Personal Injury Lawyer
Road defects are just as dangerous for pedestrians as for drivers. Feet can be trapped in the gap between the road surface and a curb. Pedestrians who cross the street can trip over uneven road surfaces or broken sections of pavement. Potholes can cause broken ankles and other serious injuries.
A road defect might also harm pedestrians in an indirect way. For example, if a car changes direction after hitting a pothole and strikes a pedestrian, both the driver and the government that failed to repair the pothole might be at fault for the accident.
Road maintenance is usually the responsibility of the government that owns the road, although some roads are maintained jointly by different units of government. State law typically imposes an obligation on the road owner to keep the road in a safe condition. Governments breach that duty when they know or should know about dangerous road conditions that they fail to remedy.
In addition to road defects, some roads can be dangerous because of poor design. If a road funnels traffic to an area where pedestrians are expected to cross but makes it impossible for pedestrians and drivers to see each other, the government that designed the road may be liable for pedestrian accidents caused by its poor engineering.
A pedestrian accident lawyer can investigate an accident caused by a dangerous road and can advise the injury victim about potential remedies. Since injury victims must give prompt notice to governments of any claim that might be made, it is important to obtain legal advice as soon as possible after the accident.
Time Limit to Go to a Doctor After a Pedestrian Accident Caused by a Dangerous Road
Pedestrian accident victims need to meet important deadlines to preserve their claims for compensation. When the claim is against the government, they may only have weeks in which to file a notice of claim. They must also settle or file suit before the deadline established by the statute of limitations.
The law does not impose a time limit on visiting a doctor after a pedestrian accident. Lawyers, like a pedestrian accident lawyer, nevertheless advise accident victims to see a doctor right away. Doing so is important for the victim’s health and to preserve the ability to bring a successful claim for injury compensation.
Serious injuries obviously need immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, the severity of injuries is not always obvious. Internal bleeding or swelling of the brain might not be produce substantial pain until it is too late to treat the problem.
Other injuries can become more serious if treatment is delayed. What seems like a nagging injury can turn into a permanent injury if it is neglected. Obtaining a prompt examination and following through on recommended care improves the chance of making a full recovery.
Injury Settlements Improve When a Pedestrian Goes to a Doctor Soon After an Accident Caused by a Dangerous Road
In addition to improving health outcomes, seeing a doctor right after a pedestrian accident improves settlement outcomes. Governments look for every excuse they can find to avoid paying accident claims. Arguing that medical treatment was related to a different accident is a favorite excuse. Governments rely on that excuse when an accident victim failed to seek medical care shortly after the accident date.
Following through on recommended medical care is equally important. Too many accident victims decide they don’t have time to keep medical appointments, to follow through on recommended testing, or to continue with physical therapy sessions. When they stop treating, they get worse. The government, however, decides that the injury must have healed or the accident victim would have continued treatment. When treatment later resumes, the government assumes it was related to a new accident.
See your doctor immediately after an accident and follow your doctor’s recommendations. If you don’t, you impair your opportunity to make a fair settlement of your injury claim.
