If you’ve been struck by a negligent driver while walking, you’re probably dealing with a severe injury, staggering medical bills, and other accident-related challenges. At Jones & Swanson, we know how difficult it is to move forward after a serious injury. That’s why our Marietta personal injury lawyers are here to help you.
Our legal team has over 50 years of combined experience working with victims of pedestrian accidents and other incidents where people suffered injuries due to the negligence of another party.
We have the legal experience required to get the damages you deserve. With a pedestrian accident lawyer in Marietta by your side, you’ll have the support you need to move past this difficult time and get your life back on track.
Understanding Pedestrian Accidents in Georgia
Pedestrian accidents occur when a person who is walking, jogging, or merely standing still is struck by a motor vehicle. When a car or truck hits someone who isn’t protected by the walls of a vehicle, the consequences are disastrous. A person’s body is not equipped to handle a collision with a motor vehicle, so there is a high potential for severe injury or death.
These incidents are often caused by the following types of driver negligence:
- Failure to follow traffic laws or traffic signals
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Texting while driving or talking on cell phones
- Using a GPS device
- Impaired driving
- Veering into public walkways
- Aggressive driving
Due to the nature of these accidents, victims often suffer severe injuries that are expensive to treat and recover from. If you or a loved one is dealing with the painful and costly aftermath of an accident, reach out to our Marietta pedestrian accident attorneys. Our firm will work tirelessly to win fair damages for you to cover your medical bills and other losses.
Damages a Marietta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Will Pursue
A serious pedestrian accident will impact your health, finances, and emotional well-being. At our personal injury law firm, we understand how challenging it is to deal with the aftermath of such an incident. That’s why we’ll take a compassionate approach to legal counsel, making sure to listen to your side of the story and tailor a claim that addresses your unique situation.
We’ll calculate how much money you should get and fight for the highest settlement possible. The damages you will receive from a claim include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Physical therapy costs
- Future treatment costs
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Decreased earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
Pedestrian accidents almost always involve serious injuries. The most important aspect of handling these personal injury cases is determining an accurate estimate of medical expenses, both past and future.
A Jones & Swanson Marietta pedestrian accident attorney will review your medical bills and work with medical professionals to calculate how much money you need to cover these costs. Once we know how much you require, we’ll fight until we get the right amount of damages.
Fatal Pedestrian Accidents in Marietta
No one is prepared to lose a family member to a careless driver. If your spouse, parent, or child was killed in a pedestrian accident, we offer our deepest condolences to you and your family. Georgia law gives you the right to bring a wrongful death claim for compensation.
Our Marietta wrongful death lawyers will guide you through every step of the process with the care and respect your family deserves. Depending on your situation, you could receive any of the following forms of compensation after a fatal incident:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Medical bills incurred before your loved one’s passing
- Loss of your loved one’s future income and benefits
- Loss of care, companionship, and guidance
- The pain and suffering your loved one endured before death
No amount of damages will replace the person you lost, and we understand that. What we will do is take the legal weight off your shoulders, hold the at-fault driver accountable, and pursue the compensation you need to face this devastating time in your life.
Do Pedestrians Have the Right of Way in Georgia?
In most situations, pedestrians have the right of way in Georgia. Under Georgia law, drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing in a marked crosswalk or at an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Drivers also have a general duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid hitting anyone who is walking, no matter where that person is.
As a general rule of thumb, pedestrians have the right of way when:
- Crossing in a marked crosswalk
- Crossing at an intersection that has no marked crosswalk
- Walking on a sidewalk that a driver is crossing to enter a driveway or parking lot
- A traffic signal displays a “Walk” indicator
It’s important to note that the right of way is not unlimited. Georgia law also requires people on foot to obey traffic signals and to yield to vehicles when crossing outside of a crosswalk. That said, even when a pedestrian is in the wrong place, drivers are still required to keep a careful lookout.
If we find that the driver involved in your accident was negligent, we will work tirelessly to hold them accountable for the harm they caused.
How Our Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Marietta Will Help You
From the moment you call our firm, our pedestrian accident attorneys in Marietta will get to work building the strongest case possible. We will handle the legal side of things from start to finish, so you have the time you need to focus on healing.
Here’s what we’ll do to help you during this difficult and confusing time:
- Meet with you for a free consultation to discuss your accident and explain your best course of action
- Conduct a full investigation, gathering police reports, witness statements, video footage, and accident reconstruction information when needed
- Build a strong claim
- Communicate with the insurance company and other involved parties
- Calculate how much your claim is worth
- Negotiate with insurers to get a fair settlement
- Take your case to court if the insurance provider fails to offer what you’re owed
- Keep you updated on your case throughout the legal process and respond to all your calls and text messages promptly
Pedestrian Accident Injuries That We Will File a Claim for
Even when pedestrian accidents occur at relatively slow speeds, the impact on the victim’s body is often devastating. As a result, accident victims suffer numerous life-altering injuries.
Luckily, our Marietta pedestrian accident lawyers are prepared to pursue damages to afford medical treatment for any of the following pedestrian injuries:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Head and neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and spinal fractures
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Internal organ damage
- Coma
- Fractured or broken bones
In many cases, these injuries lead to lifelong impairments and death. If your loved one has been fatally injured in a pedestrian accident, our Marietta wrongful death attorneys are here for you. We’ll provide the empathetic counsel and fierce representation you deserve to get justice.
Steps to Take After a Pedestrian Accident
What you do in the hours and days after a pedestrian accident will impact both your health and your claim. Even if you feel okay, it’s important to understand that the adrenaline of a crash can mask serious injuries.
It is important to act carefully and protect yourself by seeking medical attention by:
- Calling 911 and ask for police and emergency medical assistance
- Getting checked by a doctor right away, even if injuries seem minor
- Taking photos of the vehicle, the roadway, your injuries, and any traffic signals or signs nearby that the at-fault motorist may have disobeyed
- Getting the driver’s name, insurance information, and contact details
- Collecting names and phone numbers from anyone who witnessed the incident
- Avoiding giving a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company
- Calling our Marietta pedestrian accident attorneys ASAP
The sooner you reach out, the more we will be able to do to protect your case. Our team will preserve evidence, deal with the insurance company on your behalf, and pursue fair compensation. If we have to file a lawsuit to get a fair outcome, we will.
Statute of Limitations for Pedestrian Accident Lawsuits in Marietta, Georgia
If you’ve suffered pedestrian injuries in an accident, you have a limited amount of time to take legal action for compensation. That’s because the state of Georgia has a statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits. GA Code § 9-3-33 gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a claim.
If you don’t file before the deadline, you’ll be stopped from pursuing the compensation you’re owed. Fortunately, if you get in touch with our Marietta pedestrian accident law firm soon, we’ll have the time we need to gather evidence, build a strong case, and file documents before time is up.
We’ll Help You Get Medical Care to Address Your Injuries
Over the years, we’ve worked with many accident victims who couldn’t cover their medical bills. Some lacked health insurance, and others didn’t have the money to afford extensive treatment. We understand that unexpected medical bills are stressful, so we aim to help clients get the care they need to recover.
If you can’t afford the treatment you require to protect your health and safety, we will help you connect with a medical professional who will see you on a lien basis, meaning they’ll wait until you receive a settlement to charge you.
While you’re busy getting care to get better, we’ll work hard to obtain the damages you need to cover all your expenses and losses.
You Pay Nothing Unless We Recover Damages for You
Worrying about legal fees is the last thing you should have to do after a serious accident. That is why our Marietta pedestrian accident attorneys take every case on a contingency fee basis.
Here is what that means for you:
- No upfront costs and no hourly billing
- We cover the costs of investigating and building your case
- You only pay attorney fees if we recover damages for you
- Our fee comes as a percentage of your recovery, not out of your pocket
This arrangement puts our team on the same side of the table as you and your family. We only get paid when you do, so we are fully invested in pursuing the maximum damages you deserve. Schedule a free consultation with us to learn more about our contingency fee policy and get started on your case.
Meet With Our Compassionate Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Marietta for Free
Getting back to your regular life after a serious pedestrian accident seems impossible. Fortunately, the team at Jones & Swanson will offer the compassionate support and fierce representation you need to cover losses and cope with the pain and suffering the incident has caused you.
Our team has won over $50 million in case results for clients like you. We have the experience, resources, and dedication to win a high-value settlement for you after a serious accident. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a pedestrian accident lawyer in Marietta and get started on your case.
