According to United States Department of Transportation data an average of over 60,000 pedestrians are injured in accidents with vehicles in the United States each year. The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) published a study that showed most pedestrian injuries occur at night.
If you are injured a Clayton County pedestrian accident attorney at Shane Smith Law can review the incident and advise you of your legal rights.
Most pedestrian injuries occur when traffic is at its heaviest and visibility may be limited. Many pedestrian accidents occur between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that pedestrians should mitigate accident opportunities by obeying traffic laws and crossing streets in high visibility areas that are well lit. Pedestrians can also wear light-colored clothing to increase visibility at dusk and in the dark, they should only cross in a crosswalk and only with the appropriate right-of-way.
According to data released by the University of Georgia Traffic Safety Research and Evaluation Group, a significant number of pedestrian accidents occur on the University of Georgia campus. Between 2003 and 2013 there were 86 accidents involving pedestrians on the campus. Football season tends to see more pedestrian accidents than the off-season but accidents happen throughout the school year.
According to a University of Washington study, nearly one-third of all pedestrians are distracted by some kind of mobile device while crossing a street. Texting is the most dangerous distraction but not the only one according to the study published in the journal Injury Prevention. Researchers noted "distracting" behaviors including talking on the phone, texting, listening to music on mobile devices, talking to other people who were walking and dealing with children or pets.
Under Georgia's contributory negligence system, a pedestrian may have damages reduced if he is partially at fault. In the comparative fault system a pedestrian's recovery is reduced by the percentage the pedestrian is at fault up to 49 percent. A pedestrian who is determined to have been at least 50 percent at fault for the accident would be precluded from receiving a damage award.
Victims should seek the assistance of a Clayton County pedestrian accident attorney to protect their rights by securing police reports, eyewitness testimony and physical evidence and to deal with insurance representatives. Victims should call Shane Smith Law for a free legal consultation.