Orangeburg, SC Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Car accidents involving everyone inside a vehicle can leave victims with serious injuries. Those injuries can be even worse if the victim is walking on foot. Pedestrian accident victims can often seek compensation, potentially resulting in substantial payments.

Our attorneys can help you know what your case is worth so that insurance companies do not shortchange you on damages. We can calculate the cost of medical bills, lost wages, and other damages to help you with your injury claim.

Call Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers today at (803) 451-4000 for a free review of your case with our pedestrian accident attorneys.

How Car Accident Claims Work When Pedestrians Are Involved in Orangeburg, SC

With South Carolina accident cases, we use a fault-based insurance system. Under a system like this, drivers each carry insurance to cover the injuries and damages they cause in an accident. This liability insurance covers accidents regardless of who or what was injured or damaged. When it comes to pedestrian accident claims, you handle them in essentially the same way you would an accident between two cars, keeping in mind that the evidence and injuries are often a bit different.

In car accident claims, the injured driver or passengers can file a claim against the insurance policy for the driver who hit them, potentially getting some damages covered. However, if you accept that insurance settlement, you are usually blocked from getting damages in court. Deciding whether to accept a settlement or fight the case in a lawsuit is an important strategic step in your case that our pedestrian accident lawyers can help you with.

The evidence in a pedestrian accident case will often be a bit different, potentially making it more difficult to prove exactly what happened. When two cars crash, they often leave flecks of paint on the other car. This creates hard physical evidence to show that one car actually did hit the other. With pedestrian accidents, there might be blood on the car that hit you. If there is any doubt as to whether that car was the one that hit you – such as in a hit and run case – this evidence can be used alongside witness testimony and any video we can find of the crash.

Injuries, as mentioned, are often worse for pedestrian accident victims as well. This increases the overall damages in your case and sometimes makes these cases more complex. Insurance companies will often throw their strongest legal teams at high-dollar cases like yours, meaning it is best to have your own lawyer to counter them.

Common Injuries for Pedestrians in Car Accidents in Orangeburg, SC

Pedestrians hit by cars often suffer broken bones, soft tissue damage, back and neck injuries, and head injuries. These injuries can often be severe, requiring substantial time to heal. If you are laid up in the hospital for weeks or suffered an injury that prevents you from performing your job duties, you will likely be left out of work during your recovery, resulting in lost wages.

Broken bones will often take at least 4 to 6 weeks to heal, potentially more. Especially if you are older, injuries will take longer to heal. Broken ribs, hips, and collar bones can also take longer to heal as they are harder to immobilize with a cast or splint like you would use for broken legs and arms.

Soft tissue damage can include sprains and strains, torn ligaments, cartilage, and internal organ damage. It is not uncommon for pedestrians hit by a car to suffer injuries that need surgery or have permanent effects.

Head, neck, back, and spine injuries are some of the most serious injuries people can suffer in a crash. These injuries can result in permanent disabilities, lost motor skills, lost memory, and more. Make sure to have a lawyer handle your case who knows about these injuries and their complexities, as explaining the damages and effects of your injury to a jury will be an important part of this case.

Proving the Driver’s Fault in an Orangeburg, SC Pedestrian Accident Case

If another driver hit you, how do you prove it? Evidence in a pedestrian accident case comes in many forms:

Testimony

Your testimony will be a huge piece of evidence in your case, so anything you remember about the accident will be vital. The more details you have, the stronger your testimony will be, especially if we can corroborate those details with things like photos of the accident scene or pictures of the car that hit you.

If anyone saw the crash, then their testimony will also be important. If you are able to, get contact information for any witnesses or make sure that the responding police officer has included their statements and contact information in their police report.

Police Reports

Although police reports might contain some information you cannot introduce in court as evidence, the contents of the report are extremely important. When a police officer responds to a crash scene, they must write up a report about what happened, who was involved, and more. If you were injured and had to go straight to the hospital, this report will contain the name and contact info of the driver and witnesses so you can still get that info. It will also contain the time and location of the accident, what cars were involved, and other important info you will need.

Photos and Video

If you can get photos of the crash scene, they will help you show the jury what happened. If there were any nearby security cameras or vehicle dash cams that caught the crash on video, having that footage will be incredibly helpful.

Medical Records

In an injury case, you must prove what injuries you suffered and how bad they were. Your medical records will not only contain this information, but they will also have a time and date of treatment on them, connecting your injuries to the time and date of the accident. This can help you fight any accusations that the injuries were not serious – since you did not delay in getting treatment – or that they were caused by another accident – since the timing coincides with this crash.

Call Our Pedestrian Accident Attorneys in Orangeburg, SC Today

Call (803) 451-4000 today for a free case evaluation with the pedestrian accident lawyers at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers.

$6 Million

The Plaintiff was injured as a result of a failing component of a commercial motor vehicle that fell from the vehicle into the roadway. The Plaintiff brought claims against the owner and operator of the tractor trailer as well as the manufacturer of the vehicle.

$4.1 Million

The Plaintiff was insured as a result of a refrigeration system that malfunctioned, spraying ammonia gas into the Plaintiff's face. As a result of this event, the Plaintiff sustained significant vision loss. The Plaintiff brought claims against his employer and the manufacturer of this system.

$2 Million

The Plaintiff was injured while riding his motorcycle when he collided with another vehicle. This event occurred in the city of Columbia and the Plaintiff sustained significant bodily injury resulting in extensive medical expenses and permanent injury.

$1.8 Million

The Plaintiff was injured when he was rear-ended by a tractor trailer on Interstate 20. The Plaintiff brought claims against the owner and driver of the tractor trailer for his injuries relate to his lower back.

$1.5 Million

The Plaintiff sustained significant injury when she was attacked by a dog while performing repairs on a rental property. The Plaintiff was at the rental property as part of her employment with a rental management agency. She was attacked by the animal and sustained permanent nerve damage in her legs.

$1.3 Million

The Plaintiff was killed as a result of a collision with a logging truck that had been improperly loaded by a timber harvester. The proceeds of the settlement were funded by both the timber harvester and the owner of the logging truck.

$1.5 Million

The Plaintiff underwent surgery to her neck as a result of injuries sustained when she was struck on the head by a piece of loading equipment at her job. The Plaintiff was employed by a national retailer and was engaged in stocking shelves when the piece of equipment failed. After settling her workers' compensation claim, the Plaintiff brought a claim against the manufacturer of this equipment.

$1.1 Million

The Plaintiff brought a claim against a local medical facility for a false positive HIV reading. As a result of this false positive, the Plaintiff lived for 4½ years believing that she had the virus which leads to what she feared was an eventual AIDS diagnosis.