distracted, impaired, or otherwise negligent drivers for the harm they cause.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
When a pedestrian accident victim falls on the ground in an accident scenario, they may stand to suffer extremely serious injuries. The injuries that a pedestrian will suffer often depend on how the accident takes place, the accident location, the amount of force involved in the collision, and how they fall to the ground during the accident.
For example, if a pedestrian strikes their head, neck, or back on the ground when they fall, they may sustain a traumatic head or brain injury or suffer a broken bone or rib fracture.
Other potential injuries a pedestrian may suffer include complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries, internal bleeding, internal organ damage, road rash, soft tissue injuries, and bruising. In the worst pedestrian accident scenario, the accident victim may pass away from their injuries.
Upon suffering injuries in a pedestrian accident, the victim must seek all necessary medical treatment. Meanwhile, our legal team can gather essential documents on your behalf, including medical records and bills, to later submit to the insurance company.
Fighting the Insurance Company
Insurance companies and their representatives are never on your side. The insurance company is your direct adversary in a pedestrian accident claim or lawsuit. It is not in any insurance company's interests to fairly or reasonably compensate you for your injuries. Instead, it is in the insurance company's interest to pay out as little monetary compensation as possible to satisfy your claim or lawsuit.
Insurance companies and their adjusters will do everything they can to undermine your claim and the extent of your injuries to offer you as little compensation as possible.
At Michigan Injury Lawyers, our legal team can aggressively fight for your legal interests against the insurance company. We can introduce the pertinent documents in your case to pursue the monetary recovery you deserve, depending upon the nature and extent of your injuries, the cost of your medical treatment, and the amount of time you missed from work.
Moreover, in a third-party accident scenario, we can threaten the insurance company with litigation in court and, if necessary, file a lawsuit on your behalf. Then, we can represent you in all legal proceedings and work to recover the total amount of monetary damages you need.
What to Do Following a Pedestrian Accident in Petoskey
If you sustained injuries in a pedestrian accident, complete your medical treatment regimen, attend all medical appointments, and refrain from discharging yourself from treatment. By seeking all the medical treatment you need, you increase your chances of making a full recovery from your injury. You also show the insurance company that you deserve to recover appropriate compensation for your injuries.
Next, retain all documents pertaining to your pedestrian accident. Those documents may include the police report that an officer prepared after your accident, witness contact information, witness statements, photographs of your injuries, medical reports, and medical bills. Once you provide that information, we can assemble it into a settlement demand package for the insurance company to review.
Finally, consult our legal team as quickly as possible after your accident. We can quickly investigate your accident circumstances, determine your eligibility for filing a claim, and file the appropriate claim with the proper insurance company.
Speak With an Experienced Petoskey Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today
If you recently suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident, time is of the essence. In Michigan, pedestrian accident victims have only three years from their accident to seek the monetary recovery they need.
At Michigan Injury Lawyers, we can promptly file a claim or lawsuit on your behalf and safeguard your right to recover the financial compensation you deserve.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Petoskey personal injury attorney, please call us at (231) 649-2720 or contact us online.
Petoskey Office Location
Michigan Injury Lawyers Office
314 Howard St.
Petoskey, MI 49770
231-649-2720