At one point or another, everyone is a pedestrian. As the expense of driving and insuring a vehicle rise, more and more people choose to walk to their destinations. As the number of pedestrians increases, so do the number of pedestrian accidents. To see where the Atlanta region ranks in terms of pedestrian collisions nationally, please go to this National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012 nationally:
Both motorists and pedestrians can engage in behaviors that cause collisions. According to state pedestrian law as described by the State of Georgia Office of Highway Safety -
The driver of a vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching and is within one lane of the half of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling or onto which it is turning.
No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impractical for the driver to yield.
Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.
Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway unless he has already, and under safe conditions, entered the roadway.
The Atlanta Police Department offers information on accidents. You can go here to request a copy of a traffic collision report. The Georgia Department of Driver Services provides information on traffic and safety laws.
These departments are a good resource to get information after a pedestrian accident.
When a pedestrian is injured, it is crucial to get appropriate medical treatment, regardless of the financial cost. The major hospitals in the area include:
As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out how medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy. Since insurance policies often have unique provisions to deal with pedestrian-accident injuries, it is important to review the policy and speak with the insurance adjuster to get clarification on coverage.
When an injury is serious or a death occurs, the next step is to find an experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer to start the financial recovery process by launching an insurance claim. Major injury or wrongful death claims are complicated and can be hard to manage without legal help. Since personal injury lawyers offer a free initial consultation and work on a contingency basis, meaning that there are no up-front costs and all fees are paid when the claim is settled, there is no downside to speaking with an Atlanta injury attorney right away, to get help for an injured pedestrian.
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