If you or someone you love was injured in a pedestrian accident in Bakersfield, you’re likely stressed and overwhelmed while you deal with the realities of a debilitating injury and all the costs that come with it. You may feel angry, frustrated, or depressed as you try to deal with the trauma of a pedestrian accident and the financial strain it can place on you and your family.
The Bakersfield personal injury attorneys at OnderLaw want you to know that you have options. You may be eligible to receive compensation through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Contact us today for a free initial consultation. We will review your pedestrian accident and determine whether you qualify to obtain money for your accident, and provide you with all options available to you during this difficult time. Contact us today, and let us help you get the compensation you deserve.
Attempting to pursue compensation for an injury without the assistance of an attorney can be difficult. Insurance adjusters will do all they can to prevent paying out claims to injury victims. That means they may sometimes use tactics that are not completely above board. They may try to convince you that hiring an attorney isn’t necessary for your particular injury or that hiring a lawyer will only reduce the portion of the settlement you get to keep for yourself. They may even deny your claim outright, secure in the knowledge that without an attorney representing you, you have few options for further negotiation.
A good attorney can help you counter these tactics. We know how to deal with pushy insurance adjusters, and we know how to build and prepare a claim that is complete, supported by evidence, and based on facts. We will use our knowledge and skills to help you avoid novice mistakes that may get your claim delayed or denied.
We can also help make sure you demand an amount of compensation that is commensurate with your injury. The value of your claim is determined by the losses you suffer as a result of your injury. Some of these losses are easy to understand, and some require the help of an attorney with knowledge of the claims process. We can help explain how losses and damages work and ensure that you don’t leave money you’re owed on the table.
Just the knowledge that you’ve retained legal counsel can change the cost-benefit equation for the insurance company. When you hire a lawyer, you signal to them that you’re ready to go the distance and take your claim all the way to trial if necessary. This means they’ll need to expend resources to defend their customer from liability, and the costs of litigation can sometimes be more than the cost of a fair settlement.
Hiring a lawyer isn’t an extravagance. It’s necessary to make sure you get what you’re owed.
There are many good reasons why OnderLaw is the right choice for your pedestrian accident.
We have almost two decades of experience helping residents of California and elsewhere get the fair and just compensation they deserve for their injuries. We’ve seen all types of injuries, from whiplash claims to wrongful death lawsuits, and we know the ins and outs of the claims process and how to make it work for our clients.
We fully understand and appreciate the financial toll a debilitating accident can have on a family, which is why we operate on a contingency fee basis. This means that you only pay for our services if we’re successful in getting compensation for you. There are no up-front costs. If we aren’t successful, you pay nothing.
We know the value of lifting others up, and we don’t just help our clients. We take pride in supporting the communities that have helped us grow. We regularly donate time and money to charitable organizations and causes such as MADD, Lupus Foundation of America, and Toys for Tots.
Our high level of service and compassionate legal counsel have yielded fantastic results. We’ve been able to obtain over $3 billion in settlements and awards for our clients. The numbers speak for themselves.
There’s no need to take our word for it. Head over to our Testimonials page to hear from some of our satisfied clients.
California Vehicle Code 21950 regulates the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians on active roadways in California. A pedestrian is defined as anyone on foot or using a conveyance that isn’t a bicycle, such as roller skates, a skateboard, or a wheelchair.
It states that vehicle drivers have an obligation to yield to pedestrians in any marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Although a pedestrian has a duty to exercise care when choosing to leave the curb and cannot impede or slow down traffic, in general, it’s the motorist’s responsibility to yield to any pedestrians.
Drivers also cannot pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk, or stop in the middle of a crosswalk, whether pedestrians are using it or not. Jaywalking is illegal in California.
There are myriad ways a pedestrian can be harmed on roads in California. Some of the more common accident types we see include the following:
Each pedestrian accident is different, with unique circumstances and root causes. Some pedestrians are injured by bicycles, scooters, or even other pedestrians. The most common causes of pedestrian accidents include:
The majority of pedestrian injury accidents occur when a moving vehicle strikes a pedestrian. The type and severity of the injuries sustained depend upon the speed of the vehicle, where the pedestrian is struck, the vehicle type, and the road conditions. In general, the faster a vehicle is traveling at the time of impact, the more serious the injuries.
There are many types of pedestrian injuries, such as:
In order to obtain a settlement or award, you must prove that the other party was responsible for your accident. You must show, with evidence, that the responsible party was required to behave a certain way, didn’t behave as they should, that their bad behavior caused an accident, and that accident caused you injury. If you can prove these elements, you should have a valid claim for compensation.
The amount of compensation you can get depends on the severity of your injury and the circumstances that led up to the accident. If you have a low-speed pedestrian accident with minor injuries that didn’t require any medical treatment or cause any significant loss to you, you won’t be able to demand as much compensation as an accident victim that was hit at high speed and suffered severe, lasting injuries.
The circumstances also play a significant role. If the driver of the vehicle that struck you was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during bad weather that limited visibility, you’ll have a stronger case than someone in a low-speed accident struck in the middle of the day.
The amount you may receive is nearly impossible to determine without a full review of your accident.
You may be eligible to be compensated for any losses you’ve sustained. Some of these losses have a dollar value attached, such as medical bills. These are economic damages. Some losses relate to the injury itself and its effects on your psyche and not the cost of treating it. These are losses like pain and suffering. These are non-economic damages. Your attorney can help you assign appropriate values to the losses you experienced because of your accident and injuries.
Here are some informative statistics regarding pedestrian accidents in California and elsewhere:
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident in Bakersfield, don’t wait any longer. Call the attorneys at OnderLaw today for a free, confidential consultation and see if a personal injury claim is right for you. The first consultation is free, and you only pay for our services if we get money for you, so you have nothing to lose. Call today.
