Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Pedestrian Accident Attorney in Atlanta

Atlanta is one of the biggest business hubs in the United States, home to the headquarters of the Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, and many other large corporations, as well as one of the busiest airports in the nation. It’s a large city with plenty for locals and visitors to enjoy, but like any other large city, it can be dangerous for pedestrians. If you have been hurt while walking due to a driver’s negligence, you need to speak with an Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer.

An experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer can be an invaluable asset when it comes to helping you recover. If a motor vehicle driver hit you while you were walking, you could face a very difficult recovery, along with financial strain from medical bills and inability to work. Whatever your case requires, the team at Barnes Law Group is confident we can help you recover.

Why You Need an Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

The aftermath of any accident can be stressful and traumatic, but pedestrian accidents are especially likely to result in catastrophic injuries. If you have been hurt by a driver’s negligence, the first steps you take after the accident will be crucial to your recovery efforts. An experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer can be an invaluable source of support through all of your legal proceedings.

Barnes Law Group has more than 50 years of experience representing injured clients in Atlanta and surrounding areas of Georgia in all types of personal injury cases. Led by former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, our team provides compassionate and responsive legal counsel to our clients in every case, developing individualized case strategies aimed at securing maximum compensation for their losses.

We can also provide wrongful death representation if a family member has died in a pedestrian accident. The Georgia Governor’s Office for Highway Safety reported 310 pedestrian fatalities throughout Georgia in 2023. Nationwide, the National Safety Council recorded a total of 9,076 pedestrian deaths caused by vehicles. Even when these accidents do not result in fatalities, they can easily cause life-changing injuries and expensive economic losses for the victim.

Ultimately, you need an experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer to help you make sense of your recovery options after an accident. Your attorney can gather the evidence needed to prove liability for the accident, help you accurately calculate the full scope of the damages you are eligible to claim, and guide you through the process of recovering compensation for your economic and non-economic damages.

Proving Liability for a Pedestrian Accident in Atlanta

Georgia is an at-fault state for all vehicle accidents, including those involving pedestrians. This means that before the victim of any accident can claim compensation for their damages from another party, they must prove that the party is directly responsible for causing the accident. Some of the most commonly reported causes of pedestrian accidents in the Atlanta area include:

• Speeding. Every driver is required to obey posted speed limits, and speeding can put everyone around them at risk. Accidents that happen at higher speeds have a greater chance of resulting in catastrophic or fatal injuries.
• Distracted driving. Texting while driving or other distractions can easily cause a serious pedestrian accident. Your attorney can seek the driver’s cell phone records and other evidence to prove that they were not paying attention to the road and that their distraction caused your accident.
• Moving violations. Illegal turns, failure to yield the right-of-way, and running stop signs or red lights are common moving violations that can easily result in pedestrian accidents. Traffic camera footage and witness testimony are often crucial for proving fault in accident cases involving moving violations.
• Intoxicated driving. It is illegal for anyone to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but this is unfortunately a common cause of accidents in Atlanta each year. A driver who causes an accident this way faces criminal charges along with civil liability for the injuries and other damages they caused to others.

No matter how your accident happened, you need to prove liability before you are able to claim compensation for your damages. Barnes Law Group can diligently investigate your accident, gathering the evidence you need to prove fault and hold the correct party accountable. Once you have proven fault, your attorney can guide you through the process of claiming compensation for your damages.

Recovering Compensation for a Pedestrian Accident in Atlanta

Every driver in Georgia is required to have auto insurance, and this insurance comes into play whenever a driver causes an accident. After fault is determined, the at-fault driver’s policy can pay for the damages they caused. However, dealing with insurance companies can be challenging as they will almost always look for ways to push back against claims.

You should expect the insurance company representative to attempt to use your own words against you, looking for justification to devalue or deny your claim. It’s important to consult an experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer before filing your claim so you are prepared to face any such issues. If the insurance company disputes your claim, your attorney can ensure you are treated fairly and that you receive a suitable settlement offer.

You may need to file a personal injury suit against the driver who caused your accident. If so, success with this case hinges on your ability to prove the defendant is directly responsible for causing the accident, and then you must prove the full scope of the damages you suffered from the accident. In Georgia, a plaintiff in a personal injury case has the potential to recover compensation for economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages in a personal injury case are generally straightforward. They can include any direct financial losses resulting from the defendant’s actions, such as vehicle repair costs, medical expenses, and lost income. It’s possible to recover compensation for immediate and future medical expenses from the defendant.

The plaintiff can also claim compensation for the future income they can no longer earn if they were permanently disabled. Pedestrian accidents can easily result in spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries, leaving victims unable to work and possibly unable to live independently in the future. Your attorney can help you accurately calculate these projected losses.

Non-economic damages are more difficult to assess. Georgia’s personal injury statutes enable injured plaintiffs to claim financial compensation for the physical pain, psychological suffering, and emotional distress they suffered from their accidents. This can seem difficult to quantify, but your Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer can help you determine a fair amount to claim from the defendant that reflects the severity of your experience.

Resolving Your Pedestrian Accident Case in Atlanta

An experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer can guide you through all stages of your recovery, and their help will be invaluable in many ways throughout your case. Beyond the economic and non-economic damages you claim from the defendant, you may also qualify to receive punitive damages at the court’s discretion. Conversely, if you are found to share fault for the accident, this could diminish your recovery.

Resolving an auto insurance claim in Atlanta may not take very long if you have an experienced attorney helping with your claim, but a personal injury case will be more difficult and time-consuming to resolve. Most personal injury cases filed in the United States each year are resolved in pretrial settlement negotiations, which allow the parties involved to avoid the stress, expense, and time commitment that litigation demands.

During settlement, the two parties must negotiate mutually acceptable terms for settling the case; otherwise, they will need to take the case to court and resolve the matter through litigation. The team at Barnes Law Group is fully prepared to represent you in the courtroom if necessary, and we are skilled at negotiating settlements when possible for our clients.

What to Expect From Your Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

You are likely to have many pressing legal questions in the aftermath of a pedestrian accident. You may have no recollection of the accident due to your injuries, and medical bills and inability to work can quickly compound into a very challenging financial situation for you and your family. Having an experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer on your side is a tremendous asset in this situation.

When you choose Barnes Law Group to handle your case, trust our team to gather the evidence you need to firmly establish liability for your accident. Once we prove fault, trust us to negotiate an auto insurance claim settlement for you, resolving any resistance you encounter from the defendant’s insurance carrier.

Our firm has successfully recovered many substantial case awards for injured clients in the Atlanta area, and our goal in every case we accept is maximum client recovery. You have limited time to pursue compensation for your damages, and some of the evidence you may need may not be obtainable for very long after the accident. We can also provide compassionate wrongful death counsel if your family member died in a pedestrian accident in Atlanta.

We look forward to assisting with your recovery, so reach out to Barnes Law Group at your first opportunity to learn how we can help.

FAQs

Q: How Do You Prove Fault for a Pedestrian Accident in Atlanta?

A: To prove fault for a pedestrian accident in Atlanta, you must identify the party you believe to have caused the accident and prove how they caused it. Most of these accidents result from negligence, but it is also possible for them to occur because of illegal misconduct like intoxicated driving. Once you prove fault, you can seek compensation for the damages the defendant caused.

Q: Can a Pedestrian Share Fault for Their Accident in Atlanta?

A: Yes, it is possible for a pedestrian to share fault for their accident in Atlanta. In this situation, Georgia’s modified comparative fault rule takes effect, and the plaintiff is assigned a fault percentage. This percentage is then subtracted from their personal injury case award. Shared liability could also complicate an auto insurance claim. Consult an attorney right away if you are worried about partial liability for your recent pedestrian accident in Atlanta.

Q: Why Do I Need to Hire an Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?

A: You need to hire an Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer to ensure the greatest possible chance of success with the legal efforts you make to recover your losses. Even if fault for the accident seems clear to you, the reality is that any personal injury case can present unexpected challenges you will not know how to overcome on your own. You are more likely to win your case and more likely to maximize your compensation with an attorney representing you.

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Pedestrian Accident in Atlanta?

A: The amount of compensation you can claim for a pedestrian accident in Atlanta depends on the severity of the injuries the defendant caused. You have the right to seek full repayment of any economic losses you suffered, and you also have the right to claim pain and suffering compensation from the defendant. Your Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer can estimate the total potential value of your case.

Q: What Are Attorneys’ Fees for an Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?

A: There are no attorneys’ fees for an Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer if you choose Barnes Law Group to represent you. We accept personal injury cases with a contingency fee agreement, meaning we will only charge our contingency fee if and when we win compensation on our client’s behalf. If, for any reason, we are unable to obtain compensation for your damages, there is no fee.

The team at Barnes Law Group can provide the focused and results-driven legal counsel you need in the aftermath of your pedestrian accident in Atlanta. In every case that we accept, our goal is to help our client maximize their compensation as efficiently as possible. You have limited time to pursue compensation for your damages, so contact our firm today and schedule a free consultation with an experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer.