Lodi Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

When a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle, the pedestrian is usually left severely injured or even fatally injured. This is largely due to the pedestrian having no protection or shield when they are hit. Their bodies absorb the full force of impact which often means traumatic injuries or loss of life. For example, a pedestrian was killed on I-5 in Lodi after being hit by four different vehicles. The tragic collision occurred northbound on Interstate 5 just south of Highway 12. The pedestrian was hit by a Hyundai, a Chevrolet, a Chrysler and Mazda in a matter of seconds.

Unfortunately, thousands of pedestrians in Lodi and throughout California are hit by vehicles and suffer serious injuries or lose their lives. Over 4,700 pedestrians were killed and over 150,000 pedestrians were injured in collisions with automobiles in 2013 alone.

If you have been hit by a vehicle, there are some important steps you can take to enhance the viability of your personal injury claim against the reckless driver. First and foremost, seek immediate medical attention and contact the authorities. Police need to be called so an accident report can be drafted. This can prove to be invaluable evidence during the litigation process. Seeking medical care right away is both important for your overall health, but is also important when pursuing monetary damages through a personal injury claim. If there are “gaps” in your medical treatment, many insurance companies view that as a red flag and attempt to reduce or deny your claim by arguing that you could not have been hurt that bad if you waited to go see a doctor, or delayed filing a claim or personal injury lawsuit. If there is no record of your seeking medical care, the insurance company may very well deny your claim

If you are physically able, get the reckless driver’s full name, phone number, car insurance information, vehicle model, and driver’s license number. This will come in handy when filing your personal injury claim since a demand letter will need to be sent to the driver’s auto insurance company.

In addition to getting the contact information of the driver, be sure to get the contact information for any witnesses who saw the accident. These witnesses can be interviewed by your Lodi personal injury lawyer and could testify if your case winds up going to trial.

Make sure to retain all documents associated with your accident. This includes medical invoices, pay stubs, the amount you had to pay for your health insurance deductible, and so forth. You should also keep a journal or notebook detailing how the injury has adversely affected your life. This could be entries discussing the fact that you wake up each night with pounding headaches or backaches, or that you had to miss your child’s birthday party because of a physical therapy appointment. This information will be critical evidence in establishing your harms and losses.

The following YouTube video from AAA provides some safety tips on how to stay safe as a pedestrian.

Do not delay in contacting a Lodi pedestrian accident attorney after the collision. Waiting to hire an attorney only helps the driver who hit you because the period shortly after the accident is when vital evidence needs to be preserved. This would include the condition of the road at the accident scene (e.g., skid marks because the driver was speeding), photographs of your injuries, and so forth. Waiting to take action can also put your personal injury claim in jeopardy since California adheres to a two-year statute of limitations for all personal injury claims.

I’m Ed Smith, a Lodi Pedestrian Accident Lawyer. If you or someone close to you has been hurt or even killed in a pedestrian accident in or around Lodi, please call me today at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly confidential advice. I can also be reached online at AutoAccident.com.

I have been serving the Lodi and Northern California community since 1982 as a personal injury lawyer, helping injured parties recover from their losses. 

We are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

See our client reviews on Avvo, Google, and Yelp, and our past cases on our Verdicts and Settlements page.

sid rey [cs 744] 

Photo by Pixabay

Editor’s Note: This page has been updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 12.29.20]