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Recovering from a serious pedestrian accident can be an extremely challenging and life-altering experience. The physical impact alone often means months or years focused on surgeries, hospital care, grueling therapy, learning to walk again, or adapting to permanent disability. These treatments can be extremely costly, but compensation to cover them may be available to you.
If a vehicle driver’s negligence caused the collision and your injuries, the at-fault driver may be found liable through a lawsuit filed by you. The Boise personal injury lawyers at Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers can help you get compensation to cover your medical costs, lost wages, and other accident-related expenses.
If you or a loved one were injured in a pedestrian accident in Boise, call our team of pedestrian accident lawyers at (844) SARGENT or reach out to us online by completing our online contact form. We can answer your questions about filing a claim to recover your damages.
Can You File a Claim for a Pedestrian Accident in Boise?
Yes, you can file a legal claim for compensation if you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a pedestrian in an accident in Boise. As a pedestrian, you have rights and options under Idaho personal injury law. However, you may have questions regarding the legal process and are wondering if you should hire a personal injury attorney.
Boise pedestrian accident lawyers can help injured victims and families build a strong legal claim by:
- Investigating the circumstances that show how the driver was negligent, such as speeding, distraction, impairment, or ignoring the right-of-way
- Obtaining police reports, accounts from witnesses, video evidence, and expert assessments to help prove fault and recovery costs
- Documenting the full spectrum of financial harms, tangible and intangible, suffered by victims from the often catastrophic injuries pedestrians endure
- Understanding time limits for legal action under Idaho’s statute of limitations
- Negotiating efficiently or skillfully litigating in court for maximum compensation if fair settlement offers are not made
Pedestrians facing a long recovery from collisions caused by unsafe drivers have a right to hold that driver accountable for their losses. Because pedestrian accidents often involve serious injuries or fatalities, the damages in these claims can be high. Let a Boise pedestrian accident attorney protect your rights so you can get the full value of your compensation.
Why Pedestrian Accidents Are So Devastating for Victims
As unprotected road users, pedestrians lack the safety features of passenger vehicles. When hit, even at low speeds, the human body suffers severe trauma leading to major injuries or death at a very high rate.
The difference in speed and weight between a vehicle and a pedestrian often leads to catastrophic injuries involving damage to multiple organs and bodily functions that can require extensive, expensive medical treatments. Head trauma, spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis, and amputated limbs are common.
Without accountability and compensation, the physical, emotional, and practical challenges can overwhelm pedestrian accident victims and their families. Stronger safety laws and legal support following incidents are needed to protect this vulnerable user group.
Damages You Can Claim in a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Boise
These are some of the potential damages an injured pedestrian can claim in a personal injury lawsuit in Boise, Idaho:
- Medical expenses: All past and future costs of medical treatment required due to the accident injuries, including emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, therapy, medication, assistive devices, in-home nursing care, etc.
- Lost income: Reimbursement for any wages lost if injuries prevented the victim from working for a period of time during recovery and rehabilitation
- Loss of future earning capacity: Compensation if long-term disability from injuries decreases overall earning potential over the victim’s career
- Pain and suffering: Damages accounting for physical pain, emotional distress, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life activities
- Disfigurement: Compensation if accident injuries or scarring negatively impacted the victim’s appearance
Our personal injury attorney serving Boise can help the injured pedestrian and their family pursue the full spectrum of compensation they deserve under the law. Proper documentation and evidence are key to successfully proving and recovering all applicable damages, which our team can collect on your behalf.
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Schedule NowHow Driver Negligence Causes Pedestrian Accidents in Boise
Driver negligence is one of the leading causes of pedestrian accidents in Idaho, often resulting in catastrophic injuries or deaths. As of a 2022 report from the Idaho Office of Highway Safety, pedestrian death rates are the highest they’ve been in years. Common acts of driver carelessness or recklessness that endanger pedestrians on our roads include:
- Distracted driving: Activities like texting, talking on a cell phone, and adjusting controls while driving dramatically reduce reaction times and the ability to see or yield to people crossing streets, even at crosswalks or designated walk areas.
- Speeding and aggressive driving: Excessive vehicular speeds or suddenly swerving around other cars make drivers less likely to spot pedestrians and stop in time. Speed significantly impacts survival rates when collisions occur. Running red lights and stop signs also frequently injure pedestrians.
- Failure to yield: Irresponsible drivers may fail to properly yield right-of-way to pedestrians in marked crosswalks, during permitted crossing signals, and in other legal on-street walking areas, leading to terrible impacts.
- Impairment: Intoxication from alcohol or drugs, as well as drowsy driving, impairs critical faculties needed to drive safely around more vulnerable road users like pedestrians. Reaction time, information processing, and hazard perception diminish drastically while impaired.
- Infrastructure issues: While driver behavior causes most pedestrian crashes, poorly designed roads, faded markings, and inadequate lighting or signage also play a role in some accidents.
Pedestrian accident victims face long roads to recovery. Negligent motorists must be held accountable through decisive legal action so vulnerable road users can access restitution and prevent future neglect-based collisions. Improved infrastructure and enforcement are also needed.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim for a Pedestrian Accident in Boise?
In a fatal pedestrian accident, the decedent’s estate and family members can claim loss of companionship and income support through a wrongful death claim.
When a pedestrian accident in Boise results in someone’s wrongful death, certain family members of the decedent can file a legal claim for compensation. The Idaho wrongful death statute allows the following relatives to pursue a wrongful death claim:
- Surviving spouse of the pedestrian victim (If no spouse, then a child can file instead)
- Children of the victim
- Parents of the victim
- Grandchildren of the victim in some situations where there is no spouse, children, or parents living
- The decedent’s estate
To file a wrongful death claim in Boise due to a pedestrian accident fatality, at least one of these legal heirs or the estate representative must open a lawsuit within two years of the date of death against the at-fault driver or entity. Call Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers at (844) SARGENT or contact us online if you lost a loved one in a pedestrian wreck.
What Can You Recover in a Fatal Idaho Pedestrian Accident Claim in Boise?
When a pedestrian dies in an accident, there are certain damages you can claim that go beyond medical bills. Depending on the details of the fatal accident, the claim could seek compensation for losses such as:
- Loss of financial support survivors were dependent on
- Loss of household and other services the decedent would have provided
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Pain and suffering endured by the victim if death was not immediate
In some circumstances, more than one family member files concurrently or separately for their own losses from the pedestrian fatality. A Boise wrongful death lawyer can clarify which family members have standing and determine the full scope of damages. We will represent the interests of the deceased victim’s loved ones in negotiations or necessary litigation.
The Deadline to File a Pedestrian Accident Claim in Boise, Idaho
Idaho Statutes § 5-219 states that the statute of limitations to file a legal claim seeking damages after a pedestrian accident in Boise, Idaho is two years from the date of injury. This time limit also applies to wrongful death claims in Idaho.
It’s a good idea for injured pedestrians and bereaved families after fatal crashes to consult with a Boise pedestrian accident attorney shortly after the incident. Our personal injury lawyers can complete important investigations and documentation while the evidence in your case is still fresh and before witness memories fade.
This allows us to build the strongest legal claim possible before the expiration of the two-year statute of limitations in Idaho. We can also negotiate for the best out-of-court settlement possible or file a lawsuit on your behalf if that becomes necessary.
It’s free to speak with us and learn the value of your case today.
Call Us NowGet a Free Consultation With a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Boise, Idaho
If you have suffered injuries as a pedestrian struck by a car, or a family member was killed as a pedestrian, the Boise pedestrian accident lawyers at Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers urge you to contact our office for a free, no-obligation consultation right away. We want to understand the details of the collision and how negligence may have played a part so that we can protect your legal rights.
Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers has the resources and track record to build strong legal claims against drivers and obtain compensation. We handle the investigations, negotiations with insurance companies, litigation, and all aspects of the process for you. Reach out today at (844) SARGENT or fill out our online contact form to get started.
