Child & Jackson can help you through the claims process when you’re injured as a pedestrian in Folsom. No matter where you go on foot around the city, you have to be careful. This is especially true at crosswalks. Drivers might understand that you have the right of way there, but it doesn’t prevent accidents. When that happens, we can answer your questions. Set up a free consultation today.
Does a Lawyer Make Sense After a Crosswalk Accident?
Across Folsom, you see crosswalks every day. But more to the point, when you’re using a crosswalk, you rightly assume that drivers are going to watch out for you. After all, that’s the whole point of a crosswalk.
However, just being in a crosswalk doesn’t prevent an accident from happening. And when it happens to you, you’re suddenly left dealing with a whole host of problems. That’s usually when talking to our lawyers at Child & Jackson starts to make more sense. We can:
- Help you understand what steps you can take and what to expect during the claims process.
- Look into the accident, to figure out what happened and who might be responsible
- Get important records and other information that will support your claim
- Handling all the back-and-forth with the insurance company
- Talk about going ahead with filing a lawsuit if the insurance company won’t give you a fair offer
After a crosswalk accident, your focus should be on your health and your recovery. We’ll handle the legal side of things so you don’t have to deal with it alone.
How Crosswalk Accidents Happen in Folsom
Crosswalks might be designed to give you and other pedestrians a safer place to cross the road, but unfortunately, they can’t outright prevent accidents from happening. Once a light changes, a driver only has a few seconds to respond. But again, as the person crossing the intersection, you can’t account for what somebody behind the wheel does or doesn’t do. And not surprisingly, they lead to accidents when that driver:
- Doesn’t yield to someone who’s already crossing
- Runs a red light or stop sign
- Speeds through an intersection
- Looks down at their phone or drives while distracted
- Turns without checking for pedestrians
Again, this can happen at any crosswalk in the city. However, when drivers are faced with busier areas in certain parts of the city, they’re more common. Thus, crosswalk accidents usually happen at:
- East Bidwell Street, where there’s multiple intersections that are busy throughout the day.
- Folsom Boulevard, which has faster-moving cars and busy crossings.
- Blue Ravine Road, which has a combination of neighborhood streets, businesses, and crossings .
- Iron Point Road, especially near commercial areas.
- Broadstone Parkway, which also has a lot of different shops and stores with busy intersections
- Historic Folsom and Sutter Street, where pedestrians are often walking between restaurants, shops, and other common areas.
No matter how common these accidents are, what’s almost universal is that they leave you, the pedestrian, facing a huge uphill climb as you try to get better. That’s why the claims process is there, but it takes good information to get the most out of it.
Information That Can Help After a Crosswalk Accident
After a crosswalk accident, there’s a lot happening at once. You’re on the ground and in pain, yes, but there’s also questions about what actually happened. Before you get to that point, though, the first thing you should do is call 911 and report the accident. This gets medical help on the way and should also bring police to the scene to clear it.
After that, it’s a good opportunity to get a few basic details that can help you later, like:
- The driver’s name, insurance information, and contact details.
- Contact information from people who saw the accident happen
- Pictures/videos of the immediate aftermath. Focus on the car, street signs, traffic signals, and your injuries.
That’s about as much as you can do at the scene, but the work isn’t done once you’re loaded in the ambulance. Important information is going to come in the days/weeks after. As you heal, try to keep track of your:
- Medical records and bills
- Follow-up appointments and treatment
- Photos showing how your injuries change over time
- Missed work and lost income
- How your injuries affect your daily activities
- Any letters from insurance companies
Even if you weren’t able to get much information at the scene, don’t assume your case is over. Our team can fill in the gaps later by looking more closely at what caused the accident. But with this information, you have the building blocks of a claim. From there, the focus shifts to the actual process.
How the Claims Process Works After a Crosswalk Accident
A crosswalk accident is something nobody wants to go through, but when it does happen, the claims process works the same way as it would if you were a pedestrian anywhere else. You can either:
- File an insurance claim outside of court
- File a personal injury lawsuit
A lot of these claims start with the driver’s insurance company. They’ll get to review your information and evidence, then decide whether or not to offer you a settlement. Most of the time, you’ll get a settlement offer, but it might not take all your losses into account or even come close to covering your “damages.” When that happens, the next step is to file a lawsuit. It takes more time and effort, but it’s typically a fairer process, where you can potentially recover:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Current and future lost income
- Repair/replacement costs for any damaged property
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Costs relating to changes to your quality of life
- Wrongful death expenses in fatal accidents
Every pedestrian accident is different. The severity of your injuries, who caused the accident, and the available insurance coverage can all affect your options. California generally gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Waiting too long can make it harder to gather evidence and build a strong case.
Count on Child & Jackson After a Folsom Crosswalk Accident
A crosswalk accident is like most pedestrian accidents in that they’re incredibly hard to deal with. Serious injuries, ongoing pain, and daily struggles are all a part of it. But you don’t have to try to get through it all by yourself.
Our Folsom pedestrian accident lawyers at Child & Jackson can help you understand what happened, explain your options, deal with the insurance company, and help you figure out your next steps. You can count on our experience and guidance. Set up a free consultation today to get started.