Georgia Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

When do I need a pedestrian accident lawyer, and how can one help?

You need a lawyer once the driver's insurer starts asking how the crash was your fault, which can begin within days. The Scott Pryor Law Group helps people hit on foot in Georgia by showing what the driver did, handling the adjusters and documenting the full cost of a pedestrian accident injury.

Pedestrian injuries are often serious: broken bones, head and spine injuries, and long recoveries. A serious injury means a larger claim, and a larger claim gives the insurer more reason to blame the person on foot. Expect questions about where you crossed, what the signal showed and if you were looking at your phone.

If you have to talk to an adjuster before you have a lawyer, keep it short and stick to the facts. Do not guess, admit fault or discuss a settlement amount, and keep notes of every call. Once you hire us, those calls come to us.

When we take your case, we:

• Gather the police report, photos, witness statements and video from traffic or business cameras.
• Bring in accident reconstruction experts when the facts are disputed.
• Document your injuries, your lost income, and the pain and limits the crash left you with.
• Deal with every insurer involved, and prepare your case for trial if a fair offer does not come.

How do I choose a pedestrian accident lawyer in Georgia?

Choose a Georgia pedestrian accident lawyer on evidence: results for people hit on foot, a clear plan for proving who had the right of way, readiness for trial and reviews you can read yourself. The Scott Pryor Law Group has pedestrian results, including a case for a child injured in a crosswalk.

Pedestrian cases often come down to a few seconds: where you stepped into the road, what the signal showed and what the driver was doing. Ask any lawyer you meet how they would prove those seconds. A good answer names the police report, witnesses, camera footage and, when needed, a reconstruction expert.

Check the rest yourself. Look up each attorney in the State Bar of Georgia's member directory and read the firm's Google reviews. For any result, ask what kind of case it was and how it ended.

Can I still recover if I was hit outside a crosswalk?

Often, yes. If you are less than 50% at fault, you can still recover damages, reduced by your percentage of fault. O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 For a person hit outside a Georgia crosswalk, The Scott Pryor Law Group looks at what the driver and the pedestrian each did, since the insurer will often try to blame the person on foot.

Georgia rules put duties on both sides. Drivers must stop and remain stopped for pedestrians in crosswalks. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91 Pedestrians must follow traffic control signals in the same way as motorists. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-90 So the insurer will ask where you crossed and what the signal showed, and it may point to dark clothing, a phone in your hand or a sudden step into the road.

What the driver did still matters. Speeding, a phone in hand, impaired driving and a turn made without looking for people on foot all count against the driver, inside a crosswalk or out of one.

We gather the evidence on both sides before the insurer settles on its story: the police report, video from traffic and business cameras, witness statements, the lighting and sight lines at the scene and, when needed, a reconstruction of the crash. That evidence decides how much of the blame lands on you, and so how much of your claim is left.

How much is a pedestrian accident case worth in Georgia?

A Georgia pedestrian accident case is worth what the evidence shows the crash cost you: medical care now and later, lost income, pain, and the ways your life has changed. The insurance available and any fault the insurer pins on you also matter. The Scott Pryor Law Group does not guess at a number before it reviews your records.

People hit on foot take the full force of a vehicle. Head injuries, spinal cord damage and several broken bones at once are common, and recovery can run for months or years. That is why we wait until the extent of your injuries is clear before we put a value on your claim.

We document each kind of loss:

• Medical costs. Emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, physical therapy and the treatment you will need later.
• Lost income. Wages, bonuses and paid time off you lost, and reduced earnings if you cannot return to the same work. If you are self-employed, your tax returns help show what you earned.
• Changes at home. Home health care, mobility aids and changes to your home if an injury leaves a lasting disability.
• Pain and quality of life. Chronic pain, emotional trauma, post-traumatic stress and the things you can no longer do.
• Getting around. Rides, rental cars and transit while you cannot drive or walk the way you did.
• The driver's conduct. If the driver was drunk or reckless, tell us. Punitive damages are reserved for situations where the defendant's actions demonstrate willful misconduct, fraud, malice, or gross negligence. O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1
• A family's loss. When a pedestrian crash is fatal, the family's claim is a wrongful death case. See our Georgia wrongful death page.

What are my rights as a pedestrian hit by a car in Georgia?

Your rights depend on what the driver did, where you were and what the signals showed. The Scott Pryor Law Group's article on when pedestrians are at fault explains how Georgia weighs a driver's duties against a pedestrian's in a pedestrian accident claim.