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No matter how careful you are as a pedestrian, you may still find yourself the victim of a car accident. As the person outside the vehicle, you’re the one most likely to suffer the most serious injuries. However, because of the laws in Virginia you may still be found at fault for your pedestrian accident. If you were injured in such a situation, you need a skilled personal injury attorney with experience in Virginia pedestrian accidents to help you.
Being hit by a vehicle is shocking and traumatizing. It can result in permanently disabling and life-threatening injuries. You may require long-term medical care, ongoing therapy, and months or years of recovery. It’s a huge financial burden to take on yourself.
Meanwhile, if you were hit by a vehicle, you may be considering a Virginia personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver. To be successful, you’ll need a strong case, with facts, witnesses, videos, and photos, in order to fight against the insurance company’s attempts to minimize or deny your claim.
In today’s world, there are many tools available to putting together the necessary evidence to build your pedestrian personal injury claim. However, it is critical to act quickly to gather that evidence before videos are deleted, photos are lost, and witness’s memories fade.
Shockingly, police investigations into pedestrian accidents are not always as thorough as we might expect. Recently, we represented a young lady who was hit in a crosswalk. The information about the offending driver was extremely minimal, their reported address was incorrect, their reported insurance carrier and policy number was wrong, and the driver had not even been interviewed by the police about how the collision occurred. In a situation like this, it can become very easy afterwards for that driver to use the benefit of time to develop a story behind how the accident happened.
In order to mount a successful personal injury claim when a pedestrian has been hit by a vehicle, it is incredibly important to consult with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to launch an immediate investigation, finding witnesses, dashcam videos, photos, 911 calls, and more.
In another auto collision case which our firm handled, the parties had word-vs-word explanations for how the accident happened, and the insurance carrier then denied our client’s claim. However, due to the exhaustive investigation we immediately launched, we were able to find an eyewitness who placed fault 100% on the negligent driver. Only then did the insurance company accept that their driver was negligent and therefore liable to our client for their injuries and damages.
At Jennifer Porter Law, PLLC, we will help you by building a strong case for you, looking for the witnesses and evidence, dealing with the insurance companies and guiding you so you avoid any errors that weaken your case. We will make sure you understand your rights and options, so you can move forward with your case confidently, knowing you’re making the best decisions possible.
We are here to help you through this bad situation and to fight to ensure your rights are respected.
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Contact us today for a consultation, and let us help you make informed decisions about your future.
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Having Jennifer Porter as my attorney after being hit by a drunk driver in an automobile collision was more than a blessing. The moment Ms. Porter took my case, I knew immediately she was dedicated and committed to he…Read Full Google Review
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I decided to take my case to Jennifer Porter Law and was not disappointed! After dealing with the disruptions of personal injury, being a client of Jennifer Porter Law was the first time I finally felt I could focus o…Read Full Google Review
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Jennifer is one of the best lawyers I have ever worked with. Me and my girlfriend got into a car accident and needed the reassurance that Jennifer gave us, she was timely, efficient, and always made sure we were comfo…Read Full Google Review
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Jennifer Porter
Jennifer Porter Law, PLLC
Even though you are likely to suffer more serious injuries than anyone in a vehicle if you are hit by a vehicle, you have responsibilities as a pedestrian. If you don’t meet those duties, you may be found responsible for your own injuries.
Listing all of a pedestrian’s duties would be lengthy, but the most basic duties include:
Not only is it possible you may be found responsible for your own injuries and issued a ticket even if you’re injured in an accident, if you don’t follow those rules and a driver suffers injuries because of that failure, you may face a lawsuit against you.
Insurance companies are focused on minimizing payments in an attempt to protect their profits. They have an added incentive because thanks to the law of contributory negligence in Virginia, if they can prove you were partially responsible for your accident, they cannot be forced to compensate you for your injuries.
The law of contributory negligence in Virginia means that insurance companies will do anything they can to prove you contributed to the accident happening. They’ll try to show you weren’t paying attention, or weren’t visible to other drivers, or stepped out into traffic when you weren’t supposed to.
This means that you’ll likely face two challenges in your claim. The first is showing that the other party was responsible for the crash and your injuries and the second is being prepared to show that any allegations an insurance company makes about your responsibility in the accident are baseless.
The auto insurance company has a lot at stake. We have seen insurance companies paint our clients as liars and exaggerating in an attempt to show them as opportunistic vultures looking to make money by faking their injuries. It’s shocking to have insurance companies say this about you when you’re legitimately trying to recover from the trauma of an accident you didn’t cause.
We’ve successfully shown such allegations against our clients are false and that their injuries are legitimate and were caused by the incident in question. We’ve held insurance companies accountable for the harm caused to our clients by using common sense and evidence to show that our clients are entitled to compensation.
Jennifer is incredibly knowledgeable and patient. In a time that was confusing and scary to us, she talked us through our options with expertise and calm. I recommend her to literally everyone I know, without reservat…Read Full Google Review
Denise Brandenburg
Jennifer took the time to review my case and explain everything thoroughly. She gave me legal advice and showed empathy for what I am going through regardless of whether or not we were to work together. She was knowle…Read Full Google Review
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Top notch service from an industry expert. Ms. Porter and her assistant, Allison, are amazing. Jennifer and her team are committed to the client’s best interest. Ms. Porter went the extra mile in my personal injury ca…Read Full Google Review
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I had the pleasure of working with Jennifer Porter for the second time, and once again, she exceeded all expectations. Her expertise, dedication, and unwavering commitment to my case resulted in an incredible refund f…Read Full Google Review
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Jennifer is a top-notch lawyer whom I have had the pleasure of working with. She excels in communication, is highly transparent about the situation, and consistently keeps me updated on progress. One of the standout q…Read Full Google Review
Arjan Kasapolli
If it is safe to do so and you are able without harming yourself further, take as many photos of the accident scene as you can, from a variety of angles. Show the area around the accident scene, as well. Talk to witnesses and get their contact information. As soon as possible, write down every detail about the accident that you can remember. Ask if anybody had a dashcam that might have video recorded the accident. This can all be used as evidence to strengthen your case.
Pedestrian accidents are not always clear-cut. While there are some scenarios in which blame is easy to determine, there are others–such as parking lot accidents, where there is no clear right-of-way–that are more difficult to sort out. That’s why photos, videos, camera footage and witness testimony can help you.
Insurance companies resort to many tactics to protect their profits. They have different rules for filing claims and appealing denials and they do what they can to deny or minimize payment.
In addition to claiming you are responsible for your injuries, they may try to show that you didn’t seek medical attention quickly enough or that you didn’t follow medical advice to assist in your recovery. Or, they may argue that your injuries were pre-existing or non-existent.
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I worked with Jennifer & her team for initial consultation on estate planning. There were personal factors beyond Jennifer’s control that prevented us from proceeding, but I found the entire experience very smooth and easy…Read Full Google Review
Cathy Ziegler Field
I recently worked with Jennifer and was very impressed with her exceptional legal services. She did an outstanding job investigating my car accident case and gathering critical evidences. Her dedication, expertise, and attention to detail…Read Full Google Review
Meenu Chopra
Jennifer was such a pleasure to work with. She gave me frequent updates, always answered my calls, and fought for the best outcome on my behalf. After an accident you need someone compassionate and caring to work with…Read Full Google Review
Breyonna Bailey
I am thrilled to share my experience with Jennifer Porter, an exceptional attorney and an amazing neighbor. As a full-time attorney, Jennifer expertly balances her demanding career with her role as a devoted wife and…Read Full Google Review
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Even if it appears you haven’t suffered severe injuries, it is possible that serious injuries will arise in the days or weeks following the accident. Seeking out medical care right away will give a doctor an opportunity to document your injuries and advise you of symptoms to be on the lookout for that indicate a more serious condition, such as a traumatic brain injury.
Who you file your claim with depends on the circumstances surrounding your Virginia pedestrian accident. If you were hit by a passenger vehicle on the street, insurance might be clear-cut. But if that person was driving a commercial vehicle during work hours, there might be different insurance companies to file a claim with. Or you may have been hit by a car in a chain reaction, where one car hit another car and that second car hit you.
Fault refers to the person who caused the accident. Liability refers to who is legally responsible for paying you for the accident.
That’s why filing claims can be complex. It takes a thorough review of the evidence and in-depth knowledge of the insurance claims process and the relevant laws to successfully navigate the claims process and protect you.
Not only do we have extensive experience representing personal injury victims, Jennifer Porter used to work for insurance companies, defending the at-fault driver. This experience is a benefit to our clients because we know and understand the defense strategy to discredit the injured person. We use that experience and knowledge to help our clients avoid mistakes that might damage or weaken their claim.
At Jennifer Porter Law, we want our clients to focus on the most important thing: Making a full and complete recovery. We help our clients focus on their self-healing by taking care of the needs of the claim.
We enable you to have the space and energy to focus on healing by:
Our focus is on providing you with compassionate, empathetic guidance so you feel confident moving forward with your claim. We will advise you of your rights and options and explain the process to you so you feel prepared for the process. I’ll also work with medical providers to ensure you receive proper treatment and may be able to negotiate on your behalf to reduce fees related to your treatment.
You need the time, space and energy to focus on your recovery. I’ll manage your case so you can do exactly that.
Contact us to find out how we can help you following your Virginia pedestrian accident.
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Jennifer Porter has handled my case with the utmost professionalism, grace and effectiveness. During the entire process I have never had to worry about her having my best interest at heart. She kept me informed of how…Read Full Google Review
Gloria Hicks
Jennifer was thorough, made recommendations for needs outside of her scope of practice, stayed on top of everything, gave support and guidance freely. If you are looking for empathetic, transparent legal advocacy and…Read Full Google Review
Delores Clearfield
Jennifer and her team have been nothing but supportive, attentive and professional when it came to handling my case. She worked diligently to make sure that everything was done in a timely manner and also communicated…Read Full Google Review
Melanie Joy Pierce
Jennifer is incredibly knowledgeable and patient. In a time that was confusing and scary to us, she talked us through our options with expertise and calm. I recommend her to literally everyone I know, without reservat…Read Full Google Review
Denise Brandenburg
Upon meeting Jennifer, I was immediately put at ease by her compassionate and empathetic nature. She took the time to listen attentively to my concerns and thoroughly understand the details of my accident. Her ability…Read Full Google Review
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