Serious Pedestrian Accidents in Yonkers Demand Full Accountability and Justice: How a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Can Fight for the Compensation You Deserve
Pedestrian accidents are on the rise due to careless and distracted drivers. The very nature of these accidents – a car weighing thousands of pounds slamming into a defenseless human being – is often going to result in serious life-altering injuries. Sometimes even in death.
Pedestrian accidents are serious cases and they require serious legal representation.
If you or a loved one were injured as a pedestrian from a negligent driver, contact Yonkers pedestrian accident lawyer Michael J. McConnell today for a free consultation.
Michael J. McConnell is a personal injury attorney serving Yonkers who knows how serious pedestrian accidents are.
In every pedestrian accident case, the goal must be to relentlessly pursue full justice in the form of financial compensation.
In our civil justice system, that is how we hold negligent drivers accountable for the harm they have caused.
As a former NYC prosecutor, Michael J. McConnell is no stranger to holding wrongdoers accountable for the life-changing harm they have caused.
In pedestrian accident cases in particular, the severity of the injuries demands nothing less than full accountability.
Call (914) 810-0510 or email info@mcconnellinjurylaw.com for a free consultation with a no-nonsense Yonkers pedestrian accident lawyer.
Important First Steps After a Pedestrian Accident in Yonkers
Proving a pedestrian accident case requires strong evidence, which is often best identified and obtained as soon as possible after the accident.
Here are some of the most important things pedestrians should generally do if possible when they get hit by a car:
- Call the police.
- Get immediate medical treatment.
- Obtain names and contact information for any witnesses.
- Take photos of the accident scene and injuries.
- Identify any potential cameras in the area.
- Obtain a copy of the police report.
- Continue to seek medical care as recommended by your doctor.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer for a free consultation.
The sooner an attorney is engaged on the case the more of an impact they can have.
A Westchester County personal injury attorney can fully investigate the accident, contact witnesses, preserve surveillance footage of the accident, and more.
Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrians can be injured countless ways by drivers. Common causes of negligent drivers injuring pedestrians include:
- Running red lights
- Speeding
- Texting and driving
- Drunk driving
- Failing to yield to pedestrians
- Rolling through stop signs
- Illegal turns
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
There is a wide range of injuries someone can have after a pedestrian accident in Yonkers, including:
- Broken bones (fractures)
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Concussion
- Facial trauma
- Dental injuries
- Internal injuries
- Dislocations
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Back pain
- Neck pain
All of these pedestrian accident injuries can result in severe pain and have life-altering consequences.
As a result of the seriousness of these injuries, the pursuit of full compensation by a Yonkers pedestrian accident lawyer is critical.
Proving Negligence in a Yonkers Pedestrian Accident Case
Most pedestrian accident lawsuits in Yonkers will be cases of negligence.
Negligence requires proving four important elements:
- Duty – driver owed a duty of care to the pedestrian.
- Breach – driver failed to act with reasonable care and thus breached their duty.
- Causation – the driver’s unreasonable conduct caused foreseeable harm to the pedestrian.
- Damages – the pedestrian was harmed by the negligent driver (injury, death, financial loss, property damage).
There needs to be actual evidence to prove each of these elements for a pedestrian accident case in Yonkers.
For example, surveillance footage or independent eyewitnesses can help prove the driver failed to act with reasonable care such as:
- Running a red light
- Failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk
- Speeding
- Backing out of parking space without checking behind them
The third and fourth elements (causation and damages) can be proved several ways. Without a doubt the medical records will be important here, but things like lost wages or details about how the injury has impacted your quality of life can also be really important – especially when it comes to damages.
This is why getting off to a strong start on your pedestrian accident case is so important. A thorough investigation and collection of key evidence in the days after an accident can make all the difference.
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident in Yonkers, don’t wait a second longer. Contact Yonkers personal injury lawyer Michael J. McConnell for a free consultation today.
Compensation for Pedestrian Accidents in Yonkers
The amount of money that you can get for a pedestrian accident will depend on the unique facts of your case.
What may be helpful to know, however, is the types of things that you can get compensation for. This includes compensation for:
- Economic Damages (lost wages, medical bills, etc.)
- Non-Economic Damages (pain & suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, etc.)
Sometimes it is surprising for injured pedestrians to learn that the non-economic damages like pain and suffering can much higher than pure economic damages like lost wages and medical bills.
This is because things like pain and suffering take into account the larger impact the injury has had on one’s life. They may no longer be able to do really important and meaningful things because of the injury.
Non-economic damages take those things into account and can thus be a potentially significant source of compensation in a pedestrian accident case.
This is why it is so key for a pedestrian accident lawyer to take the time to truly get to know their client and to have consistent contact with them throughout their case.
The lawyer really needs to have a deep understanding of how the injury has impacted the client beyond just what the medical reports say.
In recognition of that, the Law Office of Michael J. McConnell prioritizes the following:
- Getting to know the client as a person – they are more than just a “file” or a “case.”
- Consistent contact with the client, including mandatory check-in meetings scheduled at regular intervals.
- Open and direct communication – we can’t get to know each unless we have this.
Ultimately, there is a human story that needs to be front and center of any case.
Michael J. McConnell is a Yonkers pedestrian accident attorney who recognizes that and strongly believes that without developing the human connection with the client, there is a tremendous risk of missing out on important facts that could make a huge difference regarding the value of the case.
How Much Does a Lawyer Cost for a Pedestrian Accident?
Yonkers pedestrian accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means they only get paid if you win your case.
Typically they will get one-third of the overall recovery.
This means there are generally zero up front costs to hire a lawyer to sue for a pedestrian accident in Yonkers.
Get a free consultation by contacting the Law Office of Michael J. McConnell right now if you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a pedestrian accident in Yonkers.