Finding the best lawyer takes time and patience. Sometimes, though, these are often in short supply when you’ve just been the victim of a pedestrian accident. Whether you were hit while navigating a crosswalk or you were hit while jogging on the side of the road, you are entitled to compensation.
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Sadly, despite local municipal goals to make streets safer, the number of pedestrians dying in Southern California has increased over the last decade, with numbers continuing to climb. This number, in fact, has been surpassing the rate of fatalities from other traffic accidents. Those killed while walking on streets or highways has increased 27 percent from 2007 to 2016 nationwide, says a recent Governors Highway Safety Association report.
California led the country during the first half of 2017 with more than 350 pedestrian fatalities. Los Angeles County was also #1 in pedestrian deaths in 2016 with 265. The reasons for these accidents vary. There are far more people walking to work, not to mention more vehicles on the roadways and more people being distracted by smart phones, to name a few.
If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, heed these tips to find the best pedestrian accident attorney in Los Angeles as quickly as possible.
1. Top Complaints
Before you can know how to find the best Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers, you first have to know what to avoid. Here are some of the most common complaints from clients we have helped who have had bad experiences in the past.
- Too Much Pressure: Attorneys who try to get you to settle for much less than what is reasonable.
- No Connection: Distant or unapproachable attorneys
- Non-Responsive: Difficulty contacting the attorney
- Dragging On: The process is taking way too long
That being said, how do you as an injured party navigate the process of hiring the right pedestrian accident attorney in Los Angeles the first time?
2. Specialties
Many personal injury lawyers take on a wide range of cases, claiming they specialize in everything from slip and fall cases to dangerous property cases, as well as cases pertaining to work injuries, assaults, discrimination, employment, product liability, elder abuse, medical malpractice, and even airplane and helicopter cases.
There’s no problem with that if the law firm has the manpower to handle all those cases. However, smaller law firms who say they handle all those cases on a regular basis can’t possibly specialize in all of them. Many times, law firms prioritize their cases based on what they believe will give the largest payout, or which cases they are most familiar with, working their way down from there. If your case is not within their primary area of expertise, it will probably end up at the bottom of the pile.
3. Manpower
With a larger, more experienced firm like Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accidents Lawyers, we can handle the big caseloads because we have the manpower and experience in dealing with all practice areas. However, this also means we specialize in each area, with pedestrian accidents being one of our most common.
Ultimately, you want to choose a personal injury attorney that works day in, day out on your particular type of case. This way, you know they are up to date on the latest developments in that particular area of the law, the procedures to follow, and resources needed to strengthen your case.
4. Results and Referrals
Results and referrals: the two things that separate a great personal injury attorney from a good one. It’s one thing to say you are skilled in an area of personal injury law; quite another to have the results to back up that experience. Great attorneys will have a long track record of successfully settling cases, litigating them if they must, and bringing many years of trial experience to ensure their clients receive the best possible outcome.
Multi-million dollar settlements are great to see, of course, but you should also look for a record of solid and fair results based upon the circumstances of the case.
5. Goals
It’s important to choose a pedestrian accident attorney In Los Angeles that has his or her own personal goals, and that those goals are aligned with your own. First off, consider what your goal is when it comes to pursuing your personal injury case. Is it to take the other party for every cent they’re worth? Is it to have your day in court at trial? Or do you just want to obtain a reasonable amount of money to compensate you for what you’ve gone through?
There are many types of lawyers out there: those who are out for blood and those who take a more diplomatic approach who will collect what you deserve without dragging the case through unnecessary litigation.
Contact Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accidents Lawyers
To find out more about our approach and learn why so many people like you have relied on us as their Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyers, contact us now at 661-945-6969. We would be happy to provide you with a free, no-obligation consultation about your pedestrian accident case.