Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second-largest in the United States. Recent data indicates that LA has an estimated population of 3,898,747.
When a vehicle hits a person walking along the roads or crossroads, it is categorized as a pedestrian accident. California has at-fault insurance laws, and the person responsible for the accident is liable to pay for damages and injuries to accident victims.
Suppose you are hit by a car or motorcycle while walking on the road and have sustained severe injuries. In that case, you need to contact a pedestrian accident lawyer in Los Angeles to get rightfully compensated.
Why Do You Need to Contact an Attorney?
A pedestrian accident can cause more severe injuries than other accidents, and you might have medical and financial needs in the next few months. An attorney will do everything to build a strong case against the negligent driver and help you get adequate compensation to cover all your medical bills and lost wages.
The last thing you would want to do is make mistakes to weaken the case. Here are the errors you need to avoid after a pedestrian accident in Los Angeles.
Not Getting Prompt Medical Care
Data from Statewide traffic records indicate that pedestrian accidents have risen. According to the latest accident data, around 14230 pedestrians were injured on Los Angeles streets due to collisions.
While you may call the ambulance when you sustain severe injuries, you might avoid going to the doctor if you believe your injuries are minor. Doctors assert that spinal or brain injury symptoms can take days to develop after the accident. So the chances are that you may feel no need to visit a doctor and get a thorough check-up.
However, you can prevent injuries from worsening or becoming life-threatening by seeking immediate medical care. Also, you can avoid disputes with the defendant’s insurer about what caused these injuries.
Thus, not seeking immediate medical care is one of the reasons for the accident victim’s failure to get compensation.
Not Obtaining A Police Report
Recent traffic data indicates that around 439 pedestrians lost their lives in collisions on Los Angeles streets between 2012 and 2016. A negligent driver may agree to pay for injuries and convince you not to involve the police. But a pedestrian accident lawyer in Los Angeles mentions that it could be a big mistake. You will repent if the driver denies any compensation amount in the future.
If you do not call the police, you may lose the contact information of the driver, his insurance company, and the contact information of the eyewitnesses at the accident scene.
When the police arrive, they will perform a preliminary investigation about the accident like:
The information mentioned in the police report can be beneficial to prove that the accident occurred and who was responsible for it.
Not Taking Pictures
After a pedestrian accident, you need to take pictures of the car that hit you and the damages it caused. You also need to take photos of your injuries at the accident spot. If you are not in the state to click pictures by yourself, you can ask bystanders or witnesses of the accident to click images and send them to you.
Not Getting Contact Information
While police will do their job of documenting the accident, they might not be able to speak to all witnesses on the accident spot. Therefore, you should obtain the contact information of all eyewitnesses of the accident and give it to your lawyer.
These are a few mistakes you need to avoid after being hit by a vehicle while walking on the road.
