Pedestrians are much more likely to sustain injuries following a traffic collision than someone else who is inside a vehicle. A report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2015, approximately 129,000 pedestrians had to go to the emergency room for non-fatal injuries.
You may feel shocked, angry and frightened after a pedestrian accident. However, the actions you take in the immediate aftermath will significantly affect the claims process later. You should try to move out of the street if possible to assess your injuries. Otherwise, keep the driver at the scene and follow these steps:
Call the police
You will want to file an official police report if a driver hits you. The driver may beg you not to involve the police, but you need to think about your own well-being. A police report is a useful piece of evidence in court and to insurance companies. While you wait for the police to arrive, you should exchange names, contact information and insurance information with the motorist.
Record details of the incident
Take pictures on your phone of the vehicle and your injuries. It can also help to take photos of the general area, because there may have been environmental factors that contributed to the collision. When the police show up, make sure to make your voice heard. You should also ask the officer to read back what he wrote down, so you can make sure everything is accurate.
See a medical professional
During your 9-1-1 call, you should also ask for an ambulance to take you to the hospital. To begin the insurance claims process, you will need to know the full extent of your injuries. Additionally, a doctor will be able to find injuries that would not display symptoms for several days or weeks. After all this, you can get in touch with an attorney, because there is a chance you will need to take this case to court.
