Special Challenges Posed by Pedestrian Intersection Accident
Pedestrian accidents pose a unique risk because of the lack of protection of any kind when a person is hit by a motor vehicle. These accidents disproportionately result in severe injury and far too often fatalities.
A collision between a pedestrian and a motor vehicle may be caused by a number of factors, including drivers that are drunk or impaired by drugs, distracted drivers that are texting or talking on a cell phone or drivers who are in such a rush that they fail to stop for a traffic signal or stop sign. While there is no way to make it completely safe when pedestrians and motor vehicles are put in close proximity on Atlanta roadways, some situations are more prone to result in a pedestrian accident than others. As a general rule, intersections pose a particular danger for pedestrians because there is no choice but to enter the roadway where vehicles travel.
A pedestrian accident in Warner Robins serves as a sad reminder of the dangers posed to pedestrians when they attempt to cross the street at an intersection in Georgia. A 56-year-old woman was crossing at the intersection when she was struck by a motorist. The pedestrian accident victim was taken to the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon and was listed in serious condition. Tragically, pedestrians that are hit by motor vehicles often suffer significant injuries. Because of the extreme vulnerability of pedestrians, their injuries may have a life-altering impact on a pedestrian accident victim’s life. Some of the more serious injuries that may be suffered by pedestrians in a collision with a motor vehicle include brain injuries, damage to one’s spinal cord, severe fractures or broken bones, and potentially fatal injury to vital organs.
While in most cases pedestrian accidents are caused by careless drivers, sometimes the faulty design or construction of an intersection also contributes to a pedestrian accident. Some of the common roadway defects that can make intersections unsafe include the following:
- Poor visibility caused by obstructions such as overgrown foliage
- Lack of stoplights at the busy intersection
- Absence of signs warning traffic approaching at higher speeds of an oncoming intersection
- Inadequately marked rural intersection where it is difficult to see at night
- Inadequate lighting
When a person is involved in a pedestrian accident at a poorly designed intersection, it can pose particular challenges to successfully pursuing a personal injury lawsuit or claim. Because public entities are responsible for the design and maintenance of most intersections, you must follow the special procedures and timing requirements imposed on those who wish to bring a personal injury or tort claim against a public entity. The deadlines for filing a claim against a public entity tend to be much shorter than a statue of limitations deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit. While it is always better to seek legal advice as soon as possible after any accident, this means that if you or someone you love is injured in a pedestrian intersection accident where the design of the intersection itself may have contributed to the accident, you should seek the immediate advice of an experienced Georgia pedestrian accident attorney.
Our Georgia pedestrian accident lawyers 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.