Compton Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Compton Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

California is notorious for heavy traffic in the state’s large metropolitan areas, and thousands of pedestrians make their way around busy streets in the Compton area every day. Unfortunately, accidents involving pedestrians can and do happen, often with catastrophic consequences. When such an accident occurs, the pedestrian may not only sustain severe injuries from the initial impact of the vehicle but also from the secondary impact of hitting the ground. Accidents involving motor vehicles hitting pedestrians have a high chance of causing life-changing or fatal injuries.

Experienced Legal Counsel for Compton Pedestrian Accident Claims

If you believe you or a loved one suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident because of another party’s negligence behind the wheel, you have the right to hold them accountable for your damages. A Compton pedestrian accident attorney can help you determine fault for your recent accident, assess the damages done by the defendant, and guide you through the legal proceedings necessary for holding them accountable.

McLachlan Law, APC, has extensive professional experience handling a wide range of personal injury claims in Compton, including those pertaining to pedestrian accidents. Our firm will help you prove fault for your damages and secure as much compensation as state law allows to aid your recovery. If another party is responsible for your pedestrian accident, you should not be left to manage the aftermath and the economic impact on your own.

Proving Fault for a Pedestrian Accident

Pedestrians are responsible for paying attention while walking in busy metropolitan areas and heed crosswalk indicators before crossing streets. A pedestrian accident might happen any time a pedestrian crosses a road outside of the crosswalk, steps into traffic without paying attention, or if they are not paying attention to their surroundings. However, while it is technically possible for a pedestrian to cause an accident, a driver always has a higher duty of care to prevent collisions with pedestrians.

If you or a loved one was recently hit by a driver while walking, the driver is liable for the injuries and subsequent economic losses resulting from the incident. Proving fault is relatively straightforward in a pedestrian accident case; all drivers are required to avoid hitting pedestrians at all times, even when pedestrians cross streets illegally. The driver’s duty of care is always greater than the pedestrian’s. However, there is always a chance for a driver to dispute liability for this type of accident. They may claim the pedestrian jaywalked or otherwise contributed to causing the crash.

Success with your recovery efforts after a pedestrian accident is likely to hinge on your ability to prove the driver was negligent or engaged in intentional misconduct that directly caused the accident. If the defendant asserts comparative fault against the pedestrian they struck, an investigation can reveal that the pedestrian jaywalked or otherwise contributed to causing the accident. If California’s pure comparative negligence law applies, the plaintiff loses a percentage of their recovery equal to their percentage of fault for causing the accident. When comparative fault applies in pedestrian accident claims, pedestrians almost always bear less fault than the drivers who hit them.

Pedestrian Accident Damages and Compensation You Can Claim

State law allows the plaintiff in a personal injury case to seek full recovery from all of the economic losses the defendant caused them to suffer. Whenever a vehicle driver hits a pedestrian, the victim is likely to suffer multiple catastrophic injuries. The risk of fatal injury is also exceptionally high in pedestrian accidents. If a victim does not survive, their family could file a wrongful death claim in place of the personal injury claim the victim could have filed if they survived.

After proving fault for your pedestrian accident and identifying the defendant responsible for your damages, the next phase of your case is proving the full scope of those damages. A pedestrian accident can easily lead to severe damages, from expensive medical treatment costs for managing severe injuries to ongoing losses caused by lost wages, inability to work, and impending future damages the victim cannot accurately assess immediately after their accident. Claimable losses in most personal injury cases include:

• Immediate and long-term medical expenses. The defendant is liable for any medical care the plaintiff requires to reach maximum medical improvement.
• Lost income during the victim’s initial recovery. If you must stay home from work due to your injuries, the defendant is responsible for all the income you lost during this time.
• Lost future income when the victim cannot return to work. Unfortunately, many victims of pedestrian accidents are left permanently disabled by their injuries. Your Compton pedestrian accident lawyer can help you calculate the future income you could have earned if your accident hadn’t happened.
• Property damage, such as repair or replacement costs of any property damaged or destroyed by the defendant’s actions.
• Pain and suffering compensation to reflect the physical pain and psychological trauma inflicted by the defendant. There is no limit to the amount of pain and suffering compensation you can seek from the defendant who caused your accident.

The initial aftermath of any pedestrian accident can be traumatic and difficult to navigate. The average person may have no idea how to begin their recovery efforts or what options for legal recourse are available to them. In addition, some victims are hurt so severely that they have no memory of how their accidents happened. Working with an experienced Compton pedestrian accident attorney significantly improves the chances of you reaching a favorable outcome in your personal injury case. When you choose McLachlan Law, APC, to represent you, we will work swiftly to uncover the full scope of economic damages you can seek from the defendant, and we will also assist you in maximizing your pain and suffering compensation to reflect the severity of your experience.

Find Your Personal Injury Accident Attorneys Today

The McLachlan Law, APC, team has years of professional experience helping clients navigate the toughest personal injury claims in the Compton area, including pedestrian accident cases involving life-changing injuries and extensive economic losses. If you are ready to explore your options for legal recourse, contact us today and schedule your consultation with a Compton pedestrian accident attorney.