Shockingly, four people are hit by moving motor vehicles in the metro Atlanta area each day, according to police. These incidents kill about 80 people in Atlanta pedestrian accidents every year, with about 20 percent of the fatalities within 100 feet of a transit stop.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that approximately 5,000 pedestrians are killed and about 64,000 pedestrians are hurt by vehicles every year in this nation.
Even in low-speed crashes, pedestrians can suffer critical injuries that can lead to wrongful death. When it comes to Georgia pedestrian accidents, the pedestrian or the pedestrian’s family can recover substantial damages against the negligent driver for medical bills, rehabilitation, physical therapy, lost income, instances of pain and suffering, and more.
Drivers have a duty to exercise reasonable care while behind the wheel of a moving motor vehicle. This means if the driver was participating in one of the following activities, he or she was not being mindful while driving:
- Texting while driving
- Grooming
- Eating and drinking
- Paying attention to a passenger
- Selecting a song from the iPod
- Using the navigation system
- Eating and drinking
- Drinking and driving
- Driving while on drugs
- Other forms of distracted driving
Pedestrians also should be mindful while crossing the street. However, even the safest pedestrian can still find himself in an accident, because of an unexpected move on the part of a driver. When a distracted driver blows through a red light or stop sign, or peels out of a driveway exit, a pedestrian may suffer very serious injuries for which the victim will need to be compensated.
Although drivers are supposed to carry liability coverage and bodily injury liability coverage, not every driver does. Additionally, sometimes drivers only carry the minimum coverage, but a pedestrian’s injuries could cost more than the driver’s liability coverage. When this happens, the injured pedestrian will need to look for other sources of coverage for compensation. These options include:
- The victim’s own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
- The victim’s own health insurance coverage
- The victim’s own auto insurance policy’s medical payments coverage
- A personal injury lawsuit
For help getting as much compensation as possible following your pedestrian injury in Georgia, turn to an experienced Atlanta pedestrian injury lawyer at Shane Smith Law at (980) 246-2656 for a free consultation today.