If you have been struck by a car, you need to contact a personal injury attorney. Of course, this assumes you have been injured, but rarely does a pedestrian have an accident with a car and remain unscathed. Even if the car did not hit you, but you were injured by the ground while attempting to avoid being hit, you are likely entitled to compensation. However, you need an attorney. The following are a few reasons why hiring a personal injury lawyer is so important.

There may be criminal implications

Sometimes when a pedestrian is hit by a car, the driver panics and drives away. Even if the person comes back, it may be considered a hit and run accident. Sometimes a driver may not come back, but witnesses describe the car, and later, the driver is found and arrested. When this happens, there is both a criminal aspect to the case as well as a civil one. It is imperative that you have an attorney to sort through these complexities so you can get the money you are entitled to.

An insurance adjuster may claim it was your fault

An insurance adjuster is not your friend. If they can find a reason to deny your claim or at least reduce the amount they are required to pay you, then they will. They will do this in many ways. Perhaps they will tell you that there was no crosswalk, so you were at fault. Of course, this may be a lie, especially if the law in your city states that when crossing from one corner to the next, there is an implied crosswalk. Never let an insurance company tell you what the law is. They may be willing to lie in order to pay out less money in a settlement.

An insurance adjuster may attempt a quick settlement

This is usually done when the incident is clearly the fault of the driver. Regardless of how serious the injuries are, the insurance company will try to settle quickly. They will be warm and sympathetic about what you have gone through, and then they will offer you an amount that they claim is more than fair. Unfortunately, this will not be true. An amount that is fair is something you will only get if you have an attorney.

If you were injured as a pedestrian because you were hit by a car or injured avoiding a car, you need to first seek medical attention. After this, you need to contact a personal injury attorney. Most of them offer a free consultation, and if you decide to hire the attorney, almost all of them work on a contingency fee. You won't have to pay until they win your case.