Lakeland Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in a collision caused by a distracted, aggressive, or reckless driver, you may be dealing with extremely painful injuries and a dizzying amount of medical bills. Fortunately, a pedestrian accident lawyer in Lakeland, FL, can hold the at-fault driver responsible for your treatment expenses, vehicle repair costs, and other losses.

It takes passion, hard work, and skill to succeed in holding a negligent party accountable via a pedestrian accident claim or lawsuit. The team at Dismuke Law has what it takes to get the job done, as evidenced by our impressive case results. If you want an experienced professional on your side, we recommend hiring a lawyer from our firm.

Main Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Lakeland

While some pedestrian accidents are caused by the pedestrian’s carelessness, the vast majority of these incidents are the result of driver inattentiveness. When motorists are not paying attention to the road or looking out for people on foot, they can cause collisions with devastating or even fatal consequences.

If you’ve been hit by a careless driver while walking or crossing the street in Lakeland, you’ll need an attorney with experience litigating similar claims. Our pedestrian accident lawyers have obtained high-value settlement offers and jury awards for clients injured in incidents caused by the following wrongful acts:

• Distracted driving, including texting while driving
• Failing to yield the right-of-way
• Violating traffic laws
• Failing to follow traffic control devices
• Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs (DUI)
• Failing to signal before turning
• Failure to check for pedestrians before exiting driveways
• General driver inattention
• Poor road design or construction

Since vehicles can do so much damage to a pedestrian, motorists should also always yield the right-of-way to pedestrians whenever possible. Motorists who drive in a manner that endangers or harms pedestrians must be held accountable for the pain, emotional suffering, and financial losses they inflict.

Compensation You Might Receive After a Pedestrian Accident

As a pedestrian accident victim, you might be dealing with intense physical pain, emotional trauma, and exorbitant medical bills. The only way to receive compensation for such losses is by working with a pedestrian accident lawyer in Lakeland, FL.

A skilled attorney will do their best to obtain the correct amount of compensation for the following losses:

Medical Bills

These damages can help you pay your treatment bills so that you can avoid drawing on your savings or going into debt. The compensation you receive can be used to pay for hospital visits, doctor’s appointments, medication, assistive devices, physical therapy, and any other form of care you need to recover from your injuries and cope with permanent conditions.

Lost Income

Missing work days due to your pedestrian accident can be stressful and might leave you worrying about how you’ll make up for lost income. Fortunately, the compensation you receive from a claim or lawsuit can make up for any paychecks you’ve missed during your recovery.

Decreased Earning Ability

Some injuries can affect auto accident victims for years to come, making it hard for them to work and earn a living. If you’ve sustained permanent or long-term injuries that are preventing you from making ends meet, a pedestrian accident attorney in Lakeland, FL, can secure compensation to make up for your reduced ability to earn money.

Pain and Suffering

Getting hit by a moving vehicle will likely leave you with chronic pain for months, if not years, to come. If you’re dealing with distracting or unbearable pain after a pedestrian accident in Lakeland, a lawyer from our team can add these damages to your claim.

Mental Distress

Pedestrian accidents often leave victims with lasting psychological damage. If you’ve seen a mental health professional for symptoms of PTSD or anxiety after such an incident, you may qualify for mental distress damages.

Your Attorney Will Negotiate With Stubborn Insurers

In Florida, pedestrian accident victims pursue compensation by filing a claim with their own insurance provider. However, obtaining the settlement you deserve isn’t as easy as filing an insurance claim. Your attorney will most likely have to fight tooth and nail with insurance adjusters to reach an offer that works for you.

That’s because insurance companies are seldom willing to offer fair compensation right away. They need to be persuaded and pressured to do what’s right and provide an ample payout. Our attorneys are no strangers to the negotiating room, as they’ve obtained numerous high-value settlements in the past.

Your lawyer will convince insurers that you deserve the maximum amount of compensation for your losses. If your claim is denied or if your plan doesn’t cover the full extent of your losses, your attorney will file a personal injury lawsuit against the party responsible for your accident.

Proving Liability in a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit

If you need to file a lawsuit to get the compensation you’re owed, your Lakeland pedestrian accident attorney must prove liability. To do so, they’ll have to investigate your accident. They’ll analyze police reports, witness testimonies, and any other forms of evidence they can track down to identify who is responsible for your injury.

Contrary to popular belief, the driver isn’t always 100% responsible for the accident. For example, if the incident was caused by poor road design, your lawyer may assign a portion of the liability to the party responsible for city planning and road design.

Our pedestrian accident attorneys will use the evidence they find during the investigation to find out who should be held liable for your losses. Once they’ve established liability, they’ll use that same evidence and information to prove that the guilty parties should be held responsible for your economic and non-economic losses.

Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims in Florida

In Florida, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim is typically two years from the date of the injury. This means you have two years to initiate legal action against the responsible party. If you fail to file your claim within this time frame, you may lose your right to seek compensation for your injuries, regardless of how strong your case may be.

There are, however, exceptions to this general rule. For example, if the injury wasn’t discovered immediately, the clock may start ticking from the date you became aware of the injury rather than the date of the incident. Additionally, if the claim involves a government entity, different and often shorter deadlines may apply. Because these deadlines can vary based on the specifics of your case, it’s important to consult with an attorney as soon as possible.

At Dismuke Law, we help clients understand and navigate the legal timelines that apply to their cases, ensuring no important deadlines are missed. If you’ve been injured and need to pursue a personal injury claim, reach out to us early to protect your right to compensation.

An Attorney Can Help You Recover From Your Pedestrian Accident Injuries

A pedestrian may sustain catastrophic injuries if they are struck by a motor vehicle. Even low-speed collisions in parking lots or driveways have the potential to cause significant harm due to the size disparity and the fact that a pedestrian has no protection against the impact.

Our attorneys can help you get the financial remedies you need to afford medical care for any of the following pedestrian accident injuries:

• Broken bones
• Crush injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Head trauma
• Brain injuries
• Internal organ damage
• Severe cuts and bruises
• Traumatic amputation

We may also be able to help you recover non-economic damages for your intangible losses.  Depending on the circumstances surrounding your case, your attorney may also be able to help you recover damages for your pain, suffering, and other emotional damages. 

Contact Our Pedestrian Injury Attorneys in Lakeland, FL

If you or someone you love has sustained catastrophic or even minor injuries in a pedestrian accident, you deserve a settlement that will fully pay for medical care, lost earnings, and other economic and non-economic losses you have experienced.

The Lakeland pedestrian accident attorneys at Dismuke Law have decades of experience protecting the rights of accident victims just like you. They’ll investigate your accident, prove liability, and demand that insurers offer a sufficient payment. Contact us via our contact form or by calling (863) 250-5050 today to get started on your claim.