Marietta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Marietta is a beautiful city to explore. The best way to truly experience the city is by walking along the streets, so you will not miss any of the sights or sounds.

Walking by a road or street makes you a pedestrian. Pedestrians do not stand a chance against the motor vehicles traveling down the roads at incredible speeds.

When a collision occurs between a pedestrian and any type of motor vehicle, severe injuries and fatalities are likely to befall the pedestrian, while the people in the vehicle are usually uninjured.

What Damages Will a Marietta Pedestrian Accident Attorney Get For Me?

The nature of the accident, who was at fault, and the severity of your injuries will determine the amount you can sue for after a pedestrian accident. If the accident was caused by someone else, you could seek compensation for damages you received as a direct result of the crash.

The most considerable amount typically comes from compensation for medical expenses since injuries to pedestrians are usually severe. How much you can receive depends on the following factors:

• Medical Expenses
• Lost Wages
• Estimated Loss of Future Earnings
• Rehabilitation Costs
• Pain and Suffering
• Property Damage

Medical Expenses

You will be fully compensated for all accumulated medical bills along with future medical expenses that you may receive to treat any accident-related injuries. The cost of medicines that your doctors prescribe for you because of your accident will also be reimbursed as a part of your medical expenses.

This amount includes the cost of medication you will be required to take long-term as long as it directly results from the accident.

Lost Wages

The time you spend unable to work while recovering from your injuries is time that you are not earning your regular income. You may be using up your allotted sick time or disability, but these often pay a reduced rate and might not last long enough for your recovery.

You should be compensated for these financial losses.

Estimated Loss of Future Earnings

If you have to return to work at a reduced capacity due to your injuries caused by accident, you can claim your loss of potential future earnings. You may lose your job entirely and not be able to work anymore at all.

The amount you should have earned until retirement had it not been for the accident will be calculated as financial damage.

Rehabilitation Costs

Depending on the nature of your injuries, there is a strong possibility that you will require some type of rehabilitation. Physical therapy, chiropractic care, pain management, and psychotherapy are some examples of rehabilitation.

Pain and Suffering

Also known as non-economic damages, all pain and even emotional damage will receive a value for your compensation. For example, many injuries are life-altering and often reduce the victim’s quality and enjoyment of life.

This degradation of lifestyle is a non-economic damage caused by the accident.

Property Damage

If you had anything with you that was damaged during the accident, it would be added up for the cost of repair, replacement, or any reduction in value. For example, if you were carrying a computer or something of value that was damaged or destroyed, you should be compensated for the loss.

Are There Laws for Pedestrians in Cobb County?

Georgia has laws that pedestrians are expected to follow. The laws for pedestrians follow the same general rules of the road set for vehicles.

These laws include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Obey all posted signage. For example, “Do Not Walk” signs mean exactly that, and they are posted for a good reason: it is not safe to walk there.
• At intersections, there may be “Walk” and “Don’t Walk” signals for pedestrians. When the “Walk” signal is lit, the people walking have the right of way to cross the intersection, and vehicles must yield to them. The “Don’t Walk” signal means the motor vehicle traffic has the right of way, and the pedestrians must not cross the intersection.
• Some intersections do not have special signals for pedestrians. In these locations, people will follow the same rules as the traffic flowing in the same direction. They can cross while the green light is on and must wait during the yellow and red lights. Pedestrians have the right of way during a green light, including when motor vehicles also have a green light to turn across the path of the pedestrian.
• While crossing intersections without traffic signals, pedestrians should stop and cross when traffic has stopped for them, and it is safe to do so. They have the right of way while walking in all marked crosswalks and while crossing at intersections from one sidewalk to another in a straight path; they should not cross diagonally.
• When a pedestrian begins crossing the path of a vehicle that has the right of way, the vehicle should first sound its horn as a warning. The pedestrian should yield to the vehicle with the right of way, but in situations where they continue walking, the vehicle must yield to save the life of the person.
• Walking on a road where there is a sidewalk provided is not legal. Pedestrians must use the sidewalk provided.
• When there is no sidewalk provided along a roadway, the pedestrian must walk in the direction where they are facing traffic, and they must stay as far away from traffic lanes as possible. These pedestrians must yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.
• Drivers of motor vehicles must always yield to pedestrians in order to avoid a collision, and extra care must be taken when driving near children and incapacitated or confused individuals.

How Often Are Pedestrians Hit by Vehicles?

There is no competition between a soft human and a large metal motor vehicle, so the pedestrian always loses in a collision. Unfortunately, the main reason why pedestrians are hit by vehicles is because of alcohol.

In 2021, 8,000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle collisions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 49 percent of these collisions involved alcohol. The driver was legally intoxicated in about 1 out of 5 accidents, while the pedestrian was over the legal limit in 1 out of every three accidents.

What Happens When the Pedestrian in a Collision Was Drunk?

Alcohol affects people differently. When someone consumes alcohol, they become physically and mentally impaired, albeit at different rates.

The alcohol changes their cognitive function, and they become slower to react. Their decision-making is significantly reduced, and their depth perception, peripheral vision, and glare recovery are impaired.

These changes in physical and mental function are a very dangerous combination for both driving and walking.

There have been multiple campaigns educating people on the dangers of drunk driving, but one of the solutions people are told to do is to walk instead of drive. While it is true that drunk walking does not cause the deaths of innocent bystanders, the drunk pedestrian is still at great risk.

With decreased decision-making abilities, the intoxicated individual can easily walk into traffic.

Are the Pedestrians Ever at Fault for Causing the Collision?

Pedestrians have a responsibility to make smart decisions and to act with safety as a priority, while all vehicle operators have the responsibility to avoid colliding with pedestrians. Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks and intersections, but they must yield to traffic when crossing anywhere outside a marked crosswalk.

Failure to cross at a crosswalk or intersection, also known as jaywalking, is a negligent endangerment of themselves and to drivers. Pedestrians can be found to be at fault for the accident in this case.

Crossing an intersection against the traffic light can also lead to the pedestrian being found negligent and, therefore, at fault for causing any accidents.

How Does Modified Comparative Negligence Affect My Case?

In Georgia, the person who is determined to have the most fault for the accident is considered to be the one responsible for causing it and, therefore, is liable for damages. The person with less fault is able to seek compensation from the at-fault individual, but the awarded amount will be reduced by their percentage of fault.

For example, if someone is given 51 percent of the fault, they are considered responsible for causing the accident. The person found to have 49 percent of the fault will have their awarded compensation decreased by 49 percent.

Call an Experienced Marietta Pedestrian Accident Law Firm for Help With Your Case Today

The amazing team of Marietta pedestrian accident attorneys at the CEO Lawyer is dedicated to helping you get the settlement you deserve when you have been injured in a pedestrian accident. Call us at (833) 254-2923 for a free consultation where we can answer all your questions and discuss your case.

We will get you paid for everything you are legally entitled to receive as quickly as possible.