What would you do if a car hit you while you were walking across the street?
Most people never expect this to happen to them. However, a pedestrian accident can leave you scared, hurt, and unsure about what to do next. You may be dealing with pain, medical bills, missed work, and calls from insurance companies all at the same time. In that moment, one wrong step could make your situation even harder.
The first thing you should do after a pedestrian accident is get medical help, report the crash, and gather as much information as possible. These steps can protect both your health and your right to seek compensation.
Still, knowing what to do after a serious accident is not always easy. That is why this guide walks you through each step clearly and simply. You will learn how to protect yourself, avoid common mistakes, understand your rights under Utah law, and take action that may help strengthen your claim.
Call 911 and Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Your health should come first after a pedestrian accident. Even if you think your injuries are minor, call 911 and get medical help as soon as possible. A pedestrian’s body has very little protection against the force of a moving vehicle. As a result, injuries can be much more serious than they appear at first.
Many people feel shocked or full of adrenaline after an accident. Because of this, they may not notice pain right away. However, delaying medical treatment can put your health at risk and make it harder to connect your injuries to the crash later.
Hidden Injuries May Not Show Symptoms Right Away
Some injuries take hours or even days to become noticeable. For example, a concussion may seem like a simple headache at first, but it can lead to dizziness, memory problems, or other serious symptoms. Internal bleeding is another serious injury because you may not see any visible signs right away.
Pedestrian accidents can also cause soft tissue injuries that affect muscles, tendons, and ligaments. While these injuries may seem minor at first, they can become painful and limit your movement over time. In more severe cases, a pedestrian may suffer spinal injuries that lead to chronic pain, nerve damage, or long-term mobility issues.
That is why it is important to let a medical professional evaluate your condition, even if you believe you are feeling fine.
Why Medical Records Matter for Your Claim
Medical records do more than help doctors treat your injuries. They also create important documentation that shows when your injuries occurred and how serious they are. This information can play a major role if you decide to pursue compensation.
Insurance companies often look for reasons to question injury claims. If you wait days or weeks to seek treatment, they may argue that your injuries were not caused by the accident or were not serious enough to require immediate care. By getting medical attention right away, you create a clear link between the crash and your injuries while protecting both your health and your legal rights.
Report the Accident and Document the Scene
The first few hours after a pedestrian accident can have a major impact on your injury claim. While medical care should always come first, gathering evidence at the scene can help preserve important details before they disappear. Photos, witness statements, and official reports can all help show what happened and who may be responsible for the accident.
Gather Evidence If You Are Able
If your injuries allow, try to collect as much information as possible before leaving the scene. Even simple photos can become valuable evidence later.
Take pictures of:
- Your visible injuries
- The vehicle involved in the accident
- The crosswalk or area where the crash occurred
- Traffic lights and traffic signs nearby
- Road conditions, including potholes or construction zones
- Weather conditions that may have affected visibility
These details can help recreate the scene and provide a clearer picture of how the accident happened.
Collect Contact Information
You should also gather contact details from everyone involved in the accident.
Be sure to collect:
- The driver’s name, phone number, and driver’s license information
- Contact information for any witnesses
- The driver’s insurance company and policy information
Witnesses can be especially helpful because they may provide an unbiased account of what they saw.
Obtain a Police Report
When law enforcement arrives, officers will investigate the accident and create an official report. This report often becomes one of the most important pieces of evidence in a pedestrian accident claim.
A police report typically includes details such as the date and location of the accident, statements from the driver and witnesses, road conditions, and the officer’s observations. In some cases, it may also note whether traffic laws were violated.
Insurance companies often review police reports when evaluating claims. Because of this, obtaining a copy of the report can help support your case and provide an objective record of what happened.
What Should You Avoid Doing After a Pedestrian Accident?
The steps you take after a pedestrian accident can help protect your claim. However, certain mistakes can make it harder to recover compensation. Knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to do.
Do Not Admit Fault
After an accident, many people apologize out of politeness, even when they did nothing wrong. However, statements such as “I’m sorry” or “I didn’t see the car” can be misinterpreted and later used against you. Instead, stick to the facts when speaking with the driver, police officers, or insurance representatives.
Avoid Giving Recorded Statements Too Soon
Insurance companies may contact you shortly after the accident and ask for a recorded statement. While this request may seem routine, it is often best to be cautious. At that stage, you may not fully understand the extent of your injuries or remember every detail of the crash. Providing incomplete or inaccurate information could hurt your claim later.
Do Not Accept a Quick Settlement Offer
An early settlement offer may seem tempting, especially if medical bills are already starting to add up. However, accepting an offer too soon could leave you without enough compensation to cover future treatment, lost wages, or ongoing pain and suffering. Once you accept a settlement, you may not be able to seek additional compensation later.
Avoid Posting About the Accident on Social Media
It is also wise to stay off social media while your claim is pending. Photos, comments, and status updates can be taken out of context and used to challenge your injuries or credibility. Even a simple post can create unnecessary complications. Until your case is resolved, it is usually best to keep details about the accident and your recovery private.
Understanding Utah Pedestrian Laws
Understanding Utah’s pedestrian laws can help you protect your rights after an accident. Many people assume pedestrians always have the right of way, but the law is more nuanced than that. Both drivers and pedestrians have responsibilities when sharing the road. Knowing how these rules work can also help you understand how fault may affect a pedestrian accident claim.
Do Pedestrians Always Have the Right of Way?
Pedestrians generally have the right of way when crossing the street in a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Drivers are expected to slow down, stop when necessary, and allow pedestrians to cross safely. Drivers must also follow traffic laws designed to protect people on foot.
However, pedestrians must also obey traffic signals and use reasonable care when crossing the road. For example, crossing against a traffic signal or stepping into traffic without giving drivers enough time to stop could increase the risk of an accident. In other words, road safety is a shared responsibility between drivers and pedestrians.
What If the Pedestrian Was Partially at Fault?
Even if you believe you may have contributed to the accident, you should not assume you cannot recover compensation. Utah follows a legal rule known as comparative negligence. Under this rule, an injured pedestrian may still recover damages if they were less than 50 percent responsible for the accident.
However, the amount of compensation available may be reduced based on the pedestrian’s share of fault. For example, if a court determines that a pedestrian was 20 percent responsible for the accident, any compensation awarded could be reduced by 20 percent.
Because fault is not always clear, it is important to gather evidence and understand how Utah law applies to your specific situation.
Common Injuries Caused by Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents often cause severe injuries because the human body has little protection against the force of a moving vehicle. Some injuries heal within weeks, while others can require years of treatment and rehabilitation. The type and severity of your injuries can also play a major role in the value of your claim.
Common pedestrian accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): A blow to the head can cause memory problems, headaches, dizziness, and long-term cognitive challenges.
- Broken bones: Fractures in the arms, legs, ribs, hips, or pelvis are common when a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle.
- Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spine can lead to chronic pain, limited mobility, or, in severe cases, permanent paralysis.
- Internal injuries: Damage to internal organs or internal bleeding may not be immediately visible but can become life-threatening without prompt medical treatment.
- Soft tissue damage: Injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments can cause pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.
- Emotional trauma: Many accident victims experience anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or post-traumatic stress after a serious collision.
Understanding the full extent of your injuries is important because both physical and emotional harm may be considered when seeking compensation.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Pedestrian Accident?
A pedestrian accident can affect nearly every part of your life. In addition to physical pain, you may face mounting medical bills, missed time at work, and ongoing challenges during recovery. If another party’s negligence caused the accident, you may be entitled to compensation for both financial losses and personal hardships.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover the financial costs directly related to the accident. These losses can often be supported through bills, receipts, employment records, and other documentation.
Examples include:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical treatment and ongoing care
- Lost income from missed work
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy costs
Non-Economic Damages
Not all accident-related losses come with a receipt or invoice. Non-economic damages are intended to compensate victims for the personal impact of their injuries.
Examples include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
These damages recognize how an injury can affect daily activities, relationships, independence, and overall well-being.
Every pedestrian accident case is different. The amount of compensation available depends on factors such as the severity of the injuries, the length of recovery, available insurance coverage, and the degree of fault assigned to each party. A careful review of the facts can help determine the full value of a claim and ensure that important damages are not overlooked.
When Should You Contact a Salt Lake City Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?
Not every pedestrian accident claim is straightforward. While some cases seem clear at first, insurance companies often look for ways to reduce or deny payouts. That is why speaking with a pedestrian accident lawyer as early as possible can help protect your rights and prevent costly mistakes.
You should strongly consider contacting an attorney if:
- You suffered serious injuries that require extensive medical treatment or rehabilitation.
- The insurance company disputes your claim or offers a settlement that seems too low.
- There is disagreement about who caused the accident.
- Your injuries have resulted in a long-term disability or may affect your ability to work in the future.
Pedestrian accidents often involve severe injuries because pedestrians have little protection against the impact of a vehicle. As a result, victims may face significant medical expenses, lost income, and long recovery periods. Insurance companies know these claims can be expensive, which is why they may carefully examine every detail of your case and attempt to shift blame onto the pedestrian.
An experienced attorney can help gather evidence, communicate with insurance companies, calculate the full value of your damages, and advocate for the compensation you deserve. At Salt Lake Injury, we understand how life-changing a pedestrian accident can be. Our team works to ease the legal burden so you can focus on your recovery. If you have questions about your rights or your claim, reaching out for legal guidance early can make a meaningful difference in the outcome of your case.
Protect Your Rights After a Pedestrian Accident
The steps you take after a pedestrian accident can have a lasting impact on your health, finances, and ability to recover compensation. Seeking medical care, preserving evidence, reporting the accident, and understanding your legal rights can all help strengthen your claim and protect your future.
While the days following an accident can feel overwhelming, you do not have to handle everything on your own. If a negligent driver caused your injuries, you may have the right to pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Contact Salt Lake Injury for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, the team at Salt Lake Injury is here to help. We can review your case, explain your legal options, and guide you through the claims process. Our goal is to help you pursue the compensation you deserve while allowing you to focus on your recovery.
Contact Salt Lake Injury today for a free consultation and learn how we can help protect your rights after a pedestrian accident in Salt Lake City.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pedestrian Accidents in Salt Lake City
What should I do if I am hit in a crosswalk?
If you were hit in a crosswalk, call 911, seek medical attention, and report the accident to law enforcement. If possible, take photos of the scene, gather witness information, and obtain the driver’s insurance details. Even if your injuries seem minor, it is important to get evaluated by a medical professional and document the accident properly.
Can I recover compensation if I was jaywalking?
Possibly. Utah follows a comparative negligence system, which means you may still be able to recover compensation if you were less than 50 percent responsible for the accident. However, your compensation may be reduced based on your share of fault. The specific facts of the accident will play an important role in determining eligibility.
How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident claim in Utah?
In most cases, Utah gives injured accident victims four years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, certain exceptions may apply depending on the circumstances. Because evidence can disappear and witness memories can fade over time, it is generally best to begin the claims process as soon as possible.
How much is a pedestrian accident case worth?
The value of a pedestrian accident case depends on several factors, including the severity of your injuries, medical expenses, lost income, future treatment needs, and the impact the accident has had on your daily life. Every case is different, so there is no standard settlement amount.
Who pays my medical bills after a pedestrian accident?
Medical bills may be covered through several sources, including your health insurance, the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, or a settlement reached through a personal injury claim. Depending on the circumstances, multiple forms of coverage may apply.
Do I need a lawyer for a pedestrian accident claim?
While you are not required to hire a lawyer, legal representation can be especially helpful if you suffered serious injuries, the insurance company disputes liability, or the settlement offer does not fully cover your losses. An attorney can help protect your rights and pursue the compensation you may be entitled to receive.