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Sandy Springs Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
The Sandy Springs pedestrian accident lawyer team at Ashenden & Associates is dedicated to protecting the rights of pedestrian accident victims in Sandy Springs and the greater Atlanta area. Our personal injury lawyers in Sandy Springs recognize the complexities of these pedestrian injury cases, from interpreting local traffic regulations to negotiating with insurance companies. Our experienced Sandy Springs pedestrian accident attorneys are committed to helping clients secure the financial compensation they deserve. With an in-depth understanding of Georgia law and pedestrian safety rules specific to Atlanta and Sandy Springs, Ashenden & Associates provides compassionate and aggressive representation to ensure the best possible outcomes for injured pedestrians.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact our Sandy Springs pedestrian accident attorneys to discuss your case. We offer a free consultation, and our pedestrian accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we successfully recover compensation. Call 770-394-8909 to get started today.
What is a Pedestrian Accident?
A pedestrian accident involves a pedestrian and a motor vehicle, like a car or motorcycle. Most pedestrian accident cases boil down to negligence from the driver or the pedestrian.
For example, if a pedestrian has the right of way and is walking along a crosswalk, but the driver turning onto the street is on their phone looking at directions and strikes the pedestrian, they have caused a pedestrian accident. That pedestrian has a legal right to sue the driver for damages in a personal injury lawsuit.
Pedestrians can suffer a wide variety of catastrophic injuries and permanent disabilities from a car accident. Tragically, many pedestrian accidents are fatal due to how little protection the pedestrian has compared to a driver in a vehicle.
Contact our Sandy Springs car accident lawyers to learn more.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Sandy Springs and Atlanta
Like most car accidents, negligence is the primary cause of a pedestrian accident. Motorists are required to uphold a duty of care, which is to operate their vehicles with the safety of others in mind. When that duty of care is breached, negligence occurs, and accidents can happen.
Accidents are more likely to happen thanks to the distracting technology that our cars have. Whether the driver is changing the radio station or checking a map, their attention to driving has been lowered. When drivers act negligently, the results can be catastrophic.
Common causes of pedestrian accidents that our Sandy Springs pedestrian accident lawyer team sees include:
- Traffic violations
- Running stop signs/red lights
- Driving while distracted
- Speeding
- Failure to yield
- Poor visibility
- Illegal passing
- Driving while fatigued
- Drunk driving
Many pedestrian accidents happen in parking lots, intersections, near driveways, along highways, and around the entrances and exits of buildings. They usually occur at night and often involve intoxication on the pedestrian or driver’s part. Motorists will often flee the scene of the pedestrian accident out of fear, leaving an injured pedestrian alone.
Pedestrians can also cause pedestrian accidents by walking along an unmarked crossway or ignoring traffic signals, for example. When the pedestrian is at-fault for the accident, they can be held responsible for medical expenses and other personal injury claim damages.
If you were a pedestrian injured by a drunk or distracted driver, contact our Sandy Springs DUI accident lawyer or Sandy Springs distracted driving accident lawyer for a free consultation.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries in Sandy Springs and Atlanta
Pedestrian accident injuries are often catastrophic because they walk without protection against an oncoming vehicle. When a motor vehicle strikes a pedestrian, those injuries can change their life forever.
Our Sandy Springs pedestrian accident lawyer group helps pedestrian accident injury victims file personal injury claims when someone else’s negligence was to blame for their injuries.
Our pedestrian accident lawyers in Sandy Springs commonly see the following pedestrian accident injuries:
- Spinal cord injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Skull and facial fractures
- Partial or total paralysis
- Crush injuries
- Nerve damage
- Internal organ damage
- Broken bones
- Road rash, bruising, and lacerations
- One or more amputations
- Loss of fetus
- Permanent scarring, disfigurement, or disability
- Wrongful death
If you or a family member have been struck by a vehicle, contact a Sandy Springs pedestrian accident attorney at Ashenden & Associates today. If your loved one died as a result of a fatal pedestrian accident, contact our Sandy Springs wrongful death lawyer group for a free case evaluation.
Pedestrians Can Be Legally at Fault for Causing a Crash in Sandy Springs and Atlanta
Pedestrians can be at fault for accidents if they act negligently by walking into a road or ignoring traffic laws. When a pedestrian illegally crosses a road or ignores traffic laws, the motorist may not see them or have enough time to stop, injuring the pedestrian, veering off the road, or hitting an oncoming motorist.
When a pedestrian is at-fault for an accident, they can be held liable for damages, even if they sustained injuries from the accident. The pedestrian at fault is responsible for property damage to the vehicle, medical bills, lost wages, and other personal injury damages.
If you were hurt in an accident where the pedestrian was at-fault, you could receive financial compensation for damages. Contact a Sandy Springs car accident attorney at Ashenden & Associates to discuss your pedestrian accident case.
How Our Sandy Springs Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Prove Negligence in Pedestrian Accident Cases
In order to create a strong defense in a pedestrian accident case, your Sandy Springs pedestrian accident attorney must establish the four elements of negligence.
- Duty of Care: A driver owes pedestrians a duty of care. This means that the driver must responsibly operate their vehicle with the safety of pedestrians and other drivers in mind.
- Breached Duty of Care: Your pedestrian accident attorney will prove that the driver owed you a duty of care, and their failure to uphold that care resulted in the accident and your injuries.
- Causation: Your pedestrian accident lawyer will prove that you were injured because the driver breached the duty of care. Had the driver acted responsibly, the duty of care would not have been breached, and you would not have been injured.
- Damages: Once the above elements have been proven, you’re entitled to damages like lost wages, medical bills, and more.
When you’ve been hurt in an accident, it’s important to hire our experienced Sandy Springs pedestrian accident lawyers so that they can ensure that you receive maximum compensation for your injuries. Call for a free consultation with a pedestrian accident lawyer in Sandy Springs and Atlanta, GA.
When Do Pedestrians Have the Right of Way in Georgia?
Pedestrians do not always have the right of way. Below, our Sandy Springs pedestrian accident lawyer team has listed the situations where they have the right of way and some where they don’t.
When Pedestrians Have the Right of Way:
- Sidewalks perpendicular to driveways, alleys, and parking garages: Motorists leaving alleys, parking garages, or driveways must stop before reaching the sidewalk that crosses the end of the alley, parking garage, or driveway. Drivers must yield to any pedestrians on the sidewalk but are not required to come to a complete stop.
- Crosswalks: Pedestrians have the right of way on crosswalks. Georgia law requires drivers to come to a complete stop, not just yield, when a pedestrian is near the crosswalk on the side of the road or when the pedestrian is in one lane of the half of the roadway on which the car is traveling. All traffic lanes with traffic traveling in one direction are considered “half of the roadway.” The turn lane is considered half the roadway in which you are driving.
When Pedestrians Do Not Have the Right of Way:
- Jumping in front of a vehicle: A person cannot suddenly leave a curb, sidewalk, or other area of safety to jump or walk in front of a moving vehicle. Jumping in front of a vehicle at close range does not give the driver enough time to stop safely.
- Tunnels and overhead walkways: Pedestrians that cross a road at the point where an overhead walkway or tunnel is installed for the safety of pedestrians must yield to drivers when they choose not to use the overhead walkway or tunnel.
- Crossing roadways other than crosswalks: A pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than the crosswalk must yield to all motorists unless the pedestrian has safely entered the roadway. Jaywalking is a common term for crossing a road outside a crosswalk. It is not illegal in Georgia. It only means that pedestrians are required to yield to vehicles on the road.
Contact our Sandy Springs auto accident lawyer group to learn more about Georgia’s pedestrian accident laws.
Sandy Springs Wrongful Death Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit
Yes, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit if you lose a family member in a fatal pedestrian accident caused by a driver’s negligence. The compensation from the lawsuit would be transferred to the deceased’s estate.
In a personal injury case, the damages one can receive are medical bills, lost wages, etc. However, the damages a family can receive in a personal injury claim involving wrongful death will be burial and funeral expenses, emotional pain and suffering of a loved one, and more. If the deceased financially supported the family, they could also receive a loss of benefits, retirement funds, and future income.
To learn more about wrongful death vs survival action claims in Georgia, contact an experienced Sandy Springs pedestrian accident lawyer at our law firm today.
Compensation for Pedestrian Accident Victims in Sandy Springs and Atlanta, GA
The damages you receive from a pedestrian accident are determined case-by-case. If a negligent driver struck a pedestrian, they could be entitled to the following non-economic and economic damages:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future physical therapy costs
- Counseling expenses
- Home health costs if the injury resulted in permanent disability
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral burial costs if the accident caused a wrongful death
Our Sandy Springs pedestrian accident lawyers will pursue maximum compensation on your behalf.
Sandy Springs Pedestrian Accident Attorney
You could be entitled to economic and non-economic compensation if you’ve been hurt in an accident while walking. The personal injury law firm Ashenden & Associates has represented victims in pedestrian accident lawsuits for years and is ready to represent you. A Sandy Springs pedestrian accident attorney can make sure you receive maximum compensation for your injuries. To talk with an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer in Sandy Springs, call our law office today at 770-394-8909.
