Every year, around 800 pedestrian accidents occur in San Francisco alone. A vehicle’s heavy weight and high speed can cause life-changing injuries in car accidents, but passengers and drivers have the protection of exterior metal frames. Pedestrians, on the other hand, are completely defenseless in the event of a crash, potentially leaving them with severe or even fatal injuries.
Hand injuries after a pedestrian accident can be particularly life-changing as these injuries can seriously impact a person’s ability to work and enjoy life. If you suffered from a hand injury after a pedestrian accident, you should hold the liable driver accountable for damages. Here’s what you need to know about recovering a hand injury car accident settlement as a pedestrian.
Types of Hand Injuries in Car Accidents (as a pedestrian)
Your hands are incredibly intricate, with each hand featuring an interconnected system of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, and nerves. Due to the complex nature of these extremities, you may suffer from any number of conditions after an accident, ranging from mild to catastrophic.
Types of hand injuries after a pedestrian accident include:
- Fractures: The impact of a collision has the potential to fracture one or more bones in your hands and wrists.
- Burn injuries: You may suffer a painful burn injury from friction against the road or a fire that resulted from the accident.
- Strains and sprains: Sudden force exerted on your hands can cause serious hand strains and sprains.
- Lacerations: Broken glass and other sharp objects may deeply cut your hands.
- Scapholunate ligament injury: Your scapholunate ligament resides in your wrist, and damage to this ligament can impact your wrist stability and movement. This may also lead to wrist pain after a car accident.
- Nerve injury: Being struck by a vehicle may damage the nerves in your hands, causing you to lose sensation or motor functions.
- Amputations: A serious accident may cause you to lose one or more of your fingers, or, tragically, you may even lose one or both hands.
- Dislocations: The force of impact may dislocate one or more of the joints within your hands.
If you’ve suffered from a hand injury after a pedestrian accident, you need to seek medical attention promptly. You’ll need a proper medical diagnosis to begin the healing process.
Seeking Compensation for a Hand Injury
Hand injuries often require extensive medical treatments that may include multiple doctor visits, surgeries, prescriptions, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. On top of these expenses, you may not be able to work while you recover from your condition, further impacting your finances.
If a negligent driver caused your accident, you shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for your own medical expenses, and you deserve to be compensated for the money you lost at work. For that reason, you must file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to recoup losses.
How Much Is My Hand Injury Car Accident Settlement Worth?
The amount of money a victim can recover for a hand injury varies dramatically. Some can recover millions of dollars while others may only recover a small amount.
Your compensation will depend on the damages that you suffer, and this can include both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages reimburse you for specific expenses and losses, such as:
- Your past and future medical bills
- The money you lost because you missed work
- The money you’ll lose in the future due to your hand injury
Non-economic damages compensate you for discomfort and the ways in which your injury has impacted your life. Some examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional trauma
Before filing your claim, it’s critical to speak with a pedestrian accident attorney who can help you unpack what damages to seek from the negligent driver’s insurance company.
Negotiating a Hand Injury Car Accident Settlement
Another factor that will determine how much you can recover will be how you negotiate your claim. When you submit your claim to the insurance company, they will either accept it, present a counteroffer, or reject it entirely.
If you provide sufficient evidence that their client caused the accident and your resulting damages, the insurance company will more than likely send you a counteroffer. You need a lawyer in your corner to negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. That way, you can get the most money possible for your settlement.
Contact a California Pedestrian Accident Attorney Today
You deserve to recover substantial compensation for your hand injury that covers the full extent of your damages. You can significantly enhance your settlement potential by contacting a legal team that has years of experience handling pedestrian accident cases.
Fortunately, you’re in the right place. Here at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve helped numerous victims in California recover the money they deserved after pedestrian accidents. We’ll help you hold the liable driver accountable, and we’ll work to maximize your compensation.
Get a free case evaluation today by calling 877-380-8852, or you can start your evaluation online here.
