If you or a loved one are hit by a car, a bicyclist, or another vehicle in a crosswalk, you may worry about medical costs, injuries, and whether you can continue working while you’re hurt. Crosswalks can be dangerous, especially when the people around you are distracted or breaking the law without concern for pedestrians. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2021, there were nearly 3,500 crashes involving pedestrians in Illinois and more than 2,000 crashes involving bicycles. Nearly 1,200 serious injuries or deaths resulted from those accidents. But you don’t have to deal with this alone. An experienced personal injury lawyer can ensure you get the compensation you deserve for damages, medical bills, lost time at work, physical therapy, and long-term or traumatic injuries.
Types of Damages Recovered From a Crosswalk Accident
Our clients involved in crosswalk injuries may be able to recover a wide range of damages, depending on the circumstances of the case and their injuries. These damages can include actual losses you’ve already incurred and losses or damages you may incur in the future due to the accident. You may be able to recover:
- Property damage: Property damage recovery can include damage to your personal property such as your phone, purse or briefcase, electronics, clothing, bicycle, or scooter.
- Medical expenses: Medical expenses include an ambulance or life flight, emergency medical treatment, x-rays, tests, physician charges, medications, hospital stay, physical therapy, and follow-up treatment.
- Loss of income: If you’re unable to work after your accident, you may be able to recover lost wages while you’re out, the loss of your job, employer retirement match benefits, bonuses, loss of your earning power, and more.
- Pain and suffering: You may be able to recover damages for psychological distress, loss of quality of life, difficulty sleeping, post-traumatic stress, and other psychological harm.
- Disability damages: If you suffer long-term or permanent disability, you may be entitled to costs related to making your home wheelchair accessible, medical equipment, a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, caregiver costs, and more.
Losing a Loved One in a Crosswalk Accident
If you’ve lost a loved one in a crosswalk accident, you may be able to recover damages that include compensation for your loss, including:
- Pain and suffering: You could recover damages for psychological trauma, especially if you or a loved one witnessed the accident, counseling or psychological trauma, and more.
- Loss of companionship: When you lose a spouse, you also lose their companionship and a partner in life, which in some ways is invaluable. As a result, if you lost a loved one in a crosswalk accident, you may be able to recover damages for the loss of their comfort and companionship.
- Medical costs: You may be able to recover medical expenses you incurred with the loss of your loved one, including emergency transportation, emergency medical care, hospital stays, medical equipment, medications, surgical costs, doctor bills, and more.
- Funeral expenses: You may be able to recover the costs of a funeral for your loved one.
- Loss of income: You may be able to recover the loss of your loved one’s income in the short term and throughout their life expectancy, including expected salary, benefits, insurance, bonuses, and future promotions.
- Grief counseling: You may be able to recover costs for grief and family counseling or other psychological treatment.
- Loss of household services: When you lose a partner, you also lose the many household services they perform, including lawn maintenance, transportation, housekeeping, cooking, and childcare.
Recovering Damages From a Crosswalk Accident
After an accident, the skilled attorneys at Cullotta Bravo Law Group can help you with the process to recover for your damages, including:
Identifying the Liable Parties
Finding responsible parties can sometimes be challenging in the aftermath of an accident. An experienced personal injury attorney can follow up with the police, witnesses, and any involved parties to ensure they can identify the people responsible for your accident. The road or road conditions may also be fully or partially responsible for your accident. In these cases, we can identify the state, county, or local entity responsible for road conditions and signs, holding them accountable. Whether the responsible party is a commercial driver, someone driving their personal vehicle, or a city-maintained roadway, a skilled attorney can ensure you’re going after the correct parties and their insurance companies.
Documenting and Calculating Damages
The scope of damages you may incur after a serious accident can be hard to anticipate. An experienced personal injury attorney can help document injuries, explain the types of damages you may incur now or in the future, and ensure they have the appropriate medical records, bills, and financial information to calculate the full range of your damages.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies and Attorneys
After an accident, the other party’s insurance company may try to settle with you as quickly as possible. It’s in their best interests to end their liability as soon as possible, well before you may understand the full scope of your losses. That’s why you must speak with a skilled personal injury attorney about your case and your options as soon as possible after an accident. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can take the lead on negotiations with insurance companies and opposing counsel, ensuring you receive the total compensation you deserve.
Statute of Limitations in Illinois
Under Illinois law, you may have limited time to file a lawsuit or claim against a driver’s insurance. To file a lawsuit, you must do so within two years of the crosswalk accident date. If you fail to do so, you can lose your ability to file suit.
Hire a Skilled Attorney to Protect Your Rights
If you or someone you love was involved in an accident at a crosswalk, you need an experienced lawyer guiding you through the process and protecting your rights. The skilled attorneys at Cullotta Bravo Law Group have years of experience fighting for people like you and have succeeded in securing compensation for many clients. Call the Cullotta Bravo Law Group at 630-898-7800, or message them online to schedule your consultation.