The city of Covington is rich with history and features a beautiful, historic downtown district that is popular with film and TV producers. You might recognize it as the setting of “Mystic Falls” on “The Vampire Diaries,” or from movies like “Sweet Magnolias,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and “In the Heat of the Night.” The downtown area is popular with tourists who enjoy the antique stores, a wide variety of restaurants, and tours of historical buildings, including the famous “ghost tours.”
But with tourists and busy downtown areas, the possibility of auto accidents is higher. These can involve collisions with other cars or vehicles or with pedestrians. Motorists should always drive carefully in areas with a lot of foot traffic or other cars, but when they don’t, serious accidents can occur. If this has happened to you, a Covington personal injury lawyer should be your next call.
Ali Awad, the founder and managing attorney at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, is eager to take on insurance companies for his clients. Known as the CEO Lawyer, Mr. Awad has grown his business to an 8-figure firm in three short years. It was also voted the fastest-growing law firm in the United States, zipping past 499 others in 2021. The CEO Lawyer has more than a million followers across social media, where he dispenses timely legal advice.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, don’t wait to call Ali Awad for a no-obligation consultation about your case. The CEO lawyer and his team of injury and accident attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning you only pay them if you receive compensation, including cases related to the BioLab Class Action Lawsuit. Therefore, you have nothing to lose by calling (470) 323-8779 or contacting us through our website to discuss the details of your case.
Difficult Traffic Areas in Covington
According to city data, there have been multiple accidents with fatalities on Scott Highway and at two different locations on Conyers Road, which runs through the popular downtown area. Brown Bridge Road, Plum Orchard, and Highway 20 also see a large number of crashes. Motorists should proceed with caution when driving in these areas.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents can happen anywhere, but Covington’s walking tours of the historic area mean there are a lot more pedestrians around than in other areas. In September of 2021, for example, a pedestrian was killed after being struck by an SUV on Old Atlanta Highway in Covington. Sadly these accidents are often fatal for the pedestrian, who has little protection when being struck by a large vehicle like a car or SUV. If the pedestrian does survive, they may be in the hospital for weeks or months with severe injuries.
If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, you should know your rights. Although pedestrians should always be careful, drivers are expected to exercise “due care” to avoid striking a walker on the side of the road or in the roadway. This may include honking the horn to get the pedestrian’s attention, slowing down, and possibly stopping if they notice a child or person who might be confused or inebriated walking in or near the roadway.
Comparative Negligence and Pedestrian Accidents in Georgia
Georgia is what’s called a “comparative negligence” state when it comes to personal injury claims. Essentially, this means that the court considers if the victim was at least partially responsible for the accident they are claiming damages from. If the victim, or plaintiff, is found to be more than 49 percent responsible for the accident, the defendant does not have to pay any damages. When the victim is responsible for some smaller portion of the crash, they will still be able to receive damages. However, these will be reduced by the amount they were at fault.
What this means for pedestrians who have been struck by cars is that the other driver’s insurance company is likely to claim the pedestrian was at fault, whether they were or not. This is where it’s helpful to have a Covington personal injury attorney who can fight the insurance company and present evidence of your innocence.
Pedestrians do have three responsibilities that will become important when proving the driver was negligent in your case:
- Pedestrians should yield to traffic except when the pedestrian is already in the roadway.
- Pedestrians shouldn’t cross in a diagonal way but should instead walk straight across the street.
- Pedestrians should always use the crosswalks when these are available in between traffic signals. Failing to do so is considered jaywalking and will make it much harder to file a claim against a driver who hit you.
As long as you did these things, it is likely you have a claim against the driver’s insurance. Your lawyer can go over your options for filing a claim with the insurance company. If the policy limits won’t cover all your expenses, you may discuss other options for recovering damages, such as suing the driver directly.
You may still have to deal with the other driver claiming the accident was your fault. Frequently they may say that you were outside the crosswalk when you weren’t, especially if the impact of the crash caused you to land outside the crosswalk. Or they may claim you failed to yield to traffic. Fortunately, your Covington lawyer for personal injury can help you refute these claims. They will go over the accident report in detail and will follow up by interviewing witnesses to the crash and searching for other evidence if necessary.
If the driver who hit you doesn’t have a story about why they think it was your fault, the insurance company may do their own investigation, including calling and asking you questions. Answering them can be like walking in a minefield because the insurance adjuster is hoping to find something they can use as evidence of your complicity. Even saying something that seems innocent might be used against you later. For this reason, we advise pedestrian accident victims not to talk to the driver’s insurance company until they’ve spoken with a lawyer. If you do answer the phone and it’s the insurance adjuster, you can tell them now is not a good time and you’ll call them back. Then phone a Covington lawyer for personal injury right away.
Other times, the insurer may realize they won’t have any luck trying to blame you and just make an offer. However, you still need to be wary in this situation. It’s likely the offer is for less than your claim is worth, as the insurance adjuster’s job is to pay out as little as possible. This is another reason we advise people not to talk to the insurance company or accept an offer until they receive qualified legal advice about their case. No matter how friendly and seemingly helpful they might seem, the insurance adjuster works for the insurance company, not you. Your Covington personal injury attorney works for you and serves your interests.
Potential Damages From A Pedestrian Accident Case
If you or someone you love has been the victim of a pedestrian/car collision, you can make a claim for the following damages:
- Medical bills. Pedestrian accidents can be very serious, and injuries may include traumatic brain injury (TBI), whiplash or soft tissue injuries, broken bones, sprains, lacerations, abdominal trauma or internal bleeding, organ damage, spine injuries, or chest injuries. Often you may need continued treatment, which will continue to cost money. This is yet another reason not to accept a settlement before speaking with an attorney. You may not even know how much your bills are going to be, but your lawyer has the expertise to make an informed estimate.
- Pain and suffering, including emotional distress. Your physical pain can be intense, but some people also suffer continued emotional pain after being hit by a car. It’s possible you may develop symptoms of anxiety, depression, or PTSD after a serious accident. These may not appear right away, either, and are yet another reason not to accept an early offer from an insurance company. In many cases, treatment for mental health effects of accidents may also take months and carry significant costs.
- Lost income if you were out of work for some time after your accident.
- Permanent disability if you are no longer able to work or do your usual activities.
- Loss of companionship if a loved one died as the result of the accident.
Your Covington lawyer for personal injury claims will go over the details of your case and ensure there are no costs you’ve missed or overlooked before beginning negotiations with the insurer. They may be able to get you a much bigger settlement than the insurance agent originally offered. If not, they can represent you while taking the insurance company or the driver to court.
When you’re dealing with bills and insurance companies after an accident, you will want a hardworking and inspired attorney like Ali Awad in your corner. He and the CEO Lawyers team will fight aggressively to recover evidence and develop the sound legal reasoning needed to give your claim a high chance of success. Call (470) 323-8779 or contact us online for help with your case.
