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770-626-7895Georgia is a great place to get out there on foot and enjoy the mild weather and natural beauty that surrounds you. When you’re walking, however, you are about as vulnerable as you can be to the negligence of the motorists around you, and if you suffer an injury in a pedestrian accident, your losses are likely to be immense.
If you or someone you love has suffered an injury from a motorist’s negligence in a pedestrian accident, our experienced Georgia pedestrian lawyer is on your side. Give Brady M. Larrison a call at The Larrison Law Firm Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys by dialing 770-626-7895 or contact us online to request us to review your case.
Drunk Driving and Speeding Are Primary Forms of Concern
Pedestrians are vulnerable to every form of driver negligence, but the CDC shares that drunk driving and speeding play a primary role in fatal pedestrian accidents. Consider the following:
- Nearly half of all fatal pedestrian accidents in a recent year involved alcohol.
- The higher the motorist’s speed, the greater the chance that they will hit a pedestrian and the more serious the injuries they cause are likely to be.
Other forms of driver negligence that leave everyone – including pedestrians – more vulnerable to life-threatening injuries include the following:
- Distraction: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 3,142 people lost their lives to motorists who were distracted by something other than driving safely in 2020 alone.
- Exhaustion: Drowsy drivers have a more difficult time concentrating on the road ahead, which leaves pedestrians at a distinct disadvantage.
- Aggression: Aggressive drivers make it a habit to drive way too fast and ignore the rules of the road while they do it, leaving all of us at increased risk.
The Losses You Face From a Pedestrian Accident
When you are on foot, you have nothing but your own careful adherence to the rules of pedestrian safety to keep you safe out there, and as a result, the losses you incur in a pedestrian accident can be overwhelming.
Medical costs
Even in a relatively minor pedestrian accident, you can sustain injuries that reverberate into your future and lead to ongoing medical expenses that have no end in sight. The kinds of medical costs you face will depend upon the unique circumstances involved, but common examples include:
- Emergency care
- Surgery and follow-up care
- Hospital stays
- Medical procedures, treatments, and tests
- Medical care from doctors and other medical professionals
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Prescription medications and home treatments
- Rehab services
- Adaptive physical devices
- Home health care
Lost earnings on the job
Serious decreases in earnings often accompany serious injuries, and the longer you are off the job, the greater these losses are likely to be. Further, if your ability to perform your job is affected – or you’re unable to return to work at all – you can expect even more significant damages. If the career trajectory you’ve planned for yourself is seriously altered, it can lead to a challenging emotional component as well.
Pain and suffering
Recognize that there is considerable pain and suffering associated with being injured in a pedestrian accident. These emotional losses should not be minimized.
Insurance Company Tactics Handling Pedestrian Accidents
The insurance company that is handling your claim is in the business of making money, which means that it is in the business of keeping settlements as low as possible. As such, you should be on the lookout for settlement-lowering tactics like the following:
- Denying claims right out of the gate – without affording them the consideration they deserve
- Making early settlement offers that don’t come close to covering claimants’ complete losses but that they may be willing to accept out of desperation
- Artificially complicating or prolonging the claims process in an attempt to outlast claimants
- Shifting blame toward claimants, denying the extent of claimant losses, or doing both
It is important to note that the insurance rep who attempts to obtain an official statement from you is very skilled at guiding remarks from claimants that go on to harm their own claims. Leaving the insurance company to your dedicated pedestrian accident attorney is always well-advised.
Your Pedestrian Attorney’s Role
Our pedestrian accident attorney can help in all the following critical ways:
- Building your strongest claim by skillfully gathering and compiling all the available evidence
- Deftly negotiating with the insurance company regarding a settlement that adequately addresses each category of loss you experience
- Keeping the insurance company on track in terms of adhering to the laws that govern the industry
- Helping you understand the claims process and make decisions that support your best interests throughout
- Ensuring that you are well prepared to take the insurance company to court in the event that it refuses to engage in fair negotiations.
Working with a seasoned pedestrian lawyer significantly increases your ability to obtain an optimal claim resolution.
Request the Counsel of a Georgia Pedestrian Accident Attorney
At The Larrison Law Firm Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorneys, we are invested in helping injured clients obtain favorable claim resolutions that support their most complete recoveries. We encourage you to reach out online or call us at 770-626-7895 for more information about how we can help with your pedestrian accident injury claim.
