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In auto accidents that involve a pedestrian, it is very likely that the pedestrian will be more seriously injured than anyone else. The motorist has the protection of several thousand pounds of material in a car. The pedestrian has no protection. Unfortunately, the white painted crosswalk does not make a pedestrian immune from getting injured when struck by a car. If a pedestrian has been injured due to the negligent act of another motorist, he or she should consider contacting a car accident lawyer in Kankakee as soon as possible. In general, it is preferable that pedestrian accident victims hire the car accident lawyer in Kankakee as soon as possible. A lot of things that are done within the first week or two after the accident will be much more effective. If the work done by the lawyer is delayed until weeks or months after the accident, it will be much less effective for the victim. For example, eyewitness accounts gathered during the first week or so after the accident are better since the witnesses will remember more. After a few weeks or months, the eyewitness accounts will not have sufficient detail to help much in the case. Another reason to hire the car accident lawyer in Kankakee quickly is to gather physical evidence. For example, traffic control cameras or video surveillance cameras from nearby businesses may have recorded the accident. If that is the case, then the video footage needs to be retrieved before it is overwritten or otherwise destroyed. Many businesses and government agencies routinely delete video footage after a certain period of time. Also, the vehicles involved in the accident need to be inspected. After a few days, it is likely that the vehicle has been either repaired at a body shop or totaled at the junk yard. If the attorney is retained promptly, there may be an opportunity for the lawyer and his investigator to review the vehicles involved in the accident for additional evidence. The car accident lawyer in Kankakee will then focus on the medical treatment needed by the injured pedestrian. The longer medical treatment is needed, the higher the value of the case will be. If the medical conditions arising from the accident are permanent, the victim will have to be compensated for having to live with the injuries as well. It is very important that victims continue to get medical treatment. Do not miss any medical appointments or turn down any treatment without speaking with the attorney. All bills and documentation regarding the medical treatment need to be submitted to the lawyer so that all medical expenses are included in the demand letter to the other party's insurance company. If the pedestrian is still alive, it is likely that the insurance company will want to conduct a deposition on the victim. There is no way for a victim to avoid this without losing the case. The defense has a right to question the accuser. Although the lawyer can't coach the witness during the testimony, the lawyer can raise objections and make the victim less nervous about the deposition. Because the deposition is sworn testimony out of court, the objections will be addressed in a court trial. However, most cases will never make it to a court trial. Eventually, it will be time for the accident attorney to negotiate with the insurance company to avoid a court trial with an out of court settlement. It is likely that neither side will get everything that they want. It can be risky and expensive for both sides to go to court. That is why most cases involving pedestrian injuries and car accidents are settled out of court. In most instances, the settlement agreed to by both sides is something that both can accept even though neither side is completely happy with it.
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