Georgia Pedestrian Auto Accidents

Whether you live in the Atlanta metro area or the surrounding counties, Georgia's urban and suburban areas present significant risks for walkers and joggers. Distracted and inattentive drivers often disregard crosswalks, resulting in catastrophic injuries and even fatalities. Though walking is a fundamental part of our daily activity, every time we walk across a shopping center or parking lot, or walk our children to school, we face a real risk of being involved in a pedestrian auto accident.

Most of us who routinely walk or jog know how frequently pedestrians are confronted with inattentive or speeding drivers who fail to obey traffic laws. When a pedestrian is involved in an auto accident, the result is often catastrophic or life threatening injuries, because the human body is not designed to withstand the impact of thousand of pounds of metal moving at high rates of speed. Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, has been assisting Georgia pedestrians injured in auto accidents for over 39 years.

Pedestrians are involved in collisions with motor vehicles much more frequently than many realize. Over 69,000 pedestrian auto accidents per year cause the death of over 5000 people and result in injuries to another 68,000 people. A pedestrian is injured in an accident with a motor vehicle every 8 minutes and a pedestrian is killed every 111 minutes. It would be wrong to assume that this is a national problem rather than a local problem. The Atlanta area, including Cobb, Fulton and DeKalb counties had the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the state in 2006. An average of 16 pedestrians were killed in collisions with automobiles in each of those counties. An average of three pedestrians per week are killed in a Georgia auto accident.

At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we are well aware of the tragic reality that most pedestrians involved in an auto accident are seriously injured or killed. The weight and size differential between the human body and a motor vehicle means that a pedestrian has an 85% chance of being killed in an auto accident if the car is traveling over 40 miles per hour. The types of serious injuries that frequently result when a pedestrian is involved in an auto accident include the following:

• Broken bones
• Herniated discs
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Head and neck injuries
• Internal organ damage

These types of serious injuries often have a long-term impact and may require a lifetime of medical treatment and rehabilitative care. The compassionate attorneys at Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, will assist you in seeking compensation for your medical costs, rehabilitative care, lost earning, lost future earning capacity, pain and suffering associated with your injuries, and other appropriate forms of compensation. The severity of injuries that typically result from a pedestrian auto accident can affect one's quality of life permanently. We care about our clients’ quality of life and will work diligently to see that you receive compensation you deserve.

Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, will seek compensation from all parties that contribute to your injuries. A driver may be liable for injuries to a pedestrian if the driver is negligent (i.e. careless). Basically, this means that a driver must exercise reasonable care under the circumstances not to injure others when driving a vehicle. Governmental entities also often share some level of fault because they also have an obligation to design, construct and maintain roadways, crosswalks and sidewalks in a manner that does not pose an unreasonable risk of harm to pedestrians. Special rules apply when suing a government entity including short time deadlines for filing claims, so seeking immediate legal advice is very important.

We have handled many cases involving pedestrian accidents and have experience with many of the factors that contribute to such accidents including:

• Poor road design, construction, or maintenance
• Inattentive drivers (i.e. using cell phone or changing radio station)
• Excessive speed
• Unsafe driving given weather or traffic conditions
• Alcohol/Drugs
• Failure to yield at a crosswalk
• Failure to obey traffic signs/signals
• Not using turn signals

These are only a few of the causes that often contribute to pedestrian auto accidents in Georgia. The knowledgeable Georgia pedestrian accident attorneys and staff at Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, know that the driver’s insurance company will frequently argue that the pedestrian’s own actions contributed to or caused the accident, in an effort to avoid liability or reduce the amount paid.

Our experienced Georgia pedestrian auto accident attorneys are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located we are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24 hour Live Online Chat.

Our attorneys and staff will work hard to protect your interests and get you the compensation you deserve.