In 2018 and 2019, pedestrians accounted for more than 21% of all road accident fatalities in Canada. That’s the highest proportion of injury rates after car and bike drivers. With a high injury rate for pedestrians, we know that many people end up in a hospital with severe injuries like cuts, broken bones, or concussions.
If you want to know what you should do in case of a pedestrian accident, you’re in the right place. Here, we’ll explain the three most important steps you should take after the accident and whom to call in something like that happens. Also, we’ll give some useful tips on how to be prepared for anything that might occur in traffic.
First Step – Contact Emergency Medical Services and Move from the Street
One of the first actions you should take is to move from the street and call the ambulance right away. Since soft tissue injuries might need immediate care as well as broken bones or something more life-threatening like a concussion, make sure to have your phone close by. Since every phone has an option to call emergency contacts or send them a message, make sure to add the numbers of your closest family members or partners and in case your phone got damaged you can ask Siri to let them know what happened. Only if it got broken in the accident, you’ll have to ask someone else to call the ambulance and one of your family members.
Moving from the street will be possible only if you feel like walking. If you’re in pain, then it might be better to stay where you are until the medical assistance arrives. Unless you don’t feel immense pain, try to help other people by moving them from the road.
When medical assistance comes, the vehicle’s driver should move out of the street to prevent further collisions with others. Local authorities will explain everything to the person behind the wheel or do it by themselves if necessary. Once everyone is safe, the policemen will start asking questions about the accident to determine exactly what happened.
One of the key aspects of your claim will be the doctors examination and report documentation, so even if the ambulance said everything is okay, make sure to visit your doctor and make him check up your head for injuries, bruises or anything that might be problematic. Also, once you’re finished, get a copy of the report and have it ready for the first meeting with your attorney.
Second Step – Memorize Important Details
When a driver harms or hits a pedestrian, it’s very important to memorize or write down their name and last name, driver’s details, and the vehicle’s license plate. If you decide to take your case to court, all those details will be incremental in proving the driver guilty.
In case the person doesn’t stop after hitting you, try to memorize the license number or take a photo of it just in case. If that happens, some eyewitnesses might remember the incident and describe it to your lawyer and later judge.
Even if the driver never stopped, you’ll have to call the police and file a statement where you’ll explain what happened and give them all the details you might have about the car. If there’s a reasonable suspicion of violent driving, drinking, on drug consumption, the law enforcement officers might arrest the driver. In court, this will show the driver’s liability or negligent driving.
This is important for your case as the judge will see how things played out and why you were the victim of someone driving without any control. Usually, drivers wait until the police arrive and help you get up. But sometimes they’re afraid of being interrogated so they leave the spot as soon as possible. If you want to build your case, you ought to get all the information you can about them like a name, driver’s licence number, plate number or at least a car model.
Third Step – Contact Your Lawyer
The last step before pursuing a lawful claim is to contact an incident lawyer and make an appointment. Once you obtain a detailed medical report, police report, and other documents that prove the damage caused by the accident, you can arrange a meeting with someone from https://www.kazlaw.ca/ to give you instructions on what to do next. Your lawyer will have to handle your insurance company, gather additional evidence if necessary, and interview a few witnesses about the accident.
After the research phase, your lawyer will be able to calculate damages and give you an exact number that you might be able to get and how long it might take.
Unfortunately, in some cases, it’s very hard to give an accurate answer regarding the situation as it mostly depends on the insurance lawyers that usually want to drag the issue as much as possible. Unfortunately, the insurance lawyers will always work against you and agree to pay you out only if you prove how damaging the accident was for your work, career or health.
Every personal injury claim is different as the insurance lawyers often need more proof on the cause of the semi-trailer truck traffic collision, even when the other party admits responsibility. Also, in other situations, when the case is strong, the insurance company will be ready to settle and offer a considerable amount of money.
Always Remain Calm
Nobody knows what might happen tomorrow. That’s why we should know how to behave in situations that are beyond our control. Pedestrian accidents can be very dangerous, especially when a car is involved. As an aftermath of the accident, every pedestrian often spends at least several days in the hospital trying to recuperate from injuries, especially if it was hit by a car.
After receiving medical help and filing a police report, your next step should contact a personal injury lawyer before making any statement or getting your insurance. A seasoned attorney will know how to ask all the right questions and determine the best strategy to move your case forward.
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