When a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle, the pedestrian is usually left severely injured or even fatally injured. This is mainly due to the pedestrian having no protection or shield when hit. Their bodies absorb the full force of impact, often traumatic injuries or loss of life. For example, a pedestrian was killed on I-5 in Lodi after being hit by four vehicles. The tragic collision occurred northbound on Interstate 5 just south of Highway 12. In seconds, the pedestrian was hit by a Hyundai, a Chevrolet, a Chrysler, and a Mazda.

Unfortunately, thousands of pedestrians in Lodi and throughout California are hit by vehicles and suffer serious injuries or death. Over 4,700 pedestrians were killed, and over 150,000 were injured in collisions with automobiles in 2013 alone.

If you have been hit by a vehicle, there are some essential steps you can take to enhance the viability of your personal injury claim against the reckless driver. First and foremost, seek immediate medical attention and contact the authorities. Police need to be called so an accident report can be drafted. This can prove to be invaluable evidence during the litigation process. Seeking medical care immediately is essential for your overall health and when pursuing monetary damages through a personal injury claim. If there are “gaps” in your medical treatment, many insurance companies view that as a red flag and attempt to reduce or deny your claim by arguing that you could not have been hurt that bad if you waited to go see a doctor or delayed filing a claim or personal injury lawsuit. If there is no record of your seeking medical care, the insurance company may very well deny your claim.

If you can, get the reckless driver’s full name, phone number, car insurance information, vehicle model, and driver’s license number. This will come in handy when filing your personal injury claim since a demand letter must be sent to the driver’s auto insurance company.

In addition to getting the driver’s contact information, be sure to get the contact information for any witnesses who saw the accident. These witnesses can be interviewed by your Lodi personal injury lawyer and could testify if your case winds up going to trial.

Make sure to retain all documents associated with your accident. This includes medical invoices, pay stubs, the amount you had to pay for your health insurance deductible, etc. You should also keep a journal or notebook detailing how the injury adversely affects your life. This could be entries discussing that you wake up each night with pounding headaches or backaches or that you missed your child’s birthday party because of a physical therapy appointment. This information will be critical evidence in establishing your harms and losses.

The following YouTube video from AAA provides some safety tips on how to stay safe as a pedestrian.

Do not delay in contacting a Lodi pedestrian accident attorney after the collision. Waiting to hire an attorney only helps the driver who hit you because the period shortly after the accident is when vital evidence needs to be preserved. This would include the condition of the road at the accident scene (e.g., skid marks because the driver was speeding), photographs of your injuries, and so forth. Waiting to take action can also jeopardize your personal injury claim since California adheres to a two-year statute of limitations for all personal injury claims.

If you or someone close to you has been hurt or even killed in a pedestrian accident in or around Lodi, please call us today at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly, confidential advice. We can also be reached online at AutoAccident.com.

We have served the Lodi and Northern California community since 1982 as a personal injury lawyer, helping injured parties recover from their losses. 

We are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

See our client reviews on Avvo, Google, and Yelp and our past cases on our Verdicts and Settlements page.

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