Elizabeth Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Helping injured pedestrians across Elizabeth, NJ pursue full recovery after a serious crash.

If you were struck by a car while walking in Elizabeth, we are here to help you. Our Elizabeth, NJ pedestrian accident lawyer has handled these claims since 1992, and we know how fast an adjuster moves to shift blame onto the person who was hurt. If you’re ready to talk, reach out for a free consultation and we will explain where you stand.

Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Elizabeth, NJ

A pedestrian accident happens when someone on foot is hit by a motor vehicle. The claim that follows is a personal injury case built on negligence, and the driver who failed to use reasonable care and injured someone as a result must pay for the harm. Most of these cases come down to one question. Did the driver act carelessly? The answer decides who pays, and it is rarely as simple as the insurer makes it sound. Fault can be shared, disputed, or hidden in details like signal timing and vehicle speed.

Pedestrians have almost no protection in a collision. A person on foot absorbs the full force of a vehicle, so the injuries tend to be severe and the recovery long. New Jersey law gives injured pedestrians the right to seek money for their losses, and a pedestrian accident attorney in Elizabeth works to prove fault and document the full cost of the injury.

Types of Pedestrian Accident Cases We Handle in Elizabeth

We handle the full range of pedestrian accident cases in Elizabeth, from crosswalk collisions to crashes in parking lots and at bus stops. Each one turns on different facts. According to NHTSA pedestrian data, 7,080 pedestrians were killed nationwide in 2024, and tens of thousands more were injured. Below are the situations we see most often.

• Crosswalk accidents. Drivers are required to yield to people in a crosswalk, and many don’t. We pursue the driver who turned without looking or rolled through a signal and struck someone with the right of way. Marked or not, a crosswalk is a place where a driver is supposed to slow down and watch.
• Intersection collisions. Crossings are where cars and people meet, and where turning vehicles cause the most harm. We investigate signal timing, sightlines, and driver attention to show what went wrong.
• Pedestrian accidents. Federal crash data shows that roughly one in four pedestrians killed is struck by a driver who flees. We work to identify hit-and-run drivers through video, witnesses, and vehicle debris. When the driver cannot be found, we pursue recovery through your uninsured motorist coverage instead.
• Parking lot accidents. Low speeds do not mean low risk. Drivers reversing without checking mirrors strike people in lots, driveways, and garages, and we hold them accountable.
• Bus stop accidents. People waiting for or leaving a bus are often hit near the curb. These cases can involve a private driver, a transit operator, or both.
• Failure-to-yield turning accidents. A driver making a left or right turn frequently fails to see a pedestrian already in the road. We use the scene and any video to reconstruct the moment of impact.
• Distracted and impaired driving accidents. A driver looking at a phone or driving after drinking puts every pedestrian at risk. That conduct often supports a stronger claim for the injured person.
• Dark and low-visibility accidents. CDC injury data shows most pedestrian deaths happen after dark. A driver still has a duty to watch the road at night, and poor lighting rarely excuses a crash.

Why Choose Law Offices of David A. DiBrigida as my Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Elizabeth, NJ?

Decades Representing Injured Pedestrians in New Jersey

Law Offices of David A. DiBrigida brings something to a pedestrian case that a national billboard firm cannot. David A. DiBrigida has represented accident victims against insurance companies since 1992, and he handles the firm’s pedestrian accident claims. That is more than thirty years spent on one side of these disputes: the injured person’s side, never the insurer’s. Our attorneys know the roads, intersections, and courts in this part of New Jersey, which matters when fault is contested. A lawyer who understands how local crashes happen, and how local insurers and juries respond, can frame a case in a way an out-of-state firm cannot.

Proven Results, No Fee Unless You Win

We have recovered millions of dollars for injured clients across the state, including pedestrians hurt by careless drivers. The National Safety Council reports that pedestrians make up nearly one in five traffic deaths, a share that has climbed for years, so these claims deserve serious preparation. We take pedestrian cases on a contingency basis, which means no fees unless you win. There is nothing to pay up front, and the first consultation is free. As your personal injury lawyer in Elizabeth, NJ, we’re here to support you.

What Is Important to Understand About a Pedestrian Accident Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Pedestrian Accident Cases

After a pedestrian crash, the law lets you recover for the losses a driver’s failure of duty of care caused. New Jersey uses a fault-based system, and damages are meant to put you back in the position you were in before the crash, as much as money can. They generally fall into a few categories:

• Medical expenses, including emergency care, surgery, and future treatment
• Lost wages and reduced earning ability if you cannot return to the work you did before
• Pain, suffering, and the loss of normal daily activities
• Property damage, such as a phone or glasses broken in the crash

In the most serious cases, the long-term cost of care and lost income can far outweigh the early medical bills, and those future losses belong in the claim too.

Liability turns on negligence. If the driver failed to yield, sped, or wasn’t paying attention, that carelessness supports your claim. New Jersey follows a modified comparative negligence rule, so a partial share of fault reduces your recovery but does not erase it, as long as you were not more than half to blame. We have watched insurers try to pin partial fault on injured pedestrians to cut what they owe. A careful investigation, built on the scene, the records, and the witnesses, is how we push back and keep the focus where it belongs, on the driver who caused the harm.

What Are Important Aspects of a Pedestrian Accident Case?

A pedestrian case rises or falls on evidence, and the sooner it is gathered, the stronger the claim. A few things matter most:

• The police report and any traffic camera or doorbell footage
• Witness names and statements, taken before memories fade
• Medical records that connect your injuries to the crash
• The driver’s coverage and any policy limits that may cap a payout

Some injuries don’t show up right away. Concussions and traumatic brain injuries can take days to surface, which is why prompt medical care protects both your health and your case. A gap in treatment gives the insurance company an argument that you were not really hurt.

What Is the Pedestrian Accident Case Timeline?

Every claim moves at its own pace, but most follow a familiar path:

• Medical treatment and investigation in the weeks after the crash
• A demand to the insurer once your condition stabilizes
• Negotiation, where the majority of claims resolve
• Filing a lawsuit if the insurer will not pay fairly
• Discovery, mediation, and trial if a fair number still is not on the table

New Jersey’s statute of limitations gives most injured people two years from the date of the crash to file suit. Miss that window, and the claim is usually gone for good, so early advice matters. Starting early also means evidence is preserved while it is still fresh, which often makes the difference between a strong claim and a weak one.

What Should You Bring to Your Pedestrian Accident Consultation?

Bring whatever you have to the first meeting. Even a little helps us see the shape of your case:

• Any police or incident report
• Photos of your injuries and the scene
• Medical bills and treatment records
• Insurance details for you and the driver

That first meeting is a conversation, not a commitment. We will review what happened, answer your questions, and tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth bringing. If we do not think a case makes sense, we will say so.

What Are Important New Jersey Legal Resources for Pedestrian Accident Cases?

You do not need to be a lawyer to look up the basic rules that shape a pedestrian claim. A few reliable starting points include:

• The New Jersey courts explain the general two-year deadline that applies to most injury lawsuits.
• New Jersey’s comparative negligence law sets out how shared fault reduces, but does not always bar, a recovery.
• State law on damages allows recovery for economic losses, such as medical bills, and non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering.
• New Jersey’s insurance department answers questions about auto coverage and can take complaints against an insurer.
• The New Jersey State Police crash report portal lets you request the official report of your collision.

These rules carry exceptions, and how they apply always depends on the facts of your situation. A short conversation with a lawyer is the fastest way to learn which of them control your claim.

Reach Out to Law Offices of David A. DiBrigida to Schedule a Consultation

If a driver hurt you while you were on foot, you deserve straight answers about your options. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with an Elizabeth pedestrian accident lawyer who has handled these claims since 1992. There is no fee unless we win, and no pressure to decide anything on the spot. We will listen, explain your rights, and tell you plainly what we think.