Alexandria maintains warmer weather throughout most of the year, making it popular for tourists and Louisiana locals to be out and about along the town’s streets and roadways. The resulting increased number of people on the road may lead to a higher level of pedestrian accidents.
If you or your loved one suffered an injury after being struck by a vehicle while walking in Alexandria, an Alexandria pedestrian accident lawyer could help. With the advice of a practiced injury attorney, your family may be able to seek the compensation you need to pay your medical expenses and other costs.
Rights of Local Pedestrians
Alexandria is a busy city, attracting tens of thousands of tourists each year for its festivals and attractions. This could mean an increase in the number of pedestrian accidents. When a person is injured while walking, an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer in Alexandria could help them recover their losses. This could be true even if the injured party is partially at fault.
The state of Louisiana employs a rule called pure comparative negligence, which states that personal injury plaintiffs may recover damages from those responsible for their injuries, even if they contributed a percentage of the fault. Some states prohibit recovery if the plaintiff is more than half at fault, but Louisiana’s laws do not. The state’s law is typically generous towards injured pedestrians. To learn how this law may affect a case, it may be beneficial to consult a well-versed attorney.
For a free legal consultation with a pedestrian accident lawyer serving Alexandria, call (318) 777-7777
Damages Available in Accidents
Louisiana allows compensatory damages for plaintiffs needing reimbursement for actual losses they suffered due to another party’s negligence. This may even be true for losses that could be considered noneconomic, which may include pain and suffering and mental anguish. Punitive damages are aimed at punishing the responsible party and are not usually allowed in Louisiana, barring a few exceptions.
Drunk-driving is one type of wrongdoing that could fall under the exception to the state’s ban on punitive damages. If a pedestrian suffered injury after being struck by a drunk driver, they may be eligible for punitive damages that go above and beyond the standard compensatory damages since the state may view drunk driving as an exclusively egregious behavior which may cause serious injury or even death.
Punitive damages in Louisiana are typically capped at ten times the amount of actual compensatory damages awarded by the court. An experienced Alexandria pedestrian accident lawyer could look into how and why the crash occurred and analyze what type of damages a someone in Alexandria may be eligible to receive.
Alexandria Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Near Me (318) 777-7777
Rapides Parish Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Duty of Care
Drivers in Rapides Parish owe a duty of care to everyone else on or near the road, including pedestrians. When motorists violate this duty of care by breaking a traffic law or otherwise acting in a reckless or careless manner, they could be responsible for any injuries sustained in a resulting pedestrian accident. Pedestrians might be eligible to recover damages from negligent drivers (or their insurance companies) in the following situations:
- The driver fails to obey a stop sign, traffic light, or other traffic control device at or near a designated pedestrian crossing
- The driver is distracted by a GPS, cell phone, or other mobile device and fails to see or appreciate the pedestrian
- The driver fails to yield the right of way to a pedestrian who is properly located in a crosswalk
- The driver cannot operate their vehicle in a safe manner because they are impaired by alcohol or drugs
- The driver is too tired to operate their vehicle safely and runs into a pedestrian lawfully in a crosswalk or parking lot
A pedestrian accident lawyer in Rapides Parish could help the accident victim prove fault and pursue compensation from the negligent driver.
Recoverable Damages in a Pedestrian Accident Case
Pedestrians are unfortunately prone to serious injuries in the event of an accident, since they are unprotected. When a motor vehicle – even a slow moving one – knocks a pedestrian to the ground, they can suffer TBIs, fractures, spinal injuries, or even paralysis.
Fortunately, innocent victims may be able to pursue compensation against at-fault motor vehicle operators for the losses they incur. Potential damages in pedestrian accident cases can include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Inconvenience
- Suffering
- Pain
- Mental distress
- Loss of spousal companionship
A pedestrian accident lawyer in Rapides Parish could help victims calculate a fair value for these damages and hold negligent drivers accountable for all of their losses.
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Consulting with an Experienced Alexandria Pedestrian Accident Attorney
A skilled Alexandria pedestrian attorney could help you pursue reimbursement for the monetary and monetary losses you incurred in the aftermath of a pedestrian accident. You may even be eligible for punitive damages in some instances if the driver who hit you drove under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Louisiana has a strict prescriptive period, or time limit, for filing a personal injury claim. Most cases need to be filed within one year of suffering an injury, so it is important to consult an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. Call now to learn more.
Call or text (318) 777-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
