Preventing Pedestrian Crosswalk Accidents in Georgia

A recent accident serves as a sad testimonial regarding the vulnerability of pedestrians in the Atlanta metro area and throughout Georgia. A 19 year-old girl suffered serious head injuries and is in critical condition after being struck in an intersection by a truck that did not stop before proceeding into the crosswalk according to reports from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.

While many pedestrians presume that they are fairly safe if they use a marked crosswalk, pedestrian crosswalk accidents are a common cause of road fatalities. When a pedestrian is struck by a motor vehicle the resulting collision almost always results in serious injuries.

At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we have over 39 years of experience fighting hard to protect the rights of people injured in pedestrian crosswalk accidents in Atlanta and throughout all of Georgia. Our experienced team of attorneys is committed to effectively representing accident victims so that they can recover the financial compensation that they need to rebuild their lives and move past serious pedestrian collisions.

Pedestrians need to take extra care to protect themselves from motor vehicle accidents because of their high level of vulnerability. There are measures that can be taken to make intersections safer for pedestrians including installing flashing lights in the pavement of a crosswalk that are less likely to be ignored or missed by drivers who are distracted. A number of studies have revealed that flashing lights mounted in the pavement of crosswalks does modify driving behavior resulting in fewer pedestrian accidents in intersections. Unfortunately, this type of crosswalk safety measure is still not prevalent because it is more expensive than standard white striped lines to delineate a crosswalk.

One study revealed that drivers were more likely to reduce their speed when approaching an intersection with flashing lights in the pavement, and fewer vehicles passed through the intersection while a pedestrian was waiting to cross. These factors taken together provide an indication that installing more of these warning systems could prevent pedestrian collisions involving motor vehicles at crosswalks, which have the potential to be particularly dangerous.

Crosswalk intersection accidents typically occur because of driver negligence. A driver may be distracted by something like a mobile phone, impaired by drugs or alcohol, or proceeding at too great a speed to stop in time. When a driver fails to take reasonable care to prevent injury to a pedestrian, including stopping behind a crosswalk line, this behavior may be the basis for liability in a personal injury lawsuit.

Government entities also may contribute to many pedestrian accidents by failing to make crosswalks and intersections obvious and visible. This lack of visibility for approaching motorists can be the result of overgrown foliage, poorly designed intersections or malfunctioning and defective traffic lights. While these are only a few examples, the point is that sometimes pedestrian crosswalk accidents result from inadequate maintenance or failure to make remedial changes following prior pedestrian accidents.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured or a family member has been killed in a crosswalk accident, the experienced pedestrian crosswalk accident lawyers at Montlick and Associates may be able to help you seek the compensation that you deserve and need to rebuild your life and move forward.

Our experienced pedestrian accident attorneys in Georgia 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 our attorneys 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.