Steps to Take After a Pedestrian Accident in Tampa
When involved in an accident, a pedestrian’s initial reaction is to jump up and get out of the way, which the worst thing a person can do because they have a tendency to exacerbate a potential injury that has already occurred. There are many steps to take after a pedestrian accident in Tampa, and there are many important considerations to keep in mind to help the safety of others and to best prepare for a case later on. Among these steps, contacting an experienced pedestrian accident attorney is essential, as they can explain how best to move forward in their case for damages after a pedestrian accident.
Immediate Steps
After a pedestrian accident in Tampa, the driver may have a tendency to slam the car in park and jump out of the car to make sure the person that they hit is okay. Now the traffic behind that person was not expecting that maneuver and was not expecting their door to swing open in the middle of the road.
Upon impact, if the injured pedestrian feels safe, that they are in a spot where they will not get hit again, they should sit there until medical personnel arrive in order to avoid exacerbating the injury that has already occurred. Moving around may cause a fracture to become a break, such as a hematoma that may cut off blood circulation, or a closed head injury may become far more dangerous when somebody stands up. The driver needs to stop the vehicle, put their hazard lights on, contact law enforcement, and do the best they can to avoid dangerous traffic.
Seeking Medical Attention
Pedestrian accidents are almost always serious enough to contact 911 for an ambulance to be called. It is important for injured pedestrians to follow-up with their appropriate medical providers, and there could be a lot of them. A pedestrian accident in Tampa would probably entail the services of neurologists, or orthopedics, and some physical therapy prescribed to them because the injuries that they sustained are probably severe. It takes a long time to determine the extent of the injuries, to treat the injuries, and for the injuries heal appropriately. Many pedestrians who receive fractured body parts do not seek appropriate attention and this causes severe medical problems and huge medical expenses.
Alert the Police
Collecting the driver’s information is left to law enforcement. When law enforcement arrives at the accident scene, they will conduct an investigation and procure the appropriate information.
Contacting law enforcement immediately is an important step to take following a Tampa pedestrian accident. The injured pedestrian needs to get medical attention as quickly as possible. The driver needs to make sure that a law enforcement officer documents the circumstances surrounding the impact and gathers witness statements while their recollections are sharp. Law enforcement is particularly trained to make sure they document all potential witnesses and the evidence at the scene of the event for a potential insurance claim or claim against a party.
Collect Information
It is best to document as much as can be documented, e.g., injuries, the location, the place where the accident occurred, the other driver, the vehicle. Most pedestrians involved in an accident are not able to do these things. Leave this to law enforcement.
In the event that the driver flees the scene, which happens more often than not, it may be because the driver does not realize they hit a pedestrian. The best thing to do is get a description of the vehicle, the license plate number, and a description of the driver, e.g., male/female, young/old, type and color of vehicle, and license number.
Contact an Attorney
It is best to contact an accident attorney as quickly as the injured party can after a Tampa pedestrian accident. An experienced lawyer who handles pedestrian accidents recognizes the pitfalls associated with medical treatment and medical bills; all the necessary documentation of the accident scene; obtaining the police report; obtaining insurance information; and to make sure that everything is photographed properly. Those are the things that make a difference between a case where a victim of a pedestrian accident is compensated for their injuries and when they are not.