Hit By a Car As a Pedestrian: What to Do Next

Attorney Rebecca Graham | 888-981-0042 | Free Consult

“It’s most important, to me, that you get healthcare. Getting money down the road through a lawyer and resolving your case is great, but the most important thing for you is to get your health back.”

Did you know that your car insurance can help cover your medical bills if you’re hit by a car as a pedestrian?

Rebecca Graham is a personal injury attorney and managing partner of Maxwell Graham based in Issaquah, Washington. In this interview, she explains how your car insurance or the insurance of the person who hit you can help with your healthcare. She recommends enrolling in Personal Injury Protecting (PIP) coverage to help cover some medical costs after a car accident injury.

To learn more, contact the attorney directly by calling 888-981-0042 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Key Takeaways From Rebecca Graham:

Being hit by a car as a pedestrian is a scary experience. Injuries sustained from pedestrian-car collisions can range from mild to severe, and symptoms of deeper physical damages may not show until days or even weeks after the accident occurs. This is why it’s a good idea to call the police immediately after being hit, even if it seems that no damage has been done.

Call 9-1-1 immediately after being hit.

Even if you feel fine, it’s always a good idea to go to the emergency room and get checked out if you’ve been hit as a pedestrian. A car is much bigger than a person, so it’s reasonable to suspect some degree of physical damage after a collision between the two. Not to mention, if you decide to pursue a lawsuit further down the road, having medical records documenting your injuries soon after the accident can only help your case.

Most states offer PIP insurance, sometimes called “No-Fault” insurance.

Personal Injury Protection or “PIP” insurance (or “No-Fault” insurance depending on the state you live in), protects the policy-holder in the event of a collision with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, even as a pedestrian. It’s important to remember that your car insurance follows you, not your vehicle. So even if your car is at home when you are hit on the street, your insurance is still applicable. This means if you are hit by a person who has PIP or No-Fault insurance, their insurance will cover your medical bills up to the extent of their coverage. If you also have PIP insurance, that can help cover your medical costs in addition to the guilty party’s insurance.

If you are a pedestrian, use the crosswalks.

Some states have strict crosswalks rules, and it’s wise to use them whenever possible to lower the likelihood of being hit as a pedestrian. Regardless of the state you live in, if you are hit in a crosswalk the car will most likely be considered fully liable. However, if you dart out in front of a car, you could be found 100% at fault. If you are crossing the street with reasonable safety somewhere other than a crosswalk and are hit, the driver is more than likely to still be considered fully or at least partly at fault.

If an uninsured driver hits you and you have no insurance yourself, there’s not much a lawyer can do.

This is why it is essential to have as much PIP insurance as you can afford. Although it may be possible to go after the at-fault party’s personal assets to recover the cost of your damages, this tends to be a dead-end. Realistically, if a person cannot afford insurance, they probably don’t have any personal assets that could be of use to you.

Contact a personal injury attorney after seeking medical care.

If you have been hit as a pedestrian and immediately or later realized the extent of your injuries, it’s important to contact a lawyer. Even if you are not going to take legal action against the other party, an attorney can help you sort through the often confusing technicalities involved in your own and/or the other party’s insurance policies.

To learn more, contact Rebecca Graham directly by calling 888-981-0042 or by submitting a contact form on this page. There is no charge for the consultation, and you never owe any out-of-pocket attorney fees.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational purposes only. In some states, this video may be deemed Attorney Advertising. The choice of lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.