Pedestrian accidents can often involve some of the most serious injuries of any auto accident. When someone is hit on foot, they do not have the protection of a car around them or even the protection of a bike helmet. Pedestrians are often left without medical care in hit and run cases. Even when medical care is promptly administered, they might still face substantial, life-changing injuries.
If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, consider seeking help from an experienced attorney. With a pedestrian accident attorney on your side, you are in a better position to understand what your case is worth and to avoid low settlement offers.
For a free evaluation of your potential pedestrian accident case, call the pedestrian accident lawyers at Howe Law today. Our number is (844) 876-4357.
Injuries from Pedestrian Accidents in Georgia
As mentioned, pedestrians often face some of the most severe injuries of any party who could be involved in a car accident. Especially if you are struck by a speeding driver or drunk driver – either of which could be unable to slow down before the crash – you could face substantial injuries. Many victims are also killed in pedestrian accidents, either because of their initial injuries or because the accident was a hit and run and they were not given medical care.
In any case, injuries can range from mild to severe.
Mild Injuries
Mild pedestrian accident injuries often involve things like bruising, sprains, and strains. Even a low-speed crash can seriously hurt you if you were on foot. Bruising at the point of impact or sprains, strains, bruises, and scrapes from falling after being struck are somewhat common in these accidents. Even something like having your foot run over might involve only mild injuries.
Even with mild injuries, there are often medical bills associated with the accident that you can seek compensation for with the help of our pedestrian accident lawyers.
Moderate Injuries
When an injury leaves you with discomfort, pain and suffering, and more substantial medical bills, that injury might be considered moderate. Injuries in this range involve things like clean fractures, concussions, and mild whiplash or back injuries. These injuries are by no means simple, but they might not interfere with your life too substantially. These kinds of injuries could allow you to get back to work within a few weeks, leaving you with claims for the medical bills and lost wages, plus any property damage you faced, but without substantial claims for pain and suffering.
Severe Injuries
More severe injuries can include severe broken bones, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, loss of a fetus, amputation, or truly anything more serious than the previous category of injury. Many of these injuries can be life-threatening.
Often, these injuries leave victims with long-term disabilities, substantial time away from work, and potentially even life-long pain and suffering. An insurance claim rarely provides sufficient compensation for these kinds of injuries, and lawsuits are often used for full compensation. This is especially common if you are no longer able to work or support yourself and need substantial, life-long support after your injury.
Types of Pedestrian Accidents in Georgia
Pedestrian accidents are often caused by some of the same factors that cause any other car accident: speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, and other traffic violations. However, there are some situations that are more common with pedestrian accidents. Our pedestrian accident lawyers can help with any type of pedestrian accident you are involved in, whether it falls on this list or not:
Crosswalk Accidents
Under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91, drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks on their half of the roadway. This means that if you are crossing a crosswalk, any vehicle currently on your street or turning onto your street has to let you complete your crossing (at least to the other half of the street) before they can go.
One caveat to this is that subsection (b) of this statute does not allow pedestrians to step out into the crosswalk if there is a driver coming who does not have time to yield. Additionally, pedestrians also have to follow traffic signals. Otherwise, nearly any time a pedestrian is struck in a crosswalk, it is the driver’s fault.
Some serious situations to look at with regard to this rule is when a crosswalk spans across multiple lanes of travel in the same direction. If a driver in the right lane is yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, another driver may not pass them in the left lane and drive through the crosswalk. Many pedestrians are injured this way, and our pedestrian accident lawyers should be able to use these rules to hold the impatient passer accountable.
Hit and Run Accidents
Many pedestrians are hit at night or on backroads. Often, when accidents involve drunk drivers or extremely inattentive drivers, the driver might fail to stop entirely, resulting in a hit and run accident. Other hit and runs are more intentional: the driver notices they hit someone, they stop for a moment, and then they drive off to avoid potential liability.
Often, hit and run accidents result in more serious injuries, as the victim might not be able to get themselves medical care as quickly as a driver could call for help. This makes many hit and run accidents fatal. If a loved one was killed in a hit and run, our pedestrian accident lawyers can help your family seek compensation.
When hit and run accidents happen, it is vital to work with a lawyer. We might be able to help track down the driver or at least help work with the police to report any details you might have about the driver or vehicle involved.
For a Free Case Review, Call Our Georgia Pedestrian Accident and Injury Lawyers
If you were struck by a car while walking in Georgia, call Howe Law’s pedestrian accident lawyers right away. We offer free case reviews. Call (844) 876-4357.
