Walking is a great way to get exercise, save money, reduce emissions, and enjoy the great Florida weather all at once. However, there are risks inherent with traveling on foot that you must be aware of. No matter how many improvements to public safety the city of Destin makes, there will always be a risk of a pedestrian accident involving a motor vehicle unless all pedestrian walkways were to be completely separated from all vehicle travel — something that is unlikely, if not impossible. Therefore, it is important to understand these risks, obey pedestrian laws and regulations, and be prepared to move forward with a legal case in the event that you are injured (or a loved one is killed) after being involved in a pedestrian accident.
Nobody plans to get into an accident when they leave the house in the morning, and most people make it through the day safely. That said, the fact that there were 9,356 accidents involving pedestrians in Florida in 2018, as well as 720 pedestrian fatalities, shows that no matter how safe and defensive you are as a pedestrian, you are always at risk of an accident.
If You Or a Loved One Has Been Involved In a Pedestrian Accident in Destin, Contact Now For a Free Consultation
We offer a free consultation to victims and the loved ones of victims to discuss their situation in detail and provide legal insight into how we can help them move forward with their case. If someone else caused the accident that you or your loved one was hurt or killed in, then you may be entitled to compensation for a range of damages that go beyond the obvious things like medical bills and lost wages that an insurance company will attempt to limit your settlement to.
Trying to go through the insurance claims process alone can be both overwhelming and costly: insurers focus on settling for as little as possible without regard to the actual impacts the victim will need to take on once the check has been cashed. You do not deserve to foot the bill for ANY of the damages you have suffered in an accident that someone else caused, and the best way to ensure this is the case is by working with an experienced legal team who will fight for what you deserve.
Read more about pedestrian accidents in Destin, and contact Fasig | Brooks now to schedule a consultation with our award-winning team of personal injury attorneys in Destin.
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How Much Is Your Pedestrian Accident Claim Worth?
Understandably, one of the biggest questions our clients have — during our initial consultations and throughout our work together — is about the amount of money they are owed. Unfortunately, this question is tricky to answer without in-depth research, but we will be able to take a look at some high-level indicators of your potential settlement amount during our initial consultation.
A personal injury claim seeks compensatory damages for a victim, meaning that these damages are meant to compensate the victim for measurable losses. There is another type of damage, “punitive” damage, which is paid out to a victim as a form of punishment for the at-fault individual, but these are not included in personal injury cases and are only awarded in exceptionally rare instances, by a judge or jury, at the end of a trial.
Compensatory damages are further divided into two unique but equally important subcategories: economic damages and non-economic damages. Learn more about each below.
Economic Damages
Economic damages make up the basis of a personal injury claim and seek repayment for things like your medical bills, disruptions to your earnings, and other impacts that are measured in dollars. Simply put, economic damages are any damages that come with receipts, invoices, bills, or statements that place a concrete dollar value on the loss or impact.
Economic damages are calculated as 1:1, meaning that there is no multiplier or “additional” compensation that you can seek for these types of impacts. Oftentimes, a substantial amount of your economic damage award will go back to your insurance company for the medical bills they have already covered on your behalf.
There are a lot of other economic damages that tend to be either overlooked or ignored because they seem insignificant, but each of these damages adds up — one of the most important benefits an attorney provides their personal injury client with at the start of their case is meticulous attention to detail and including each of these impacts.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are the impacts of an accident that do not have measurable dollar values associated with them, things like the actual pain and suffering of your injuries and the emotional impact that the accident and consequences have had (and will continue to have) on your life. Understandably, it is much harder to calculate the value of “emotional suffering” when compared to simply tallying up medical bills for your economic damages, but they are just as important to your case.
Destin personal injury lawyers have a range of tools at their disposal to calculate these types of damages, but calculating a fair value is only the first step. Once a dollar figure has been determined, your attorney will need to defend these calculations during a series of aggressive negotiations where they will attempt to close the gap between the insurance company’s initial settlement offer and the money you actually deserve. In most cases, they will be able to settle without taking your case to court, but there are instances where filing a lawsuit and pushing for a trial is in the victim’s best interest. Your lawyer will help you understand their decisions through each step of your case.
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Contact Fasig | Brooks Now To Get the Support You Deserve
We understand how confusing and overwhelming the aftermath of a pedestrian accident can be, which is why we encourage you to connect with our firm as soon as possible. During our consultation, we will be able to provide you with insight into the claims process, and particularly into how we will help you get the money you deserve. The uncertainty of your legal future can contribute to unnecessary stress that can negatively impact your recovery, and we will be happy to alleviate those stressors while we fight to get you a comprehensive settlement as soon as possible.
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