Mt. Airy, MD Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Whether you think about it or not, you are probably a pedestrian at some point throughout your day. In fact, you probably will almost never think of yourself as a pedestrian unless a car suddenly hits you when you are going about your business. Pedestrians who get hit by cars are often very badly hurt because they are not well protected like people in vehicles, and cars are large and heavy by comparison. Indeed, pedestrians can incur medical expenses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for injuries they sustain in car accidents.

If you were hit by a car when simply going about your day, you need legal help. Our lawyers know pedestrian accident cases inside and out, so we have what it takes to fight hard for you and get you the financial compensation you deserve.

Get a free case review from our pedestrian accident lawyers by calling Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.

Injuries From Pedestrian Accidents in Mt. Airy, MD

Pedestrians are frequently very seriously injured when sedans, SUVs, trucks, and other vehicles hit them, as they do not have access to a suite of safety features present in motor vehicles. Additionally, even small cars are much larger and heavier than pedestrians, so even a small vehicle moving at a slow speed can injure someone just because of the vehicle’s size and weight alone.

It is important to go over all of your injuries with our pedestrian accident lawyers for a couple of reasons. First, it helps inform what you request in damages. Second, it helps build the factual basis of your claim and can strengthen your arguments. Some of the injuries pedestrians receive in accidents include:

Head Injuries

Even if a car does not hit a pedestrian in the head, there is a good chance that a pedestrian will suffer a head injury. For example, if a pedestrian is hit by a car, falls onto the concrete, and hits their head, they are likely to suffer a head injury even if the car did not strike their head.

Some of the most serious injuries pedestrians can receive from these accidents are head injuries. For example, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can result in memory loss, mood swings, loss of cognitive function, paralysis, or even death.

Torso and Back Injuries

Cars that hit someone square-on can break ribs or the spine and can also seriously bruise and damage internal organs. If a car hits a pedestrian and damages the spinal cord, the victim could be left with permanent nerve pain, numbness, or partial or full paralysis.

Limb Injuries

A pedestrian’s arms and legs are also often badly hurt in accidents. Bones can break, nerves can be damaged, and limbs may be crushed if a car rolls over someone. In the worst cases, a vehicle moving at high speed may generate such a dangerous accident that a limb is damaged beyond repair and needs to be amputated.

Bruises, Cuts, and Puncture Wounds

Pedestrians can also get bruised, cut up, or punctured by debris in car accidents. Bruising can happen just because of the force of getting hit by a car or landing hard on something. Most of the time, bruising is nothing to worry about, but severe bruising that does not go away can be a sign of much more serious injuries like internal bleeding.

It is much more immediately obvious that cuts and puncture wounds are dangerous. This is especially true if the cut or puncture wound hits an important blood vessel. Cuts are more likely to leave permanent disfigurement, like scars or the removal of a digit, but they are easier to mend and treat. Puncture wounds are much more dangerous because they are harder to stop from bleeding, and only a small amount of penetration into the body is required to hit vital organs and cause serious damage.

What Do You Need to Do in a Mt. Airy Pedestrian Accident Case?

Pursuing a pedestrian accident case can be a long process with many steps before trial. Most of that work will be done by our lawyers. However, there are some important things that you should be aware of that are necessary to a successful pedestrian accident case.

File Your Claim on Time

It is crucial that you file your case with an appropriate court on time. Laws called statutes of limitations put time limits on how long plaintiffs have to file claims for their injuries. In Maryland, for pedestrian accident cases, plaintiffs will have three years from the time they are hurt to file pursuant to Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-101. Once that timer is up, courts cannot hear your case, and you will not be able to get damages, so it is very important to meet that deadline.

Look for and Gather Evidence

While our lawyers can and will do a lot of the work of getting evidence to support your claim, any information you initially have can immensely help your case. For example, if you were able to record the aftermath of the accident on your phone, you should share that information with our attorneys when we start working on your case. When you go over your claim with us, we will determine who we need to get information from. We can request it on your behalf so you can focus on other things like recovering from injuries.

Prepare for Depositions and Other Pre-Trial Processes

You are likely going to have to talk to opposing counsel in depositions and other proceedings at some point before going to court. While you cannot be told exactly what to do in these proceedings, it is a good idea to mentally prepare for them. Of course, our lawyers will be with you to ensure that everything is done in accordance with the law.

Speak to Our Mt. Airy, MD Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Today

Call (410) 694-7291 and get a free case review from Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s pedestrian accident lawyers today.