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A skilled attorney can help you get the money you deserve for your injuries.

How to Recover for Hit and Run Pedestrian AccidentsImagine that you are walking along, trying to get to wherever you need to go, when BAM! You are hit by a car.  Sounds scary, right?  Now imagine that the driver of that car takes off — and you’re left in serious pain, stuck with injuries, medical bills, time off of work, and more — without even knowing the identity of the person who hit you.

This is known as a hit and run accident.  It involves a car or other vehicle hitting another vehicle or a pedestrian and leaving the scene of the accident without stopping to provide contact, insurance, and other information, and without providing assistance.  Even if the person isn’t at fault for the accident, leaving the scene of an accident without doing these things makes it a hit and run — which is a crime in most states.

A hit and run can happen anywhere — in a parking lot, on a residential street, on a highway or in a small town.  If you or someone you love has been hurt by a hit and run driver, a skilled pedestrian accident attorney can often help you get the money they deserve for their injuries so that they can get your life back on track.

Depending on the amount of property damage and injuries involved and where the hit and run accident occurred, a hit and run accident could be charged as a misdemeanor or even a felony crime.  The police investigate hit and run crimes, making it more likely that victims may be able to recover for injuries if the driver is caught.

As a general rule, pedestrians have the right of way in most situations and are usually not responsible for hit and run pedestrian accidents.  Drivers have a responsibility to obey traffic signals and watch for pedestrians at all times, even if there is not a crosswalk.  However, there are situations where pedestrians act in a reckless manner and may be liable for an accident.  For example, if you jumped out in front of a car, walked along a freeway at night in dark clothes, or did something equally reckless, that might be a situation where you — the pedestrian — were the responsible party.  These situations are pretty unusual.  In other cases, both the driver and the pedestrian may be at fault.  For example, if the pedestrian entered a crosswalk when the signal clearly stated “DON’T WALK,” and was struck, then his or her recovery may be reduced by a percentage.  This is known as comparative fault.  Depending on your state, you may not be able to recover if you are more than 50% at fault for the accident.

If the driver cannot be identified in a pedestrian hit and run accident, you may not be able to recover for your injuries.  In that situation, you may have to simply seek coverage from your own medical insurance for your medical bills.

Being injured in a pedestrian accident can mean very serious injuries.  If you do not know who hit you, recovering compensation for your injuries can be even more challenging.  That is why it is so important that you hire a top notch pedestrian accident attorney who can fully investigate your case and get the best possible results for you.  At the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker, we have substantial experience in working with victims of hit and run accidents.  We will track down police reports, work with insurance companies and aggressive pursue all options for compensation.  Contact us today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to learn more about how we can help you if you have been hurt in a pedestrian accident. We never charge a fee unless we get money for you!