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Walking can be both good exercise and an environmentally-friendly way to go from place to place. Although being a pedestrian is generally safe, sometimes accidents do happen, especially when drivers are negligent.
If you suffered an injury in a pedestrian accident, a Porter County pedestrian accident lawyer may be available to help. They could analyze your specific situation and help you decide whether to file a legal claim to recover damages as the result of your accident. If proceeding with a claim seems like the best course of action, a dedicated attorney could represent you through each step of the process.
A person who suffered an injury in a pedestrian accident may be eligible to claim a variety of civil damages as the result of that accident. Such damages include:
Unlike some states, Indiana does not have laws limiting the amount of non-economic damages – such as pain and suffering – an individual can collect. Anyone with questions about the different types of damages or what damages they may be eligible to collect may wish to contact a pedestrian accident attorney in Porter County for a consultation.
Under I.C. §34-11-2-4, Indiana has a two-year statute of limitations for any legal action involving personal injury, including pedestrian accidents. In other words, anyone wishing to file a lawsuit stemming from a pedestrian accident has a two-year deadline to do so. To help ensure this deadline does not pass, injured pedestrians should talk to an experienced attorney soon as possible.
Lawsuits involving pedestrian accidents may include a claim of negligence. Generally, negligence is a legal theory that seeks to prevent individuals from exposing others to unreasonable risks. As a result, a plaintiff claiming negligence must usually prove the defendant engaged in behavior that exposed them to unreasonable risks and that this exposure resulted in damage or injury.
It is important to note that in Indiana, a plaintiff’s potential recovery may be limited if they were negligent. Under I.C. §34-51-2-5, a person’s potential damage award may be reduced proportionally by the amount of their negligence. Thus, if someone is 30 percent at fault for their own accident, they would only be able to collect 70 percent of their damages. However, according to I.C. §34-51-2-6, anyone 50 percent or more responsible for their accident may be completely barred from recovering compensation.
If you suffered an injury in a pedestrian accident, make sure you receive proper medical treatment. Afterward, if you are wondering whether you could collect compensation to help with any expenses, consider contacting a Porter County pedestrian accident lawyer.
An attorney who has handled pedestrian accident cases before could provide you with any legal information and resources you need. They could also look at the facts surrounding your accident to help you decide whether to file a claim.
If you were involved in a pedestrian accident in Indiana, make sure you do not sleep on your rights. Get in touch with a Porter County pedestrian accident attorney as soon as possible.