Between 1989 and 2009, a staggering number of pedestrians, nearly 9,000, lost their lives in road collisions in Canada, while hundreds of thousands more suffered injuries. Transport Canada conducted a thorough analysis of these pedestrian collisions and discovered a striking fact: 60% of the pedestrians who tragically lost their lives in traffic crashes were attempting to cross the road. This highlights the importance of pedestrian safety and the need for measures to enhance crosswalk safety and raise awareness among both pedestrians and drivers.
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian injury accident in Edmonton, for instance, you risk losing out on getting maximum compensation if you represent yourself. Despite the popular belief that self-representation can save you costs, it can actually do you more harm than good. While you have the right to represent yourself, an Edmonton pedestrian accident lawyer has more relevant experience in handling such cases. Read further to discover reasons you shouldn’t represent yourself in a pedestrian injury claim.
1. You Lack the Relevant Experience
Experience counts in any profession – and it’s no different in the practice of law. Understanding the legal system, its processes, and procedures is fundamental when filing a personal injury claim.
The lack of experience may lead to costly mistakes that may negatively affect your settlement. A personal injury lawyer works out a detailed legal strategy to get a favorable outcome and rightful compensation.
This is based on their understanding of the ins and outs of the claim processes. As such, experience is the primary reason to have a personal injury lawyer represent you in your pedestrian injury claim.
2. Dealing with Insurance Companies Can be Challenging
In a clear case of negligence, it is most likely that the at-fault party’s insurer may contact you with a settlement offer, even before you consider hiring a lawyer. Insurance companies are in the money-making business, meaning they won’t always make a reasonably good settlement offer.
Unfortunately, since you lack experience in dealing with personal injury claims, you may not know how much you’re justly entitled to. In addition, you may not know if what the other party’s insurance company is offering qualifies as fair compensation.
Since a personal injury lawyer is devoted to seeking fair and just compensation. They know the pits and traps that insurance companies set for unaware claimants and, as such, can navigate these challenges to give your pedestrian injury claim a fair chance.
In addition, if you represent yourself, you may say wordings that may shift blame to you despite your lack of participation in liability. Personal injury lawyers have the desired negotiation and communication skills.
3. You Don’t Understand the Full Scope of Damages
You must know the full scope of damages the injury has caused you to understand how much your pedestrian injury claim is worth. Contrary to popular opinion, damages aren’t simply related to financial losses such as recurring or current medical expenses or lost wages and income.
There are punitive and non-economic damages that the parties should account for in your pedestrian injury claim. Your pedestrian accident lawyer can precisely calculate intangible monetary sums, such as:
- The loss of quality of life
- Emotional trauma
- Pain and suffering.
Besides economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages may apply in certain instances, such as:
- Willful misconduct
- Gross negligence.
An experienced pedestrian injury lawyer can assess the full scope of damages as well as their worth far more than you can.
4. You May Miss Out on Crucial Evidence
Lawyers may play a crucial part in their investigative role while handling your case. You should note that for a personal injury case, presenting any available proof of your claim is mandatory to get the compensation you deserve.
Gathering evidence on your own can be tough, especially when you’re injured. In addition, you may not know what types of evidence are necessary to strengthen your pedestrian injury claim.
Most lawyers come with their network of investigators to properly investigate and secure the evidence necessary to support your case.
Talk to An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
Your pedestrian injury claim’s value will depend on a unique set of circumstances. Each personal injury case is handled individually.
However, all cases are governed by the knowledge of procedures and processes within the framework of the law. As such, the greater your knowledge and experience in practicing law, the greater your advantage and the likelihood of a favorable outcome.
If you’re injured due to someone’s negligence, instead of representing yourself, speak to an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer to get you the outcome and compensation you deserve.
