Pedestrian accidents can cause serious injuries and, in most severe cases, fatalities. Being a victim of such an accident can make you feel overwhelmed and confused. It can create anger toward the person who caused it. Knowing the right legal steps to take is important to establish the driver’s negligence and support a claim for compensation.
Important evidence to prove driver negligence
After a pedestrian accident, there are many questions about the right steps to take and whether you can receive fair compensation. Understanding the right steps and acting quickly can make you build a stronger case. Submitting the right evidence in court may give you a fair chance of winning the case. You should gather specific evidence for your accident claim, which includes:
- Police reports: Request a traffic collision report from the Los Angeles Police Department. The report may include any violation of the traffic laws by the driver, such as failure to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
- Video evidence: Try to get video evidence from nearby businesses, traffic-camera footage or neighborhood security cameras. Video footage can act as vital evidence in proving the driver’s negligence.
- Witness statements: Get contact information from witnesses. This may help when the driver denies what happened.
- Digital evidence: In situations where there is suspected distracted driving, cellphone records or other digital evidence can show whether the driver was texting at the time of the accident.
- Medical reports: This helps establish the connection between the injuries and the accident.
Accidents involving pedestrians can lead to injuries such as broken bones, spinal cord injuries, brain trauma and even death in severe cases. The severity of the injuries is one factor that may affect the value of a personal injury claim, along with medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other damages. If you know how to establish negligence, then you have a way to get fair compensation.
Pursuing justice through legal steps
The consequences of a pedestrian accident are usually devastating and may result in significant financial losses. When a pedestrian is injured because a driver failed to yield the right-of-way or otherwise acted negligently, the injured person can seek compensation through a personal injury claim.
