Were you injured in a pedestrian accident in Carbondale, Pennsylvania? If so, you deserve compensation from the responsible party. Marzzacco Niven & Associates can help you obtain financial relief for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more.
Our personal injury law firm was founded in 2008 – since then, the Carbondale pedestrian accident lawyers we employ have collected tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. We’re also one of the most well-established law firms in the entire area, as our attorneys have more than 120 years of combined experience in the field.
Call today for legal advice or to begin forming an attorney-client relationship at (717) 995-8810. Your initial consultation is completely free of charge and without any obligations.
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How Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help After a Pedestrian Accident in Carbondale, PA
It can be difficult to focus on recovering from your injuries after you’ve been involved in a pedestrian accident in Carbondale, PA. You might have an insurance adjuster asking you pointed questions about the accident, and you might not be sure how best to answer them. If you’ve had to miss work due to the accident, you could be in a difficult financial position as well. All of this can be overwhelming, especially if you’re experiencing significant pain and suffering.
Fortunately, there are options available to you. One of them is to hire the award-winning Carbondale personal injury lawyers with Marzzacco Niven & Associates. Members of our legal team have been recognized as Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers of America, and Top 40 Under 40 by prestigious legal professional organizations. When you hire us to represent you, we’ll handle everything related to your compensation claim while you rest and heal. To that end, we can:
- Conduct a comprehensive investigation into your case to collect evidence and determine the complete extent of your losses
- Hire experts to analyze and bolster your case with the ability to testify on your behalf if necessary
- Take care of all the negotiations, paperwork, and communications with the other party involved in your case
- File a lawsuit and bring your case before a jury in Lackawanna County if the circumstances call for it
These are just a few of the aspects of your claim we’ll take care of when you hire us. Reach out to our law office in Carbondale today to discuss your pedestrian injury accident.
Pennsylvania Pedestrian Accident Statistics
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) provides detailed statistics on various types of accidents across the state, including pedestrian accidents. The latest year from which complete data are available is 2020.
That year, there were a total of 2,831 pedestrian accidents in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, according to PennDOT data. This actually represents a marked decrease from the previous four years, where there were at least 4,000 accidents in each. However, this is likely explained due to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, where foot and vehicle traffic was substantially below-average.
PennDOT notes that there were 146 pedestrian accident fatalities in 2020, which is only 8 fewer than the year prior notwithstanding the pandemic. In 2020, pedestrian accidents represented 2.7% of the total number of crashes in Pennsylvania, but 12.9% of all traffic-related fatalities.
These numbers indicate that there are roughly 8 pedestrian accidents per day in Pennsylvania, and a fatality roughly once every 2-3 days.
What Is My Pedestrian Accident Case Worth?
Pedestrian accident cases in Carbondale can vary significantly in value, depending on the facts surrounding the incident. Some cases may be worth in hundreds of dollars, but others may be worth millions. While it isn’t possible to let you know how much your case is worth before speaking with you, we can shed some light on a few factors that might come into play:
- What kinds of injuries have you sustained, and how serious are they?
- What amount of evidence is available to support your claim?
- Do you share any blame for the accident?
- Will you make a full medical recovery from your injuries?
- To what extent have you missed work due to the pedestrian accident?
It’s largely true that the cases involving the most serious injuries are worth the most, but it’s not always that simple. The best way to find out how much your case is worth is to set up a free consultation with one of our experienced Carbondale pedestrian accident attorneys.
What Types of Damages Can Pedestrian Accident Victims Receive?
There are three types of damages that pedestrian accident victims can potentially receive. Economic damages and non-economic damages are the two primary forms of damages you’ll be able to collect. Punitive damages are the third type and are only awarded in rare cases.
The financial losses you’ve incurred due to the accident comprise your economic damages claim. Think of things like:
- Lost wages
- Decreased earning capacity
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
The other losses you’ve sustained due to your pedestrian accident in Carbondale make up your non-economic damages claim. These include:
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring
- Loss of consortium
- PTSD
- Disfigurement
Punitive damages could be available if the at-fault party acted with extreme recklessness or maliciousness. These damages are meant to “punish” the defendant and deter society from acting similarly.
Can I Still Collect Compensation Even if I’m Being Blamed for a Pedestrian Accident in Carbondale, Pennsylvania?
You can, but only up to a point. Pennsylvania has adopted a modified comparative negligence doctrine with a 51% bar to recovery.
You will be assigned a percentage of fault under this doctrine – we’ll use 25% as an example. We’ll then assume that you’re awarded $400,000 in compensation. In that case, your financial award could be reduced to $300,000, which is the full amount minus your percentage of fault. If you are assigned 51% or more of the blame for the pedestrian accident, you cannot receive any damages.
Our personal injury attorneys in Carbondale will work hard to ensure you aren’t assigned more of the blame than is fair. We won’t let the other side attempt to take advantage of you and escape liability for your injuries.
What Are Some Common Types of Pedestrian Accident Injuries in Carbondale?
Some of the more common kinds of pedestrian accident injuries that we see in Carbondale include the following:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Neck injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- PTSD
- Anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders
- Organ damage
- Nerve damage
- Chest injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Our lawyers can help you obtain compensation regardless of whether your injuries are listed above. Call today for legal advice regarding your claim.
What Causes Most of the Pedestrian Accidents in Carbondale, PA?
Pedestrian accidents happen for a variety of reasons in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. These include, but are not limited to:
- Distracted drivers
- Fatigued drivers
- Poor weather conditions
- Malfunctioning traffic lights
- Jaywalking
- Improper vehicle turning
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk or intoxicated drivers
If you have any questions about how our legal team can help with your Carbondale pedestrian accident case, feel free to reach out today to set up a free case evaluation.
How Do I Assert Negligence After a Pedestrian Accident in Pennsylvania?
The vast majority of pedestiran accident cases entail proving that the other party was negligent in order to establish fault. Negligence is a legal term, and it means something close to “carelessness.” There are four legal elements that you, as the personal injury victim, must support by a preponderance of the evidence in order to win your claim:
- Did the other party owe you a duty of care?
- By way of their actions or omissions, did the other party violate that duty?
- Was the pedestrian accident caused by the other party in question?
- Did you suffer damages as a result?
If you can provide sufficient evidence for each of these elements, you’ll be well on your way to a successful outcome. With over a century of combined experience, you can rest assured that our personal injury lawyers know what it takes to win a negligence case.
How Long Do I Have To File a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you’ll generally have two years from the date of the incident to file your pedestrian accident lawsuit. This is the deadline provided for by Pennsylvania law.
There are exceptions to this two-year deadline, however. For instance, you’ll have just six months to file your claim against a governmental entity. In other instances, you may have additional time to file, such as if you were a minor at the time of the accident.
Get in touch with our legal team if you’re not sure how this statute of limitations deadline applies to your case, as we can fill you in during your free case review.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With a Trusted Carbondale Pedestrian Accident Attorney
You don’t have to go it alone after you’ve been hurt in a pedestrian accident in Carbondale, PA. If you hire Marzzacco Niven & Associates, you’ll be able to focus on your rest and recovery. In the meantime, our well-regarded Carbondale pedestrian accident lawyers will fight for compensation on your behalf.
We also work on contingency, so hiring us won’t cost you anything upfront. Instead, we’ll receive our payment as a percentage of the financial award we ultimately collect for you. In this sense, we only win when you do.