Even if you follow every traffic rule that applies to you as a pedestrian, you may still be severely injured if a nearby driver fails to take their responsibilities under the law seriously. Whether you suffer minor injuries without any long-term repercussions or sustain permanently disabling damage through an incident like this, you should not have to cover any of your ensuing financial, physical, and personal costs by yourself.
Fortunately, help is available from a dedicated Copperas Cove pedestrian accident lawyer with the expertise and experience necessary to enforce your rights proactively. No matter how your accident happened or what specific losses it has led to, working closely with a skilled personal injury attorney can be vital in protecting your best interests now and in the future.
While motor vehicle drivers who strike pedestrians are certainly much less likely to be injured in incidents of this nature than the person they run into, that does not mean courts automatically impose civil liability for ensuing damages onto those drivers. Any injured pedestrian who wants to recover civil compensation still needs to prove the driver who struck them is responsible for an accident, which generally entails establishing a driver was negligent.
This specifically means proving the following criteria apply to the situation:
It may also be necessary to actively disprove allegations that a plaintiff was negligent and, therefore, partially responsible for causing an accident. A court may reduce total available compensation or even entirely prohibit recovery based on such accusations. Support from a seasoned attorney in Copperas Cove can be crucial to building a strong pedestrian collision claim with these legal principles in mind.
A successful settlement demand or lawsuit based on a pedestrian crash can seek restitution for economic losses like lost work income and medical expenses and non-economic pain and suffering losses. However, even if an accident like this causes permanent and debilitating harm, injured plaintiffs have a limited amount of time to begin a lawsuit.
Specifically, Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003 sets a two-year filing deadline beginning on the date an accident occurred. Few exceptions apply only under specific circumstances. An experienced lawyer could help navigate around these and other procedural obstacles that might impact a pedestrian accident claim in Copperas Cove.
Pedestrians hit while walking by reckless or careless motor vehicle drivers often have grounds to demand substantial financial recovery based on that incident. Without dedicated legal counsel helping you through the process, you may not receive the amount of compensation you need to cover your losses.
A conversation with a Copperas Cove pedestrian accident lawyer could clarify your legal rights and options. Contact our firm today to start your claim.