Situated in DeKalb County, Dunwoody became incorporated as a city in 2008 but has existed as a neighborhood since the 1800s. It’s home to several historic sites, including the Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church, which dates back to 1829, and the Roswell Railroad. Most drivers in Dunwoody are courteous and drive safely, but occasionally serious car crashes can happen. If one happens to you, it’s important to know your legal rights.
Ali Awad, the founder and managing attorney at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, is determined to protect his clients from big insurance companies and lowball offers. Known as the CEO Lawyer, Mr. Awad grew a tiny business to an 8-figure firm in just three short years. His firm was also voted the fastest-growing law firm in the United States, beating out 499 others in 2021. The CEO Lawyer has over a million followers on social media, where he dispenses no-nonsense legal information.
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 of your potential claim. The CEO lawyer and his injury and accident attorneys work for you using a contingency basis – that means they don’t get paid unless and until you do. You have nothing to lose, so call (470) 323-8779 or contact us online to discuss the details of your situation and your options to move forward.
School Zone Safety in Dunwoody
Recently Police Chief Billy Grogan of Dunwoody joined police chiefs from three surrounding cities in urging the DeKalb County School District to approve the use of Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices (ATESD) in certain school zones.
A Georgia state law passed in 2018 authorizes the use of these devices, but the DeKalb County School District needs to take action for them to be placed in specific school zones. Applications for permits to install the traffic cameras will need to be signed off by the DeKalb School District. The four police chiefs sent a letter urging the district to do so in November, but say they didn’t receive an answer.
Chief Grogan says that the plan is for Dunwoody, Chamblee, Brookhaven, and Doraville to use the camera in areas where they don’t have sufficient officer coverage. He notes that none of the small city departments have the resources to assign an officer to the school zones each day, and the ATESDs would use flashing lights to slow drivers down, increasing safety for school children. Drivers who still exceed the posted speed limits would automatically receive warning citations in the mail, discouraging them from speeding through a school zone again.
Motorists should always use caution when driving through a school zone and be especially careful when they see flashing lights or many children are present, such as in the hours right before school starts or lets out.
Pedestrian Accidents
School zones aren’t the only areas where drivers should be on the lookout for pedestrians or people riding bikes. Over recent years, Georgia has seen an increase in pedestrian deaths and injuries. In fact, they actually rose in 2020 despite there being less traffic on the road early in the Covid-19 pandemic, with 113 pedestrian deaths in the state in the first half of the year alone.
What’s causing the increase in pedestrian deaths and injuries? There are several factors, but high speeds and distracted driving are two key factors. Ironically, the reduction in traffic may have played a role. Experts say that some motorists took the lower traffic levels as a license to speed more, leading to both a higher number of accidents and an increased risk of injury or death. (This led to more accident fatalities for all types of accidents, not just pedestrian collisions.)
In general, accidents are more common at intersections than other parts of the road, but with pedestrian crashes, most occur outside of intersections. In fact, many happen outside of crosswalks. Pedestrians are required to cross at crosswalks as marked in between two traffic lights under Georgia state law. However, sometimes drivers who hit walkers claim they were outside the crosswalk. Your Dunwoody personal injury lawyer can work to refute this assertion if the driver’s insurance rejects your claim.
People who are hit by cars often suffer a wide range of serious injuries. These may include broken bones, head and neck injuries including soft tissue injuries like whiplash, concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI), back and spinal cord injuries, internal bleeding or injuries, and more. You may also suffer psychological issues like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and symptoms of PTSD. The medical bills can add up fast, even with health insurance.
Many people turn to file a claim with the driver’s insurance company in the hopes of getting their bills covered. This is usually the right place to make a claim, but we don’t recommend doing so on your own. In fact, we don’t recommend talking to the insurance company at all if you can avoid it. This is because they often try to blame the victim due to Georgia’s comparative negligence laws. Essentially, if you are found to be more than 49 percent at fault in any accident, including a pedestrian accident, the insurer doesn’t have to pay anything. Even if you are found to be only 10 or 20 percent at fault, they will still get a reduction in what they have to pay by that amount, so either way, trying to pin the blame on you will save them money.
Insurance adjusters often call and ask you questions about the accident in the hopes you’ll accidentally say something they might use to suggest you were at fault. You can avoid this issue by not talking to them and referring their calls to your attorney.
Insurers also use another tactic where they do make you a settlement offer and push you to accept it right away. Frequently the offer is for much less than your case is worth. Sometimes it’s just based on your current medical bills and doesn’t take into account your need for future treatment. If this happens, don’t sign anything or agree to anything until you speak with a Dunwoody personal injury attorney.
When you’ve been harmed by a negligent driver, as a pedestrian or another driver, it’s important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible to protect your legal rights. Do this before you talk to the insurance company, and you may save yourself the hassle of negotiating with the insurance adjuster. Your attorney is experienced at this and will strive to get you the best settlement possible for your injuries.
What Kind of Compensation Are You Entitled To?
Your personal injury lawyer in Dunwoody will ask you questions to determine your needs and accident-related expenses or losses and make a list of all the things you might need to be compensated for. If you or a loved one were hurt in a pedestrian or other car accident caused by a negligent driver, you may be able to seek damages for the following:
- Your medical costs, both current and future. Your attorney can help you estimate projected costs for your care – something the insurer hopes you never do.
- Lost income if you had to take off work to deal with your injuries.
- Permanent disability if you are no longer able to work at all.
- Pain and suffering.
- Loss of enjoyment of life or ability to do the things you love, including hobbies.
- Loss of companionship if a loved one was killed in the accident.
What Are Some Factors Affecting Compensation?
There are many things that your lawyer will consider when helping guide you to a number you should request from the insurer or the driver:
- Severity. The more serious your injuries, the more damages you should receive.
- The extent of medical treatment. The more extensive treatment you had, including things like physical therapy and other continued support, will usually lead to more damages.
- How your life is impacted by your injuries. This includes factors like whether you’re no longer able to do things you enjoyed doing or needed to do or any changes you had to make to your daily routine.
- Any permanent effects of your injuries, such as scarring or disability.
- Whether you lost any opportunities because of the accident. For example, if you couldn’t start a new job because you were hit by a car and spent two weeks in the hospital, that would be a lost opportunity.
- If the injuries affected your ability to earn a living in the future.
Some of these things are hard to quantify, so it’s important to talk them over with an experienced attorney who can advise you on your options. They will answer your questions and go head-to-head with the insurance adjuster to protect your interests.
Ali Awad is often found in the courtroom and the mediation room fighting to get his clients the settlement they deserve, but he can also be found on Instagram. With more than 1 million followers, he’s one of the first attorneys to bring easy-to-understand legal advice to the people. Call the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm at (470) 323-8779 or contact us online today.
