In America, a pedestrian is killed every two hours, and a pedestrian is injured every eight minutes. Pedestrians injured by motorists often have their lives turned upside down. The injury is painful and frightening, and the recovery is long. Meanwhile, medical bills mount, and the injured person may find himself or herself unable to work.
At Dan Caplis Law, our Denver personal injury attorneys are here to help. We understand how difficult the aftermath of these incidents can be and work tirelessly to secure the best possible outcomes for our clients.
Injury and death cases involving pedestrians require a special type of legal focus and Dan Caplis has won two of the most important jury verdicts in Colorado involving serious injury and death suffered by pedestrians. One of those cases resulted in the largest personal injury jury verdict in Colorado, more than $5,000,000, in 2015.
While no attorney can guarantee results, Dan Caplis Law will work hard to build a strong claim for compensation on your behalf. Call our Denver pedestrian accident attorneys at (303) 770-5551 now.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Denver?
The events immediately following a pedestrian accident occur rapidly. If you are injured in a pedestrian accident, then it is imperative that you take the following steps:
- Immediately get yourself to safety and out of the radius of danger to the extent that you are able. Your safety is the most important thing in those immediate moments.
- Assess yourself and anyone else who was injured in the pedestrian accident for injuries.
- If you are able, call 911 to report the incident and have an ambulance dispatched to your location. Remain at the scene while awaiting the arrival of law enforcement if it is medically feasible.
- See a trusted medical professional as soon as possible after you are injured.
You may be entitled to financial compensation after being injured in a pedestrian accident. To receive the full compensation you deserve, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. The time for your case begins as soon as your are injured, but you can assist with the legal process by taking proactive steps and making prudent choices in the aftermath of your injury.
To help with your case, get the names, contact information, and insurance information of the driver and the names and contact information of all of the witnesses to the crash after securing your safety if you are able to do so. Try to take photographs of the scene, the vehicle involved, the road conditions, and any stop signs or lights.
Beware of what you say in the wake of the pedestrian accident: it is generally best not to speak to anyone about it other than your doctor and your lawyer. Do not make a statement to anyone’s insurance company until you have retained counsel. Do not make any statements to anyone that could be considered an admission of fault or responsibility. The insurance company will try to weaponize those statements against you later.
What Causes Denver Pedestrian Accidents?
According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, nearly 136 pedestrians were killed in traffic-related crashes in 2023. In the vast majority of accidents involving pedestrians, a driver’s negligent behavior is to blame.
Drivers are often distracted by:
- Mobile phones
- Children in the car
- Eating
- Drinking
- And other diversions that make it difficult to concentrate on the road
Our distracted driving accident attorneys recognize that once a driver becomes distracted, he or she may make mistakes that are life-threatening to pedestrians, including:
- Failure to stop at a crosswalk, stop sign, or red light
- Failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian
- Cutting off a bicyclist in the bicycle lane
- Speeding through residential areas or other places where pedestrians are common
As Colorado streets get busier each year, the chances of getting into a pedestrian-car accident increase, and pedestrian safety must be prioritized more than ever. Our Denver pedestrian accident lawyers represent victims so that families can focus on picking up the pieces of their lives with the compensation they need to recover.
What Are Common Injuries from Pedestrian Accidents in Denver?
Tragically, children are the most frequent victims of pedestrian accidents in Denver because they are harder for drivers to see and often dart into traffic without looking. Elderly pedestrians are also commonly hit by vehicles, as their reaction times are generally slower than those of younger pedestrians.
Severe, life-changing injuries and disabilities such as:
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Loss of a limb
- Back and neck injuries
- Brain damage
- Internal injuries
- Broken bones
As a result of these injuries, families are often faced with exorbitant medical bills for hospitalization and physical therapy. If you have been affected by a pedestrian accident and sustained spinal-specific injuries, our Denver spinal cord injury attorneys can evaluate your case and provide the compassionate legal guidance you need.
What To Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Denver, Colorado
As with any other type of automobile accident, you should contact your insurance company and a qualified pedestrian accident attorney in Denver as soon as possible. Our lawyers will need to investigate the case while witness accounts are still fresh and police reports are easily available.
The driver’s insurance company may try to blame you for the accident, claiming that you behaved negligently and were injured as a result. We recommend that you do not speak with insurance representatives without legal counsel as you could void your eligibility for compensation.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Pedestrian Accidents in Denver, Colorado?
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident in Denver, you have up to three years from the date of the accident to file a claim.
It’s important that you consult an attorney so you may understand your rights and know which next steps you should take. By consulting a Denver car accident attorney, you may have a team to help gather important evidence or documents that may be helpful in filing your claim.
What Damages Can You Recover in a Pedestrian Accident Case in Denver?
If you are injured in a pedestrian automotive accident case then you are likely to have been severely injured. Those injuries can take weeks or months to heal, and, sadly, some of them never fully heal. You are entitled to financial compensation in the form of damages for the reasonable value of the past, present, and future medical expenses that are incurred as a result of your injury.
Not only are you entitled to damages for your medical expenses, but people injured in pedestrian accidents can also receive damages for the following:
- Lost Income: Those who have been injured due to another person’s negligence can recover damages for the income they lose in the wake of the injury, the income they will lose in the future due to the accident, and the income they will lose in the future due to their lost capacity to earn an income caused by their injury.
- Pain & Suffering: People injured in pedestrian accidents are entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering, but claims for these damages will expire if the injured person passes away.
- Loss of Consortium Damage: The spouses of injured people are entitled to bring an action of their own in which they can seek compensation for the loss of affection, society, companionship, household services, aid, or comfort they lose due to the pedestrian accident injury.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: People injured in pedestrian accidents will be able to recover damages for loss of enjoyment of life. Specifically, these damages are awarded to compensate for the loss of the ability to perform activities they enjoyed prior to the injury and can no longer do since sustaining the injury.
How Can Dan Caplis Law Help You With Your Pedestrian Accident Claim in Denver?
It can be hard to imagine what the future will hold after suffering injuries in a pedestrian accident. If you find yourself struggling to face that future then you should know that you do not have to face it alone.
At Dan Caplis Law, our attorneys understand the importance of quality legal representation for people injured in pedestrian accidents. High-quality legal representation is expensive, but our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis—meaning you do not pay unless and until our attorneys get just compensation for your injuries through favorable settlements or, if necessary, victory at trial.
While trials are rare, our attorneys have vast experience investigating cases, working with expert witnesses, and carefully crafting individualized theories for your case because they understand that every case is unique. Our attorneys prepare for trial from the outset and have significant experience presenting these cases to juries using expert testimony, visual examples, and creative arguments.
There is no reason to wait to schedule your free consultation. Call today at (303) 770-5551 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.