After a Pedestrian Accident in Odessa, Texas, What Should You Do?

If a motor vehicle hits you while you are walking in Odessa, Texas you could suffer devastating injuries. As a pedestrian hit by a car, you should seek immediate medical care after the accident. You could have injuries that are not easy to see at first glance or where the symptoms don’t appear for several hours, like a brain injury or internal bleeding.

After receiving emergency care, you can decide whether to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Hiring a Texas personal injury lawyer to represent you can be a key next step in protecting your right to seek an injury award.

Investigate the Pedestrian Accident

After you hire your attorneys, they will investigate the crash. Determining exactly what happened in the accident is important when trying to win a financial award for your injuries and hardships. 

Maintaining pedestrian safety is something that drivers in Odessa, and throughout Texas, must do, especially if pedestrians are using a crosswalk. However, the motor vehicle operator is not automatically at fault if a pedestrian accident occurs. Pedestrians must follow their own traffic laws when walking, just like drivers need to do. 

The insurance company may try to blame you unfairly for causing your injuries. It then can try to deny or reduce your award. Your lawyer’s investigation can find facts that dispute or disprove what the insurer is claiming.

Assign Fault for the Accident

Texas is an at-fault state. This means that the party found to be at fault for causing the accident could be liable to provide a financial award to the victim. 

If you, as the pedestrian, are partially at fault for causing the crash, you can still potentially collect an award. If you were 50% or less at fault, you could receive an award reduced by the percentage you were at fault rather than the full award.

To have a chance to maximize your potential award, your pedestrian accident attorney’s investigation is key. The more facts your lawyer can find that show the driver was primarily at fault for hitting you, the larger percentage of the award you could receive.

Continue Your Medical Care

After medical professionals examine you following the accident, your primary doctor will probably create a treatment plan. This plan attempts to help you regain the physical health you enjoyed before the driver hit you.

You also should follow the plan because it helps your chances of winning an award in your personal injury lawsuit. If you skip doctor’s appointments or physical therapy care, the insurance company may argue that your injuries are less severe than you are claiming. This could reduce your financial award or jeopardize your chances of winning one.

If you are frustrated with the level of care you are receiving, it’s better to seek a second opinion from another doctor. Don’t skip appointments or try to treat yourself.

Our Pedestrian Injury Accident Lawyers Will Protect Your Right To Seek an Award

After a crosswalk accident in Odessa, Texas you, as the pedestrian, could have catastrophic injuries to internal organs. Such injuries could leave you unable to enjoy life like you did before the accident.

Perhaps the insurance company made a lowball settlement offer to you and didn’t consider the long-term effects of your injuries. If so, our pedestrian accident lawyers are ready to go to work for you. You can hire us immediately after the accident or after you start negotiating with the insurer.

To schedule a consultation to discuss your pedestrian accident claim, call Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C. today at 800-433-2408.