Pedestrian Injured by Car Accident - What are the Next Steps to Take?

Pedestrian injured in traffic accident - What could be the reasons?

It's not hard to imagine a pedestrian getting knocked off by a car while crossing the road. Or, a really, really unfortunate pedestrian getting hit by a speeding car that climbed on the sidewalk. Both incidents are open to multiple possibilities.

It could be due to a novice driver, a drunken driver or some technical fault. Even a pedestrian who didn't take note of the traffic lights changing to green. In the last case, there's nothing much you could do apart from getting the victim immediate and appropriate medical care, depending upon the severity of the injury. However, the first two shall require the intervention of police and legal professionals, apart from medics.

The two main contributing factors to pedestrians injured by car accidents are distracted cell phone use and the growing share of inexperienced, impulsive and anxious drivers on the road. Both drivers and pedestrians are getting increasingly distracted everyday when using their cell phones. They remain no longer aware of their surroundings and potential hazards once they get glued to the screens. Additionally, the odds of a pedestrian surviving a pedestrian-vehicle crash are significantly lower when the pedestrian is struck by a SUV than by a standard car.

Other common causes behind a pedestrian injured in traffic accidents include:

• Driving under the influence (drug or alcohol use)
• Bad weather conditions
• Failure to yield
• Improper use of lanes
• Right turn accidents

These accidents usually occur because one of the parties, the pedestrian or the driver of the vehicle, is negligent. If you were negligent, then abandon all hopes for compensation. If it was the driver, you can recover any damage that you incurred as a result of the driver's negligent behaviour.

What Should You Do at the Scene of a Pedestrian Injured by Car Accident?

The course of actions taken immediately following a pedestrian's accident will determine his/her recovery rate. Recovery, here, embraces both physical and financial sides, provided the fault was entirely of the driver of the vehicle.

Firstly, you have to move the victim to a place that's safe and comparatively less congested than the surroundings. At this stage, the victim could be unconscious, severely injured, bleeding profusely or all of the three. This will thwart your ability to move the injured pedestrian to a safer place. If you can't manage things on your own, it's time to call medical professionals who are trained to handle these kind of situations. However, do move the victim out of the path of traffic ASAP. This will remove chances for any further injury from occurring. Besides, you can do it yourself if you are careful enough, without inflicting any further injury upon the victim. Check first, though, if broken bones are jutting out from within the body.

Calling 911 is a wise option in this kind of situation.Reporting the accident will make them dispatch a medical team. This is important since insignificant injuries too have the potential to develop into nasty infections. Additionally, they'll also send a police unit to the scene to find out whose fault was it in first place.

Don't leave the scene until the medical team and the police unit arrive. Your statements matter as it will help them evaluate the situation and make the legal reports. Get a copy of the report before it is filed. 

It is important to hold the driver back, regardless of whether he or she was at fault or not. If the person really can't (due to exams, pre-scheduled court appearances, doctor's appointments, etc.), get his/her car insurance details and contact information. Take a snap of the driver, the car, and its license plate. These will go to the police.

If the driver leaves without leaving contact and other details, he or she will be considered a hit-and-run driver, and the consequences for this will be heavy. Usually, such drivers are criminally prosecuted. 

Gathering evidence is must! If there're witnesses, ideally, they should stay with you, the driver and the victim.  They are important since they will furnish details as eye-witnesses to the police.

A Recap of the Information That Must be Documented Without Fail!

• Accounts of injuries.
• Make and model of the vehicle.
• The name and pic of the driver.
• Pic of the vehicle and the surrounding area.
• Evidence of technical failure and skid marks (if any).

These will also help the lawyer of the victim to file the case in a proper, detailed manner. If the driver is at fault, he/she can be held responsible for the victim's injuries, pain, and sufferings incurred. It will get done in a far more concrete manner.

However, making the driver receive a sentence in the prison or face a heavy fine isn't going to bring any financial benefit to the victim. For that, you'll need to file an insurance claim with the help of your lawyer. Or, you may file a civil lawsuit.

What should be the final steps of a Pedestrian injured in traffic accident?

Consult with an attorney about what's going to benefit you more. Only a competent, personal injury attorney will be able to assess a victim's situation based on the facts. Also, the laws vary according to the states which only a lawyer will know better how to handle.