Your daily commute to work might involve crossing a handful of streets before making it to your office. One day, you might be walking to work and minding your business when a car suddenly hits you. Before you know it, you’ve found yourself lying down on the pavement, trying to regain consciousness, and angry at the driver of the car that hit you. But instead of letting your anger get the best of you, here are some things that you should do when you get run over by a car.
“Follow these 5 key steps
if you or a loved one
is hit by a car.”
1.Calm yourself down and move to a safe place.
While you might want to lose composure and vent out your anger towards the person who ran you over, safety is paramount. Be calm, don’t panic, and ensure your survival.
Regain your composure and assess your surroundings.
Once you’ve calmed yourself down, you should then move out to a nearby sidewalk so that you won’t get hit by other vehicles.
2. If the driver who hit you is still in the street where the car accident happened, ask them to stay there. Otherwise, take a photo of the license plate of the car that hit you or simply remember its make and color.
The driver of the car that had hit you might not initially know that they’ve collided with you, especially if you crossed a street and they didn’t see you at all. They also might be fleeing the scene – a hit-and-run.
The minute that the car driver who has hit you steps out of the vehicle, remind them that leaving the scene is against the law.
But if the car driver who has hit you doesn’t stop, pull your phone out and take a picture of the car’s license plate or memorize its build and color.
3.Contact both emergency medical services and the police to respond to the scene of the accident.
You’ll want to call the help of professionals who are equipped to handle emergency situations like yours. Your health and safety as a pedestrian got compromised after being involved in a car accident, even in ways that aren’t immediately apparent.
For proper medical treatment of any injuries, you should call emergency medical services to assist you and take you to a hospital. Time is of the essence.
For official documentation of the car accident, you should call the police, who’ll then make a written report of everything that led to the accident. A police report is invaluable for lawsuits and insurance claims.
4.Lawyer up.
You might put off getting a lawyer to assist you with the car accident and think that it’s a waste of time and money. You may click here to know more about your legal options.
However, most – if not all – lawyers specializing in car accidents that involve a pedestrian offer advice to their clients for free or with a relatively small fee that even the poorest pedestrian out there can pay out of their pocket.
You may even benefit from any information that a lawyer you hired would tell you about the car accident that you might not be aware of.
5.File a compensation claim against the insurance provider of the car driver who had hit you.
If the driver of the car that hit you has auto insurance – which they are obligated to have under federal law – you should file a claim against their insurance provider right away so that you can get justly compensated for any injuries, damages, and losses that you incurred as a result of the car accident.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that in 2013, more than 70,000 pedestrians got either injured or killed after getting caught in a traffic collision, some of which were caused by car drivers. Even with safety measures like pedestrian lanes, traffic signs, and countdown timers, you shouldn’t assume that all drivers would automatically yield to pedestrians like you. This article can help you deal with that unfortunate circumstance.
About Dianna Charles
Dianna Charles is a promising young law enthusiast that hopes to bring her youthful spirit in her field. She tries to add a refreshing modern take to topics on the legal world that people can learn from. Dianna enjoys her free time with friends and family, and loves to cook for them.
Have you or a loved one been involved in a car accident as a pedestrian?
Share your thoughts and comments with us.
“PIN & SHARE”
Leave A Comment