If you or a close family member suffered serious injuries in a Georgia pedestrian accident, Marc Brown Law Firm understands the physical and emotional trauma you’ve endured. Fortunately, you don’t have to be left to absorb the financial consequences of the accident as well. Instead, call the Georgia pedestrian accident lawyers at Marc Brown Law Firm or contact us online for representation.
Why Choose Us as Your Pedestrian Accident Law Firm In Georgia?
Marc Brown Law Firm is dedicated to advocating for Georgia personal injury victims, especially against large insurance companies that protect profits at the injury victim’s expense. With Marc Brown Law Firm on your side, your pedestrian accident case has the following advantages:
- A personalized strategy to maximize the amount recovered in your claim
- A law firm committed to open communication and accessibility—we come to you if your injuries prevent a visit to our office
- An attorney dedicated to your case, with an entire legal staff working to advance your claim to the best possible outcome
Common Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents In Georgia
An exposed pedestrian is at a tremendous disadvantage when walking in close proximity to moving traffic. Common pedestrian accident injuries include the following:
- Bone fractures, including those of the lower limbs, hips, pelvis, ribs, and vertebrae
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries, ranging from concussions to severe injuries like diffuse axonal injury
- External head, facial, and dental injuries
- Lacerations and contusions
- Abrasions and friction burns (road rash)
- Soft-tissue injuries like sprains, tendon damage, and torn ligaments
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ injuries
- Traumatic amputations
Compensation for injury damages typically comes from the at-fault party’s insurance. Speak with a Georgia accident lawyer to discuss more about your case today.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrians must pay close attention to their surroundings, wait for traffic signals, and follow state pedestrian laws. However, even the most careful pedestrian can suffer serious harm from a careless, reckless, or impaired driver. The most common causes of pedestrian accidents in Georgia include the following:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive driving
- Failure to yield the right of way at a crosswalk
- Passing stopped vehicles at a crosswalk
- Left-turn accidents, or a driver making a left turn, look at traffic on the right and move forward, striking a pedestrian approaching from the left
- Right-hooking accidents, or passing a pedestrian approaching an intersection and then making a right turn into their path
- Impaired driving
- Drowsy driving
In some cases, other factors cause or contribute to a pedestrian accident. For instance, when a city road planning agency designs a crosswalk or intersection with obstructed views or installs insufficient street lighting. These entities could be liable or share liability in your claim.
Steps to Take After a Georgia Pedestrian Accident
Because an exposed pedestrian is vulnerable to severe physical trauma in a collision with a vehicle, you may be unconscious or incapacitated. However, if you or an uninjured companion or bystander can use a cell phone, protecting yourself begins at the scene of the injury. Use a cell phone to do the following:
- Call 911 to report the accident and request emergency services
- Apply emergency first aid measures
- Use the phone’s camera to take photos of the accident scene, including the car that hit you, traffic signs, a crosswalk, and anything relevant
- Photograph any visible injuries
- Add the contact information of the driver
- Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident
- Go directly to a hospital for emergency treatment. This also provides clear evidence that your injuries occurred in the pedestrian accident
At the hospital, ask for a detailed medical report listing your injuries, the doctor’s treatment recommendations, and your prognosis for recovery. Then, save all medical bills and receipts for injury-related expenses.
What Damages Are Available for Recovery In a Pedestrian Accident Claim?
A serious pedestrian accident can leave you facing temporary or permanent disability and sometimes an uncertain future. While no legal process can erase the injury, a successful claim recovers common damages such as the following:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket injury costs
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for catastrophic injuries (in some cases), such as loss of limb, permanent scarring, organ loss, or the loss of one of the senses, loss of enjoyment of life, or diminished quality of life
- PTSD, emotional trauma, anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression
If you lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident in Georgia, your family could recover compensation and a sense of justice through a Georgia wrongful death claim.
Why You Need a Georgia Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Even when it’s clear that a negligent driver caused your pedestrian accident, the insurance company may devalue your claim by shifting liability to you under the state’s comparative negligence laws. Insurers sometimes claim that your doctor’s treatment recommendations aren’t necessary. They may even unnecessarily delay progress on your case in the hope that you’ll accept a low-ball settlement before Georgia’s two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims expires.
We protect your rights and best interests throughout the process, maximizing your chances for a favorable outcome.
What to Expect From the Georgia Pedestrian Accident Claims Process?
After a pedestrian accident, we handle all communications with the defendant and their insurance company. Then, the process typically proceeds as follows:
- The insurance company assigns an insurance adjuster to investigate the accident
- We independently investigate the accident to document compelling evidence of the at-fault driver’s liability
- We examine your medical report and consult with medical experts to determine the full value of your past and future damages
- We send a demand package with our findings to the insurer and begin negotiating for a settlement
- We obtain a settlement for your damages or file a lawsuit to go to court
Only about 4% of personal injury claims, such as pedestrian accident cases, require a trial, but at Marc Brown Law Firm, we prepare every case as if it were going to trial throughout the process, giving us a powerful position in negotiations.
Call or Contact Marc Brown Law Firm Online
You don’t have to take on the anxiety of a complex legal process alone. Instead, reach out to Marc Brown Law Firm for experienced legal representation so you can focus on your physical recovery while we work on your financial recovery. Call 803-848-0008 or visit our contact page.