When driving, it’s important to look out for and communicate with your fellow drivers, but it’s equally as important to do the same with pedestrians. This is especially the case when a crosswalk/crossing street is present. Traffic accidents involving pedestrians are all too common in cities like Miami, where the streets are densely populated. If you were behind the wheel after such an accident, it’s important to contact a car accident injury lawyer in Miami after speaking with your insurance company. 

When a vehicle hits a pedestrian, it can result in fatalities more than accidents that only involve vehicles. This is no surprise. After all, if a pedestrian was struck by a car driving at a speed of 10 mph, they can still suffer serious injuries – and this is not considered a high speed. Directly after the accident, it’s important that you follow the right steps, which will we discuss in this article.

What To Do After A Car Accident Involving A Pedestrian?

Your first step is to stay calm. Contact the police and medical services even if you do not think you or anyone else is seriously injured. It is not recommended that you attempt to administer medical treatment on your own.

If the pedestrian is conscious, exchange some basic information, such as your name, phone, and insurance information. It is not advised to speak more than you have to with the pedestrian, as you may admit fault, or make an apology whether you were or were not in the wrong. Even making a statement like, “I feel guilty” can incriminate you. So, keep your conversation to a minimum.

When the police arrive, give a detailed and honest statement. At the time, the police officer may conduct a detailed investigation and indicate who s/he believes to be at fault on the police report. In some cases, your auto insurance company may dispute these findings if the report indicated you were at fault. Be cautious with your insurer, as they may attribute more fault to you than necessary. If you believe this has happened, contact A to Z Injury Law to speak to our Miami auto accident injury lawyers.

Determining Fault

In order to determine negligence and receive compensation, the injured party must be able to prove that the defendant failed to follow the law or caused the accident that resulted in the plaintiff’s injuries. It is possible for cases to have multiple liable parties. Even the owner of the crosswalk can be liable if s/he failed to do something that a reasonable person in a similar situation would have done to protect others from foreseeable risks.

Both drivers and pedestrians have a duty of care to uphold. As a driver, you know it is important to pay attention to the road, weather, fellow passengers, and pedestrians. You must also follow the rules of the road to avoid accidents. Pedestrians must do the same. They should only cross when permitted, using the designated crosswalks when they do. When one party or both does not follow the rule of care, this can affect whether they will receive damages.

Rules vary by state when there are multiple parties who are at fault. In some states, if the pedestrian was at fault in any way, they are unable to recover damages, known as the pure contributory negligence rule. Other states allow pedestrians to recover partial damages even if they were partially at fault. This is known as the comparative fault rule.  

Will your insurance cover the expenses?

If your insurance meets the state’s minimum coverage requirements, then it will likely cover injuries you may have caused to a pedestrian. Your coverage may compensate the pedestrian for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages caused by the accident. However, if the injuries were serious, the damages may exceed the dollar limit of your coverage, causing you to pay for the difference.

Florida is considered a no-fault state, so there should be additional coverage to take care of the pedestrian’s expenses that were not covered by your liability insurance. It may come from your own policy or that of the pedestrian. As a result, it’s important to speak with your insurer to understand the full extent of your coverage.

Contact A to Z Injury Law

After an accident involving a pedestrian, it’s important to determine how your car insurance will protect you. Your insurer will perform their own investigation and it’s important that you remain cooperative throughout. Don’t hesitate to contact a car accident injury lawyer in Miami if the damages are too significant for your insurance to cover. Call A to Z Injury Law at (305) 853-9656.

Do you know what to do after a car wreck in Miami? 

Most individuals know to exchange insurance information in a fender bender, but what should you do after a serious accident? 

Driving in Miami is dangerous because it’s a highly populated metropolitan area. The city’s congested roads not only make it a headache during rush hour but also one of the deadliest roads in the country. We hope you never need this information, but this is a detailed step-by-step guide on what to do after a serious car accident.

Stay Calm – Check For Injuries

The most important step may be the most difficult to follow. After an accident, the best thing to do is stay calm. If you are in a dangerous location and you can safely move yourself or your vehicle to safety, do it, making sure to use your hazard lights as you do. Before checking on the driver in the other vehicle, check yourself and your passengers for serious injuries. If you or someone was injured, call 911 immediately and do not move until emergency personnel has arrived. Even if you were not injured, it is recommended to call 911 and file an official report of the accident. The accident report may be useful to provide to your insurance company.

Collect Information

Once you are certain that you and your passengers are not seriously injured, you can exchange your name and insurance information with the other driver involved in the accident.

Even though drivers are only required to exchange name and insurance info, try to get as much information about the driver as possible, such as their:

• Driver’s license
• License plate number
• Vehicle make and model

It’s strongly recommended to keep your conversation with the other driver to a minimum. Don’t yell at them even if they were at fault. More importantly, never apologize or admit guilt, even if you were the one who caused the accident.

Another important detail to note is where the accident occurred. You already know the city name but also get down the names of the street and cross streets. Although it’s important that you do not overextend yourself, it will be useful to get the names and contact information of any eyewitnesses who were present during the accident. Once you have given your statement to the police, find out where you will be able to get a copy of the accident report.  

Take Pictures

Taking pictures of the accident is technically part of collecting information, but it is so important, it deserves its own step. If you were not at fault, you might better protect yourself by taking pictures of your vehicle and all other vehicles involved in the accident. Pictures can be useful to support your claim when you file and it can also help your attorney prove liability and build your case.  Nevertheless, don’t take pictures if you are likely to get injured as a result.

Contact Your Insurer

You should call your insurer and notify them about the accident as soon as possible, as most insurance companies have a timeframe for policyholders to submit their claim. If you sustained injuries during the accident, don’t file a claim until your doctor has provided you with all the necessary documents/information regarding your injury.

During this time, you should also contact A to Z Injury Law and hire a car accident attorney, as they can instruct you on who to speak and who to avoid. For example, you never want to speak to the insurance adjuster sent by the other driver’s insurance company.

Contact Miami auto accident injury lawyers

When people ask what to do after a car wreck in Miami, contacting a lawyer may seem like the last response. Eventually, you will get to this important step because without legal guidance, you may inadvertently say something that can be used against you. Contact an attorney as soon as possible, as you should give them sufficient time to build a case, which will involve several time-consuming steps. Evidence must be collected, eyewitnesses interviewed, and medical bills reviewed, to name a few.

Our firm is committed to protecting the rights of victims who were injured by another person’s negligent acts. For a free consultation, contact A to Z Injury Law. Call (305) 677-8325 today.

Research by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that approximately 40 million people in America visit the doctor’s office seeking attention for unintentional injuries every year. If you’ve been injured, you should instantly visit a doctor for the injuries that you’ve sustained. Whether it was an injury at work or from a fun game of baseball with your friends, you must ask your doctor some important questions. 

Not only will this help you get a better understanding of your condition, but it will also help your Miami accident injury lawyer attain fair compensation for your case. 

Here are some of the questions you can ask. 

Can You Please Explain My Injuries to Me?

Firstly, ask your doctor to be specific about the body parts that have been injured and the extent of the injuries that you’ve sustained. If you know your arm was injured, ask the doctor if the injury was severe, moderate, or minor. 

If you know your back was injured, ask your doctor about the specific number of vertebrae. Everything the doctor tells you should be thoroughly documented in the records your Miami accident injury lawyer is maintaining.   

Am I Going to Need Future Treatment? What Will It Cost?

The most important thing after you’re injured is that you make a full recovery as soon as possible. Once your treatment is complete, ask your doctor if you’re going to need medical treatment again in the future and how much it will cost. The cost of the treatment that you receive is an added damage that you’ll have to recover in your personal injury claim in Miami. 

That said, your doctor will also have to provide their opinion of the likeliness of the surgery, medication, physical therapy, or office visits happening, and their potential costs. 

Should I Take Time Off from Work To Recover from My Injuries?

If you’re hurt in a car accident in Miami, your doctor may ask you to take extended bed rest or recommend you for physical therapy for recovery. The wages that you lose are going to be recovered if a doctor thinks that your injuries were preventing you from going back to work. 

If you’ve suffered a serious injury, ask your doctor for a note that clarifies that they’ve asked you to miss work. 

What Kind Of Medications Should I Be Taking?

If you’re feeling a lot of unbearable pain, a doctor in Miami may prescribe you medicine for the pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids are also mostly used for injuries caused by car accidents. If you’ve received a burn or a deep laceration, antibiotics may be suitable for your case, too. 

But don’t take our word for it! Ask your doctor about all of these medications and whether they will be appropriate for the injury that you’ve sustained. 

How Long Will the Treatment Last?

You’re practically asking the doctor the time it will take for you to recover completely. This quite simply depends on the nature of your treatment and the period of time it can take. For instance, if your physician recommends physical therapy, you’ll most probably have to attend it for a specific amount of time. 

If you don’t recover during this time, the doctor may ask for this period to be extended. 

Have I Sustained A Permanent Disability Or Will I Make A Full Recovery?

We sincerely hope that you make a full recovery, but if your doctor and you think that you’ve sustained an injury forever, the doctor will have to put this into writing. In this case, you’ll also have to ask your doctor if there are going to be any permanent or temporary limitations at your workplace, home, or the gym. 

Can I Have Custody Of My Medical Records?

Your Miami accident injury lawyer can help you build a case once they’ve reviewed your medical documents. If there are any gaps in your profile or if they want to ask any additional questions, they’ll identify these questions and follow up with the doctor while you recover from your injuries. 

Chances are, the opposition will ask for copies of your medical records, too. Getting copies of your files puts you a step ahead so your Miami accident injury lawyer and you can build a strong case. 

Contact A to Z Injury Law

At A to Z Injury Law, your personal Miami accident injury attorney can help you while you’re questioning the doctor about your injuries. Based on the lawyer’s extensive experience, they may ask the doctor some critical questions that you may miss. To get in touch, call us today on (305) 853-9656.