A good settlement is the only kind of settlement you should accept after a pedestrian accident in New Jersey, and our lawyers can help you identify what is and isn’t fair based on your injuries.
Good settlements cover medical expenses, missed wages, other out-of-pocket costs, and non-economic damages. Settlements may also cover future damages, so don’t assume you’ll have to cover future medical costs yourself, even if you haven’t incurred them yet. Let us negotiate until we reach a settlement that’s worth your consideration. If the opposing side refuses to agree to a good settlement, you can seek the damages you need during a trial with our help.
Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. can review your case for free when you call our Hoboken, NJ pedestrian accident lawyers at (201) 777-1111 today.
What Should a Good Settlement for a Pedestrian Accident Cover?
If you don’t know what a settlement agreement should cover, you could agree to a lesser amount than what’s possible to get from an out-of-court settlement for a pedestrian injury in New Jersey.
Medical Expenses
A settlement is only good if it covers all of your medical expenses. Common pedestrian accident injuries include road rash, internal bleeding, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and others that are costly to treat. Injured pedestrians shouldn’t have to cover any medical expenses themselves after an accident they did not cause or contribute to.
Lost Wages
Good settlements for pedestrian accidents also cover lost wages. Listen to doctors if they warn you against returning to work because of an injury. Returning too early can complicate your claim for lost wages and raise questions about how severe your injuries are. Our attorneys will use income statements, tax returns, paystubs, and other employment records to prove your lost wages, as well as medical records and statements from medical experts to confirm that your injuries prevent you from working.
Pain and Suffering
Don’t accept a settlement that leaves out damages for pain and suffering. Pedestrians might suffer disfiguring, permanent, and very painful injuries after coming in direct contact with a car, especially at high speeds. Emotional distress, physical pain, mental suffering, and other non-economic damages are just as common as economic damages, but generally harder for victims to identify without a lawyer’s help.
Future Damages
Before entering settlement negotiations, know that a settlement can, and should, include some compensation for future damages. Permanent injuries require regular monitoring and doctor appointments. Serious injuries can also affect your income for a long time, much longer than the length of your lawsuit. Disfigurement, scarring, and other permanent injuries can cause non-economic damages for the rest of a victim’s life, and this should also be reflected in a settlement agreement.
What’s a Bad Settlement for a Pedestrian Injury in New Jersey?
Identifying bad settlements can be challenging, especially when a victim needs quick access to compensatory damages to cover growing medical bills and other losses. We can warn you if a settlement offer is too low so that you don’t lose out on compensation.
A settlement is bad and not worth accepting if it fails to cover hospital expenses, lost wages, and other economic damages or leaves out sufficient non-economic damages.
Don’t be surprised if you get bad or subpar settlement offers at the beginning of negotiations. Starting low is a common tactic for defendants, and our New Jersey pedestrian accident lawyers may use aggressive negotiation to push offers higher.
FAQs About Pedestrian Injury Settlements in New Jersey
Can You Get Punitive Damages if You Settle Your Pedestrian Accident Case?
You can’t get punitive damages if you settle your pedestrian accident case in New Jersey, as punitive damages only come from jury awards. The threat of punitive damages can be used as leverage during settlement talks to increase the defendant’s offer, however.
Are Jury Awards Always Larger Than Out-of-Court Settlements?
Jury awards can be larger than out-of-court settlements, but that is not always the case. While settling often entails some concessions for everyone, we can maximize your recovery while still keeping your lawsuit out of court, saving you time and resources.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Good Settlement for a Pedestrian Accident Injury?
The length of settlement negotiations varies from claim to claim. If there is strong evidence of liability, the defendant may agree to settle soon after you file your case. If the defendant is particularly stubborn, however, it may be months before they send a suitable offer, if ever.
What if it Takes Too Long to Reach a Good Settlement for a Pedestrian Accident Injury in NJ?
If it’s taking too long to reach a fair settlement after a pedestrian accident and you need compensation as soon as possible, we can end settlement talks and proceed to trial in New Jersey. This alone might prompt a larger settlement offer if the defendant wants to avoid a trial.
How Often Do Pedestrian Accident Cases Settle without Trials?
More often than not, pedestrian accident cases settle, like most personal injury lawsuits in New Jersey. Settlement is never guaranteed, however, and trials sometimes happen.
Can You Change Your Mind After Accepting a Settlement for a Pedestrian Accident Injury?
A settlement agreement is binding once it is signed, meaning you cannot change your mind after officially accepting an offer. You can change your mind up until signing the agreement, but not after.
Do You Need a Lawyer’s Help Reach a Good Settlement for a Pedestrian Accident Injury?
You need an experienced lawyer’s help to tell the difference between good and bad settlement offers so that you don’t mistakenly sign an agreement that leaves you on the hook for too many damages.
Get Compensation After a NJ Pedestrian Accident
For help with your case from Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C., call our New Jersey pedestrian accident lawyers at (201) 777-1111.