Filing a Cherry Hill Pedestrian Accident Claim
Request a Free ConsultationPedestrian accident cases are similar to other personal injury matters in Cherry Hill. An individual would file a formal complaint within the system in order to ultimately have a jury decide who is responsible. The court system can also determine the damages involved in the case.
If you have been involved in an accident and are looking to file a pedestrian accident case in Cherry Hill, it is imperative to consult with an experienced attorney immediately. A pedestrian accident lawyer in Cherry Hill can best advise an individual on the legal process involved in filing a claim and the various steps that should be taken.
Considering Whether to File a Claim
Anytime an individual is involved in an accident, whether or not a case is filed will be determined on two very general concepts, liability or responsibility for the accident and the likelihood of proving who is responsible.
Secondly, the degree of damages involved also influence whether or not an individual should file a pedestrian accident claim in Cherry Hill. Unfortunately, filing lawsuits has many expenses involved, and if the case has led to minimal damage, then the individual may have more in expenses in filing than they would receive in recovery. In that case, it may not make sense to file.
Location of the Filing
Pedestrian accident cases are typically filed at the local court of the county where the incident occurred. If a pedestrian accident happened in Cherry Hill, that would be a part of Canton County. If the driver is an out-of-state driver, the matter could be filed in federal court in the district of New Jersey and it would proceed as a federal case.
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations for pedestrian accident cases in Cherry Hill is two years for an adult from the date of the accident. If it involves a minor, it is two years within the 18th birthday of the minor.
Before Filing
If a person is involved in a pedestrian accident, they need to contact an experienced personal injury attorney immediately after getting the appropriate medical care.
The individual should not speak to the defendant, they should not speak to the defendant’s insurance company, and they should not sign any paperwork or documents provided to them without first consulting with an attorney.
A qualified attorney can best advise an individual on how to proceed with filing their Cherry Hill pedestrian accident claim. An individual should not act in any sort of way that may put them or their case in jeopardy.
Mediation
Mediation is an attempt to resolve a conflict. If there has been a pedestrian accident, there may be opportunities to sit down with a neutral individual, whether it is a retired judge or a retired attorney, to try to resolve the conflicts in the case.
The role of a mediation, a mediator, or mediation in a pedestrian accident case or any injury case is the same. A mediator would be chosen by both sides, and be somebody who has no stake or no bias in the action. That person would sit down, analyze the evidence, take testimony to try to determine people’s stories, and eventually try to facilitate a resolution of the conflict by analyzing the facts in an objective matter.
Mediation can help reduce the cost of litigation. They could also help parties get things finalized much sooner. Litigation takes years and is expensive, whereas mediation can happen quickly and efficiently.
Insurance companies are sometimes willing to mediate. A plaintiff’s attorney is also sometimes willing to mediate depending on the facts of the case. Mediation is always an option in every personal case involving a pedestrian. Otherwise, it is something that needs to be considered when there is an analysis going on.
An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to explain to the pedestrian the pros and cons of considering mediation.
Handling the Case
If a case is filed in the court system, it will go in a certain order and there will be an exchange of information – paper information, medical records, and photographs, and then there will be questions and answers under oath called depositions.
At some point, there may be opportunities to resolve or settle the case, and if that cannot occur through an exchange of expert reports, medical or otherwise, and no resolution is made, then it will go to a jury trial where a jury will decide the issues.