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Walking is that also is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transportation. However, it can be a dangerous activity, whether you are walking on rural country roads or busy urban streets. Drivers may cause pedestrian accidents if they are driving while distracted, impaired, or not paying attention to their surroundings. Speeding, failing to stop at stop signs or traffic signals, and other traffic violations also can lead to pedestrian accidents.
If you or a loved one were injured due to a negligent motorist while walking, you may wish to consult a Gautier pedestrian accident lawyer for advice. An experienced personal injury lawyer may be able to evaluate your situation and determine whether you may be entitled to seek damages for your injuries.
Pedestrians could sustain devastating injuries in a collision with a motor vehicle. Those on foot have no protection against the impact of motor vehicles or collision with the pavement, sidewalks, or other stationary objects. With no safety gear or features to protect them, the resulting injuries can be catastrophic.
Some of the injuries that commonly result from pedestrian accidents may include:
Pedestrians injured in motor vehicle accidents also may sustain cuts and lacerations, internal injuries, and other devastating injuries. When individuals suffer injuries as the result of negligent drivers or other parties, they may have a claim for damages under state law.
In some cases, pedestrians may contribute to the accident that caused their injuries. For instance, if a vehicle strikes them while they are crossing against a red light or “do not walk” sign, pedestrians may be partially at fault in some cases. Nonetheless, these injury victims still may have a claim for damages, although they may face a reduction in their total allowable damages.
Injury victims may be eligible to recover a wide range of damages. The primary kind of damages that individuals commonly seek in these claims are compensatory damages. These damages are designed to compensate injury victims for any injury-related losses.
Compensatory damages further are divided into special damages and general damages. Special damages are financial losses that are easily quantifiable, such as medical bills, expenses for property damage, and lost wages. General damages, however, are non-economic and more challenging to quantify, such as pain and suffering and mental trauma, and have a maximum recovery limit of one million dollars.
Punitive damages are designed to punish the at-fault parties rather than compensate the injury victims. State law places no cap on punitive damages, as some states do, but a punitive damages award is limited to cases involving the most reckless and intentionally harmful behaviors. A seasoned pedestrian accident attorney in Gautier may advise injured claimants of the types of damages they may be eligible to recover.
Most personal injury actions are subject to the statute of limitations outlined in Mississippi Code § 15-1-49. Individuals must file their personal injury claims no later than three years from the date of the accident that led to their injuries. The law does provide a few exceptions, such as where individuals fail to discover an injury until well after an accident has occurred.
Individuals who fail to file their claims within this timeframe can lose their ability to pursue those claims. As a result, they will have no means of obtaining compensation from negligent drivers or other parties who are responsible for causing their injuries. Due to this stringent timeline, contacting a pedestrian accident attorney in Gautier as quickly as possible could be vital to an injured claimant’s case.
The overall value of a pedestrian accident claim varies widely according to the extent and severity of your injuries. Since the injuries that you sustain in a pedestrian accident can be significant and life-altering, you may wish to contact a Gautier pedestrian accident lawyer for a valuation of your claim.
Pedestrian accident claims can be challenging, especially when it comes to determining fault. Let a skilled attorney help. Call today to get started on your claim.