If you were injured in a pedestrian accident in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, you likely have legal options available to you for compensation from the at-fault party. You can claim damages such as medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost wages, and much more. The personal injury lawyers with Marzzacco Niven & Associates are here to help you throughout the entire process.
Our personal injury law firm was founded in 2008. Since then, our Lebanon pedestrian accident attorneys have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our deserving clients throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. With more than 120 years of combined experience practicing law, we are confident in our ability to assist you with your claim – no matter how complex.
We offer a free initial consultation to go over your case; call our law office in Lebanon today at (717) 995-8963 or contact us online to get started.
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How Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help With Your Pedestrian Accident Case in Lebanon
Being involved in a pedestrian accident is terrifying. The potential for serious, even catastrophic, injuries is high; when a pedestrian is struck by a fast-moving vehicle, it’s unlikely that the victim will walk away unscathed. You deserve to be made whole again by the responsible party if this has happened to you.
Marzzacco Niven & Associates can handle just about everything related to your claim so that you can focus on recovering from your pedestrian accident injuries. Our Lebanon personal injury lawyers are some of the most well-awarded in the area, as prominent legal organizations have named members of our team Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, Best Lawyers of America, and Top 40 Under 40, just to name a few. If you hire us to help with your case in Lebanon, PA, we’ll be able to:
- Hire experts to strengthen your claim
- Investigate your case to collect evidence
- Negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf
- File a lawsuit if the other side will not settle
- Apprise you of your legal options and rights at all times
Reach out to us today to start forming an attorney-client relationship or to learn more about what we can do in service of your claim.
How Common Are Pedestrian Accidents in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) publishes detailed statistics on various types of accidents across the state, including pedestrian accidents. The most recent year from which full data are available is 2021. This latest report indicates the following number of pedestrian accidents in Pennsylvania in the past five years:
- 2021: 3,100 accidents and 182 fatalities
- 2020: 2,831 accidents and 146 fatalities
- 2019: 4,101 accidents and 154 fatalities
- 2018: 4,129 accidents and 201 fatalities
- 2017: 4,086 accidents and 150 fatalities
Based on these figures, there are roughly ten pedestrian accidents per day and a fatality around once every two to three days in the state, on average.
How Much Money Is My Lebanon Pedestrian Accident Claim Worth?
Ultimately, the value of your pedestrian accident claim in Lebanon will be based on the facts surrounding the incident. Though the cases involving the most serious injuries tend to be worth the most, there are many other factors that can impact a case’s value. These include:
- How much evidence there is to support your claim
- Whether you are expected to make a full recovery from your injuries
- Whether you have had to miss work due to the accident, and to what extent
- The terms of any applicable insurance policies
- How old you were at the time of the accident
You should feel free to get in contact with our legal team if you are interested in a more personalized assessment of your case’s value. This is something we can provide insight into during the course of your free consultation.
We Will Pursue Compensation for All of Your Pedestrian Accident Injuries
Taken collectively, our Lebanon personal injury attorneys have been in the legal field for more than a century. In that time, we’ve helped clients receive compensation for a wide range of injuries, including but not limited to the following:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Organ damage
- Neck injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Back injuries
- Chest injuries
Contact our law office today to learn more about how we can help you recover compensation for your pedestrian accident injuries as well.
What Types of Damages Are Available To Pedestrian Accident Victims in Lebanon, PA?
Victims of pedestrian accidents in Lebanon can pursue two forms of compensatory damages, economic and non-economic. Examples of the things you can be compensated for include:
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Emotional distress
- Decreased earning capacity
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Rehabilitation costs
- PTSD, depression, and other similar conditions
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Loss of consortium
This list is far from exhaustive; you can recover compensation for almost every consequence of the pedestrian accident. You may also be able to pursue punitive damages, but only in rare cases where the at-fault party acted with extreme recklessness or disregard for the safety of others.
Can I Receive Compensation Even if I Share Some Fault for My Pedestrian Accident in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, you may still recover compensation even if you are partially at fault for your pedestrian accident – up to a point. That’s because Pennsylvania operates under a modified comparative negligence doctrine with a 51% bar to recovery.
In practice, what this means is that you will be assigned a percentage of fault for the accident. As long as that percentage does not reach 51% or more, you can still receive compensation. However, your financial award could be reduced in accordance with your assigned percentage.
So, for example, if you’re given a $250,000 financial award but are found to be 20% at fault, that amount could be reduced by 20% to $200,000. And if you are found 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover any compensation.
Comparative fault can be a key issue in personal injury cases, depending on the circumstances. But with a skilled Lebanon pedestrian accident attorney to help, you’ll be able to effectively fight back against undue accusations that you’re to blame.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Pedestrian Accident in Lebanon?
Negligence is the cause of action that most pedestrian accident cases are founded on. “Carelessness” is a reasonable synonym for negligence, and it occurs when a person violates a given duty of care (such as the duty to drive safely and obey the rules of the road) and causes someone else to suffer damages as a result.
The personal injury victim has the burden of proof in this context and must provide enough evidence to satisfy each element of negligence. There must be enough evidence to show that each element is more likely true than not, which is referred to as the “by a preponderance of the evidence” standard.
The types of evidence you can bring in support of your claim include:
- Medical records
- Photos and videos of the accident
- Eyewitness testimony
If you hire Marzzacco Niven & Associates to help with your case, we’ll thoroughly investigate your case to uncover the necessary evidence to prove your claim. Contact us today for further information.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
You will generally have two years from the date of the pedestrian accident to file your lawsuit in Pennsylvania, which is the deadline set by its statute of limitations. You will not be able to pursue compensation if you file your lawsuit too late, so be sure to keep this deadline in mind as you consider your options.
There are exceptions to this deadline in certain cases, such as when you cannot file your lawsuit because the person you intend to sue has fled Pennsylvania. Because the two-year deadline does not necessarily apply to every case, it is best to reach out to our legal team to confirm whether you still have time to file.
Contact an Experienced Lebanon Pedestrian Accident Attorney Today for a Free Case Review
You’re likely going through an immensely difficult time if you’ve been harmed in a Lebanon pedestrian accident. Instead of worrying about the legal side of things and how you will make up for your losses, consider hiring Marzzacco Niven & Associates. You’ll benefit from a substantial track record of success, and you’ll be able to focus on healing from the accident.
We also work on contingency, so it doesn’t cost you anything upfront to hire our team to represent you. We will only receive attorney’s fees if we obtain compensation for you.
To set up your free initial consultation with an experienced Lebanon pedestrian accident lawyer, give us a quick call or send us a message online.