Pedestrian Accidents

The first thing to know if you've been hurt while being a pedestrian is that you are entitled to Personal Injury Protection ("PIP") benefits. Also called "No-Fault" benefits, they pay the first $2,000 in medical expenses and up to an additional $6,000 in uninsured medical expenses (such as co-payments), as well as lost wages and replacement services.

All cars, in Massachusetts, at least, are required to be insured. No-Fault insurance is compulsory, not optional. So the car that hurts a pedestrian should have PIP benefits available to the pedestrian. If that car does not have insurance (perhaps it's registered out of state), then any car in the pedestrian's household will provide PIP benefits.

Your first priority, if you've been hurt, is to obtain the medical attention you need to recover from your injuries without worrying about medical expenses. Even if you have no medical insurance, at least the first $8,000 will be paid.

Next, and as quickly as possible, you should contact us. Although most pedestrian accidents are caused by the driver's negligence, insurance companies will often try to blame the pedestrian. The success of any further claim for damages may well depend on a timely investigation. We may need to view the scene, or take photographs, or obtain witness statements. To maximize the chance of making a successful claim, we need the details to determine if the driver was paying sufficient attention, or was speeding, or was operating under the influence, or failed to stop for a stop sign or a pedestrian crosswalk, or was negligent in some other way.

The Law Offices of Hans R. Hailey are located in Boston and Westwood, Massachusetts. Personal injury lawyers from the Law Offices of Hans R. Hailey frequently represent clients in personal injury claims in Boston and throughout Massachusetts.