There are different situations in which a pedestrian could be injured and all of them are particularly dangerous when it comes to it. This is due to the fact that the collision is usually between the unprotected pedestrian and a heavy machinery such as any kind of motor vehicle, being a car, motorcycle or anything else. This is an accident which commonly results in a range of different damages and all of them are quite devastating. In a lot of these accidents, there are also fatalities which shouldn’t be overlooked.
Now, from a legal standpoint, this is a challenging case to consider. This is due to the fact that the pedestrian is usually given the right of way but not always. There are certain situations in which the pedestrian himself could be found responsible for the accident – when he is jaywalking, for instance.
In any case, seeking compensation is the natural thing to do when it comes to it. The Insurance Act of Ontario alongside the Highway Traffic Act contain the necessary legal provision that you should rely on in order to ensure that you receive the necessary compensation. Hiring the services of a lawyer will ensure that your rights are protected and safeguarded at all times.
With this in mind, the very first thing that an injured pedestrian should do is to issue a letter of intent to the necessary and involved parties. This doesn’t include only the driver of the vehicle but towards anyone who is involved in this situation. This is something absolutely critical. When you send the letter, the other party has a certain period of time after which you are allowed to file your claim.
Of course, most of those claims are handled outside of the court with the help of the insurance company. This is something which is rather beneficial, even though in a lot of the situations it is quite challenging to handle the negotiations with the insurance company. The reason for this is quite obvious – they are established to make money and the more they pay you in terms of compensation, the less profit they can report to their shareholders. That is why they try to delay it.
With this in mind, one of the very first things that you need to take into account when you’ve been injured as a pedestrian is to go ahead and call a personal injury lawyer in Ontario who has the necessary expertise in cases of the kind. This is going to ensure that you receive the much needed legal representation. Without it, dealing with the insurance adjuster could be particularly challenging and you might not get the full value for your injuries. This is capable of causing you serious financial issues, turning the entire situation in something even more troublesome than it already is.