Helping pedestrians hit by cars get justice
Our Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Fight for Injury Victims’ Rights
Pedestrians have no protection when struck by a vehicle. As a result, pedestrian injuries are often catastrophic, causing extreme pain and resulting in disabilities that require extensive medical treatment and ongoing care. Injured people must deal with mounting medical bills and expenses at a time they are unable to work.
Many pedestrian collisions are preventable and are the tragic result of human error. If you were injured or lost a family member in a pedestrian accident that was due to another party’s negligence, you have the right to pursue compensation for your losses.
However, the road to getting financial justice after an accident is not necessarily a smooth one. Georgia personal injury law is complicated, and making even minor mistakes can be costly. Insurance companies often try to deny claims or pay out lowball settlements. There are time limits for filing claims. Fortunately, at this difficult time when you are trying to recover from an accident, you do not have to fight for fair compensation alone.
The experienced Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyers at The Stoddard Firm are here to help. We do not want you to pay the price for a negligent driver’s mistakes.
Call us today at 470-467-2200 so we can learn the circumstances of your case and help you determine the best way to move forward. We provide free, no-obligation case evaluations.
Why Choose Us to Represent You?
We Focus on Obtaining Maximum Compensation
Our personal injury law firm has a long track record of achieving winning results. Verdicts and settlements we have obtained in individual client cases have reached into the tens of millions of dollars.
Before founding The Stoddard Firm, which exclusively represents injured parties, attorney Matt Stoddard worked for years defending the world’s largest appliance manufacturers in serious injury and wrongful death product liability cases. As a result, he knows how companies and their insurers operate. He brings this unique insight to every case the firm takes on, whether it is resolved at the negotiating table or in front of a judge or jury.
When we handle your case, our pedestrian accident attorneys will take the time to carefully examine the details of your accident to build the strongest possible claim. We will provide responsive and personalized legal support intended to get you justly compensated for your losses.
How Our Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Atlanta Work for You
When we take your case, we will get to work immediately to show that another party, most often a careless driver, was at fault for causing your accident and, therefore, should be held accountable.
Here is how our attorneys can help. We will:
- Meet with you to discuss what happened and who the negligent parties may be
- Evaluate your case to determine what it may be worth
- Investigate the accident by gathering evidence from surveillance cameras, interviewing witnesses, and examining police and medical reports
- File all paperwork according to Georgia deadlines and court requirements
- Hire experts to reconstruct the crash scene and provide testimony as to fault and how your injuries negatively impact your life
- Negotiate with insurance companies for a fair settlement
- Take your case to trial if necessary.
Let us handle all legal requirements and dealings with insurers and their attorneys, so you can concentrate on your recovery.
Damages In Pedestrian Injury Accident Cases
There is a wide range of compensation that can be awarded in a successful pedestrian injury case. How much a case may be worth depends on the severity of injuries and a variety of other factors. Claims involving catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injury or spinal injury that lead to paralysis may be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
Georgia law allows you to be compensated for both your economic losses as well as non-economic damages, as follows:
Economic damages include losses that are more easily quantified, such as:
- Current and future medical and rehabilitation expenses
- Past and future lost wages
- Any property-related damage.
Non-economic damages do not have a specific dollar value but are restitution for:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional anguish
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life or consortium.
In some rare cases where there was gross or willful negligence, you may also be awarded punitive damages. These damages are meant to punish at-fault parties and deter such behaviors in the future.
Our Atlanta pedestrian injury lawyers will evaluate your individual situation to determine what a fair settlement or award would be and fight for maximum compensation.
Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Must Prove Negligence
In order to win fair compensation, our lawyers will work to prove fault for your accident. To prove fault we must show that the other party (the defendant in the case) was negligent in their actions. Proving fault legally means showing the existence of the following elements:
- Duty: The defendant owed you a duty of care not to cause harm.
- Breach: The defendant breached this duty by actions or failure to act.
- Cause: This breach caused your injuries.
- Damages: You suffered damages as a result.
Georgia statutes require drivers to do everything possible to warn a pedestrian of a potential accident and to use particular care when driving near the elderly and children.
According to the law (Georgia statute §40-6-93), “Every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian upon any roadway, shall give warning by sounding his horn when necessary, and shall exercise proper precautions upon observing any child or any obviously confused, incapacitated, or intoxicated person.”
However, pedestrians have responsibilities as well. According to Georgia statute §40-6-92:
- Pedestrians must yield to traffic unless the person has already entered the road.
- Unless directed otherwise, pedestrians may not cross in a diagonal direction.
- Pedestrians must use crosswalks when they are in between traffic signals.
While both pedestrians and drivers have a duty to be careful and follow the law, drivers still must stop or slow down for pedestrians, even if they’re on the road illegally. So, while there are cases where a pedestrian can be at least partially at fault in a pedestrian accident, it’s likely that the driver was either partially or fully at fault. If the driver is found to be at fault, they or their car insurance company is liable for costs.
Pedestrian Accident Attorney in Atlanta Answers Frequently Asked Questions
After an accident, you are bound to have questions and concerns. The best place to get answers is at your free consultation, but to get you started, here are answers to some questions our lawyers are often asked:
Should I speak to the insurance company?
It is best not to speak to the insurance company. Refer them to your lawyer. Insurance companies are concerned with their bottom line, not your well-being. They use tactics such as trying to get injured parties to accept the lowest amount possible or asking leading questions to try to get pedestrians to admit that accidents are somehow their own fault.
What if the pedestrian is at fault?
If the pedestrian is entirely at fault for the accident, they will likely not be entitled to compensation. The driver might even try to sue the pedestrian for injuries or damage to their vehicle.
However, in most cases the driver is at least partially at fault. Georgia has a modified comparative negligence law where the negligence of all parties involved in the incident is taken into consideration. As long as you are less than 50 percent at fault, you can still collect compensation, although reduced by your percentage of fault.
What are common causes of pedestrian collisions?
Human error is usually to blame for pedestrian accidents. Driver distraction, drug or alcohol impairment, reckless driving, and fatigue are common causes of pedestrian collisions. Poor roadway infrastructure and inadequate lighting can also contribute.
What if a pedestrian dies from their injuries?
In cases where a pedestrian is killed at the hands of a reckless driver, the surviving family members can file a wrongful death claim to receive compensation for the loss. Wrongful death claims can help a family pay outstanding medical bills, funeral bills and other end-of-life costs. They also offer a family the chance to receive compensation for income that might have been lost by the passing of a family member.
What does it cost to hire an Atlanta pedestrian accident lawyer?
The good news is that there are no upfront costs when you hire our experienced accident lawyers. Your initial consultation is free, and fees are paid out of any settlement we win for you. If we do not win, you do not pay anything. It pays to have our lawyers fight on your behalf for a fair settlement that covers all damages you sustained.
For answers specific to your case speak with our firm.
Reach Out to a Compassionate Atlanta Pedestrian Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian collision in Atlanta or its surrounding area, contact The Stoddard Firm today. Our firm focuses on cases involving severe injuries, and we dedicate our full resources to pursuing maximum compensation for clients and holding dangerous drivers accountable for the harm they have caused.
Don’t delay as there is a two-year statute of limitations in Georgia for filing a lawsuit. Call us at 470-467-2200 to get started.
Attorney Matt Stoddard
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ Attorney Bio ]
