Being hit by a motor vehicle is a traumatic experience that can derail the victim’s life and future plans. Beyond the physical pain and emotional trauma, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed by the cost of medical bills and the loss of income. Our Santa Barbara pedestrian accident attorneys can serve as your aggressive legal advocate through the entire claims process and help you fight for the highest settlement possible. We have many years of experience representing injured pedestrians and their families. Our lawyers know what it takes to achieve substantial settlements and verdicts in these cases. We’ve won more than $300,000,000 for clients throughout California. To set up a free consultation, call us today at 1-800-GO-HARRIS.

Our Santa Barbara Injury Attorneys Represent All Types of Pedestrian Accidents

It’s easy to assume that every pedestrian accident claim is the same. A person gets hit by a car and brings a claim against that driver, who hopefully has insurance coverage. What many people overlook, however, is that there are all sorts of factors that can complicate the proceedings. At the end of the day, each case is unique, and it takes a skilled attorney with the right experience to develop a strategic plan of action to help you pursue the highest compensation possible. Our pedestrian accident lawyers in Santa Barbara accept the following kinds of cases:

• Distracted driving pedestrian accidents
• Drunk driving pedestrian accidents
• Pedestrian accidents involving scooters, commercial trucks, rideshare services, and Turo vehicles
• Pedestrian accidents involving shared liability
• Failure to yield accidents
• Pedestrian accidents in parking lots
• Child pedestrian accidents
• Pedestrian accidents resulting in brain or spinal cord injury
• Wrongful death pedestrian accidents
• Other pedestrian accidents

What If I Was Jaywalking When the Pedestrian Accident Occurred?

If you were hit by a driver while you were jaywalking, you might assume that bringing a claim would be a waste of time; however, you may be entitled to damages even if your own negligence somehow contributed to the crash. Under California’s pure comparative negligence system, personal injury victims have the right to seek compensation from the responsible party, but the responsible party only has to pay for the percentage of the damages that corresponds to that party’s percentage of fault. As such, you may still be entitled to damages if you were jaywalking, but your total recovery could be reduced by your own percentage of fault. It’s important that you hire a Santa Barbara pedestrian accident lawyer who has a track record of success in cases that involve shared liability. To reduce the likelihood of a dispute that leads to litigation, your attorney will have to use widely accepted formulas and the relevant case law to approximate the percentage of fault that should be assigned to you. At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we have an in-depth knowledge of the relevant statutes and case law, and we know how to achieve favorable outcomes in claims that involve shared liability. We will perform a detailed investigation to find out the factors that contributed to the accident. If, for example, it turns out that the at-fault motorist was drunk, distracted, or driving well over the speed limit, your lawyer will have more ammunition to use when negotiating with the opposing party to minimize the percentage of fault assigned to you.

What Can I Do to Protect My Pedestrian Accident Claim?

The process of building a strong pedestrian accident claim begins at the scene. Hopefully, you were able to record the contact and insurance information of the at-fault driver and the contact details of eyewitnesses. Bring that information with you to your free initial consultation at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers. We’d also like to see any photos and videos you took of the crash scene, injuries, and property damage, as well as any documentation of medical treatment. Once you’ve left the scene, your first stop should be at a hospital or clinic for a medical evaluation. If you haven’t visited a doctor yet, it’s essential that you do so immediately to reduce the likelihood of a dispute regarding causation or a failure to mitigate damages. After this evaluation, you should consult with a Santa Barbara pedestrian accident lawyer right away. From this point forward, your attorney will take over the logistics of your case—from corresponding with the insurance company to gathering evidence to preparing for settlement negotiations. In the meantime, you can take the following steps to protect your claim:

• Disable your social media profiles and ask friends not to post any photos of you until the resolution of your case;
• Follow your doctor’s orders;
• Track your symptoms and medication side effects in a personal injury journal; and
• Direct any correspondence from the opposing party to your attorney.

Dial 1-800-GO-HARRIS for a Free Consultation with a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Santa Barbara

You can reach our office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For a free, no-obligation consultation, call 1-800-GO-HARRIS or send us a message online.