Naperville Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Were you hit by a car while walking around Naperville, Illinois? If so, the negligent driver should be held financially accountable for your damages, including medical bills, pain and suffering.
An experienced Naperville pedestrian accident lawyer at Mathys & Schneid Personal Injury Lawyers can help. We’ll take on your legal battle while you focus on recovering from your injuries. Our dedicated legal team has over 74 years of combined experience, and we’ve secured more than $150 million for personal injury victims throughout Illinois.
Get our skilled and award-winning attorneys on your side by contacting our personal injury law firm at 630-848-9294. We provide a free consultation to discuss your pedestrian accident with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Naperville, Illinois.
We also work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will not owe anything out of pocket to hire our attorneys. You only pay if we secure compensation for you.
How Can An Attorney Help Me After A Pedestrian Accident In Naperville, Illinois?
Pedestrians often endure severe, life-changing injuries when they’re hit by multi-thousand-pound vehicles. That means pedestrian accident cases can involve significant sums of money.
Insurance companies use their vast resources and teams of adjusters and defense attorneys to fight these claims. They want to pay as little as possible to resolve the matter.
Our Naperville personal injury attorneys won’t let them get away with paying less than you deserve. We understand that you need to cover medical bills and other expenses. You should also be compensated for the physical and emotional impacts of the incident.
If you hire Mathys & Schneid Personal Injury Lawyers for help after a pedestrian accident in Naperville, we’ll:
- Investigate to determine what happened and identify everyone who shares responsibility
- Collect evidence proving the elements of negligence and the value of your damages
- Negotiate with insurance adjusters and protect you from victim-blaming techniques
- Monitor all deadlines and handle paperwork and filings
- Represent you in court proceedings in DuPage County if necessary
Don’t rush to settle your personal injury case before speaking to a Naperville pedestrian accident attorney. You risk receiving far less than your claim is worth. Contact us today for a free initial consultation to learn more about the compensation you can recover after an accident in Illinois.
How Common Are Pedestrian Accidents In Illinois?
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2021, car accidents involving pedestrians accounted for.
- 1.3% of all crashes
- 17.5% of fatal crashes
- 5.6% of injury crashes
The state experienced 3,738 pedestrian accidents that caused 3,406 injuries and 213 fatalities.
DuPage County reported 112 pedestrian accidents in 2021, injuring 109 and killing seven people.
What Causes Most Pedestrian Accidents In Naperville?
Most accidents involving pedestrians result from someone’s carelessness. It may be negligent actions by the pedestrian, such as jaywalking or failing to watch where they’re going.
However, more often, it’s driver negligence that leads to these accidents such as:
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians at intersections or crosswalks
- Eating, texting, grooming and other forms of distracted driving
- Impaired driving (DUI)
- Speeding
- Illegal or unsafe turns
Sometimes, other factors can lead to pedestrian accidents, such as road defects or unreasonably dangerous intersections. It’s crucial to identify the cause of the incident to know who shares liability for the pedestrian accident.
How Much Is My Naperville Pedestrian Accident Claim Worth?
Each personal injury claim must be individually assessed based on the victim, their losses, and other circumstances. It’s impossible to give a dollar figure until we know more about what happened.
The value of your Naperville pedestrian accident case is dependent on various factors such as:
- The severity of your injuries and whether they’ve permanently disabled or impaired you
- The cost of your medical treatment and other expenses
- Your lost income and ability to continue earning a living
- Whether you contributed in any way to the pedestrian accident
- The pain you’ve endured and the psychological effects of the accident and injuries
We’ll look at these and other factors when calculating what your pedestrian accident claim is worth. Our primary objective is to get you the compensation needed to cover the full extent of your losses.
What Compensation Is Available To Pedestrian Accident Victims In Illinois?
Illinois pedestrian accident victims can pursue compensation for the financial losses they incurred due to the incident and their injuries (economic damages). They can also seek payment for the impact of the accident on their quality of life (noneconomic damages).
Economic damages stemming from a pedestrian accident might include:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical costs for ongoing care and treatment
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages and employment benefits
- Reduced earning potential
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage, such as the cost to repair or replace a damaged cellphone
A pedestrian accident victim’s noneconomic damages might include:
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Chronic pain
- Inconvenience
- Diminished enjoyment of life
- PTSD
- Scarring or disfigurement
The insurance company may offer you a quick settlement. You may be eager to accept it because you’re struggling to keep up with bills. However, the offer is likely far less than what your claim is worth.
Before signing anything, consult an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer in Naperville. We can offer guidance on whether the offer fairly compensates you for your damages.
Can I Still Recover Compensation If I’m Partially Responsible For My Pedestrian Accident In Naperville, Illinois?
Under the Illinois modified comparative negligence statute, if the victim’s fault exceeds 50%, they’re barred from financial recovery. You can receive compensation as long as you are 50% or less at fault for the pedestrian accident.
However, your share of the fault will proportionally reduce your awarded compensation.
For example, you are assigned 30% of the blame for a pedestrian accident because you were distracted. You’d be entitled to 70% of your damages. If you were 51% responsible, you’d take home nothing.
Insurance companies and other defendants often allege comparative fault to attempt to pay victims less than they deserve. They may do so without any evidence to prove it. If you’re being blamed for a pedestrian accident in Naperville, Illinois, contact our law firm today for assistance.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries
Pedestrians have no protection if they’re struck by a vehicle, so they can suffer catastrophic injuries in accidents. Of course, the severity of the harm will depend on various factors, such as the vehicle’s speed at impact and the victim’s health.
Some injuries that can occur in pedestrian crashes include:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- Neck injuries
- Paralysis and spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Chest injuries
- Burns
- Amputation
Many people succumb to their injuries after a pedestrian accident. If you tragically lost a family member, our Naperville personal injury lawyers can help you file a wrongful death case.
How Do I Prove My Pedestrian Accident Case In Illinois?
To recover compensation from the opposing party, you’ll need to prove that they are liable for the pedestrian accident.
That means you’ll have to demonstrate the four elements of negligence.
- The at-fault party owed you a duty of care. For example, Illinois drivers must obey traffic laws and drive cautiously to avoid accidents.
- The at-fault party breached their duty through unreasonable actions. For instance, a distracted driver ran a stop sign and struck you as you were crossing the street.
- The at-fault party’s actions directly caused the pedestrian accident that led to your injuries (causation).
- You sustained damages such as medical expenses, emotional trauma and chronic pain.
Various forms of evidence can be used to prove each aspect of your case, such as:
- Accident report
- Statements from eyewitnesses
- Medical records
- Surveillance and traffic camera footage
- Videos and photos of the accident scene
- Physical evidence such as damaged personal property
Our pedestrian accident attorneys in Naperville will work diligently to gather the evidence needed to prove your case.
How Long Do I Have To File A Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit In Illinois?
Every state implements a statute of limitations, limiting the amount of time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit.
In Illinois, you typically must take legal action within two years of the pedestrian accident date. If the pedestrian accident was fatal, you generally have two years from your loved one’s date of death to pursue a wrongful death claim.
There may be exceptions. If you miss the applicable deadline, you’ll lose the right to seek financial recovery from the at-fault party. Contact our personal injury attorneys in Naperville as soon as possible to discuss your pedestrian accident case.
Schedule A Free Case Evaluation With Our Naperville Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
If you were hurt in a pedestrian accident in Naperville, Illinois, the experienced personal injury lawyers at Mathys & Schneid Personal Injury Lawyers are here to assist. We have more than 74 years of combined experience to put behind your case, and we’re dedicated to providing exceptional legal services.
Contact our Naperville pedestrian accident attorneys today for a free case assessment to discuss your claim for compensation.