Pedestrian accident claims come with unique challenges that not every personal injury lawyer is equipped to handle. As you deal with the stress of recovery, you need a lawyer you can trust to navigate these complexities and advocate for your needs. Knowing what to look for can help you find a qualified pedestrian accident lawyer who will protect your rights and pursue the full and fair compensation you deserve.
Lever & Ecker, PLLC, represents injured accident victims throughout New York. We bring decades of combined experience handling complex injury claims and have the resources needed to build a strong pedestrian accident case.
Look for Experience With New York Pedestrian Accident Cases
Choose a lawyer with experience handling New York pedestrian accident cases because these claims can involve legal issues that differ from other personal injury cases. Your lawyer should understand how New York state and local laws protect pedestrians and how those laws may apply to the circumstances of your crash.
Relevant experience is also important when establishing negligence. Your lawyer must determine what happened by obtaining evidence such as traffic camera footage, witness statements, police reports, or other available evidence. They should know how to identify the available sources of evidence to show that the driver failed to exercise reasonable care.
Choose a Lawyer With the Resources to Build a Strong Case
Look for a lawyer who can conduct a detailed investigation and bring in qualified experts when your case requires them. For instance, a lawyer may engage an accident reconstruction expert to establish how the collision occurred. A lawyer may also call on a medical expert to explain the nature and effects of your injuries, or a financial professional can discuss the long-term economic losses expected to result from your injury.
Your lawyer should also know how to preserve evidence before it becomes unavailable. This may include obtaining surveillance or traffic camera footage, documenting witness accounts, and securing other records related to the crash.
Look for Strong Communication and Client Service
Effective communication helps you understand the status of your claim and the next steps. Your lawyer should explain the legal process clearly and update you promptly when something important happens in your case. You deserve quick answers to your questions, not to wait days for a response. When your attorney stays accessible, you can stay engaged in your case without losing focus on your recovery.
Review a Lawyer’s Track Record With Pedestrian Accident Cases
A firm’s experience with serious pedestrian accident claims can tell you more about its ability to handle the demands of these cases.
Consider whether the attorneys have represented clients with significant injuries and whether they have experience taking cases to trial. While past results are not a promise of what your case will achieve, they can help you evaluate a firm’s track record.
Trial readiness can also affect settlement negotiations. When an insurer knows your lawyer is willing and able to take the case to trial, it may have more reason to negotiate seriously rather than assume the case will settle on its terms.
Use Client Reviews to Evaluate a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Reading client reviews can help you understand what it may be like to work with a truck accident lawyer. Look for patterns in what multiple clients say about:
- Communication: Do clients say the lawyer kept them informed and answered their questions?
- Responsiveness: Do clients say the lawyer or legal team responded promptly when they reached out?
- Professionalism: Did clients describe the firm as organized and respectful?
- Compassion: Do reviews suggest the legal team treated clients with understanding during a difficult time?
- Client satisfaction: Do clients consistently describe a positive experience with the firm?
One review cannot tell you everything about a New York pedestrian attorney. Look at several reviews to see whether the same qualities appear repeatedly. This can give you a more balanced view of how the firm works with clients throughout their cases.
Ask About the Law Firm’s Fee Structure
Before hiring a pedestrian accident lawyer, ask how the attorney will charge for legal services. Contingency fees are a common arrangement in truck accident and other personal injury cases, but some firms use different fee structures.
With a contingency fee agreement, you do not pay attorney fees up front. Instead, the lawyer receives a fee only if the firm recovers compensation for you, usually as an agreed-upon percentage of that recovery. This arrangement can make legal representation more accessible after an accident because you do not need to pay attorney fees out of pocket while pursuing your claim.
What to Ask Before Hiring a New York Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
At an initial consultation, you’ll have the opportunity to determine whether a pedestrian accident lawyer is a good fit for your case. Before hiring a lawyer, ask questions like the following:
- Have you handled pedestrian accident cases similar to mine?
- What is your success rate?
- Who will handle my case?
- What challenges do you anticipate with my claim?
- How will we communicate during my case?
- How can I reach you if I have questions?
- How are attorney fees calculated?
Why Hiring the Right Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Matters
Hiring the right pedestrian accident lawyer is crucial, as your claim’s success largely depends on your attorney’s skill in building a compelling case and countering insurance company arguments. Insurers often dispute liability or attempt to shift blame to victims under New York’s comparative negligence laws, which can reduce your compensation.
Pedestrian accidents often result in serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, broken bones, and internal injuries. Medical care can be expensive, and recovery may force you to miss work for weeks or months. Some people experience permanent changes to their lives. Having the right lawyer means having someone who strives to secure compensation that reflects the full impact of the accident.
Why Choose Lever & Ecker?
Our firm has spent decades representing injured clients throughout New York. When you hire us for a serious pedestrian accident claim, you can expect:
- Proven results: We have a 99% success rate and a record of multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements.
- Consistent communication: We keep clients informed and make sure they understand what is happening with their cases.
- Thorough investigations: We begin investigating immediately to preserve evidence and establish who is responsible.
- Trial experience: We are prepared to take a case to trial when necessary to pursue full and fair compensation.
- No upfront fees: We handle cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Our fee is a percentage of your recovery.
Contact a New York Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today
Choosing a lawyer is a personal decision, and you should have the opportunity to speak with an attorney before making it. At Lever & Ecker, we offer free consultations so you can ask questions and learn about your legal options with no pressure to move forward with us. Our attorneys are committed to pursuing full and fair compensation for the clients we represent.
Call (914) 288-9191 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.
