Are you or a family member struggling with painful injuries after a pedestrian accident in Thomson, GA? You may be entitled to seek compensation from the person who caused the accident. An experienced Thomson pedestrian accident lawyer at Hawk Law Group can fight to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, call us at (706)-361-0350.
Our lawyers have over 71 years of combined experience. We’ve already recovered tens of millions of dollars for accident victims in the CSRA and are ready to help your family.
It’s easy to learn more about our practice and legal experience. Just call our law offices serving Thomson, Georgia to schedule a free consultation today.
How Hawk Law Group Can Help After a Pedestrian Accident in Thomson, GA
If a careless driver hits you, it doesn’t seem fair that you should have to fight the insurance company to recover fair compensation. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what most injured pedestrians must do to hold the at-fault party accountable.
Insurance companies often try to minimize accident victims’ settlements by exploiting technicalities in Georgia’s personal injury laws. They might claim you failed to mitigate your damages–or that you caused the accident yourself.
The insurance company is much more likely to take your case seriously with an experienced Thomson personal injury lawyer by your side. At Hawk Law Group, we have decades of experience. Our lawyers have won some of the highest verdicts in the area, including a $30 million verdict.
You can count on our legal team to support you by:
- Searching for evidence to support your claim
- Finding out who was responsible for your accident
- Hiring leading experts to strengthen your case
- Determining the fair value of your damages
- Filing a claim and handling all insurance negotiations
Like the insurance companies, our Thomson personal injury attorneys handle complex injury claims every day. To learn more about how we can help after a pedestrian accident, call for a free consultation.
How Common Are Pedestrian Accidents in Thomson?
Recent studies show that streets are becoming more dangerous for pedestrians across the United States.
According to a study released in 2022 by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), pedestrian deaths in 2021 reached a 40-year high. Early estimates show that about 7,485 pedestrians in the U.S. were hit by a car and killed in 2021.
In Georgia alone, 348 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2021. That’s up from 239 pedestrian deaths in 2019 and 281 pedestrian deaths in 2020.
These statistics are alarming for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is that Georgia ranked 9th on the list of the most dangerous states for pedestrians between 2016 and 2020.
What is My Thomson Pedestrian Accident Case Worth?
Every accident and injury case is different. While the severity of the injury tends to be most important in assessing your case value, multiple factors will play a role.
Aside from the severity of the injury, factors that can influence your case value include:
- The value of your lost wages and income
- How the injury impacts your future earning potential
- Disruptions to your lifestyle
- Damage to your quality of life
Of course, you don’t want to suffer a serious injury or experience a long-term disability. However, cases involving serious, long-term injuries are most likely to result in the highest settlements and verdicts. The cost of medical care is usually higher in those cases, and the victim tends to experience a greater degree of pain and suffering.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Pedestrian Accident Victims in Thomson?
In Georgia, most injured pedestrians can seek compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages compensate you for the dollars you spend or lose because of the accident and injury, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Property damage
Non-economic damages might include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- PTSD
- Humiliation and inconvenience
- Loss of consortium
Quantifying these damages can be difficult. Our lawyers often consult specialists who can provide expert opinions about the dollar value of these and other losses.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Pedestrian Accident in Georgia?
Contrary to what many people believe, the driver isn’t always liable when a pedestrian is hit by a car. Pedestrians also have a duty to act carefully. When they’re negligent, the insurance company may use that to their advantage.
When multiple parties share responsibility, liability is apportioned between everyone involved under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence law. Accident victims can recover part of their compensation if they’re less than 50% responsible for a crash. Once their percentage of fault reaches 50%, they’re barred from seeking compensation.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Pedestrian Accident Injuries
In an accident involving a pedestrian and a motor vehicle, the pedestrian always loses. Unlike occupants in a passenger vehicle, pedestrians have nothing to protect them in a crash.
At Hawk Law Group, we often handle pedestrian injury cases where the victim has sustained:
- Multiple broken bones
- Crushing injuries
- Road rash and burns
- Concussions
- Whiplash and other neck injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Pedestrian accident victims often sustain catastrophic injuries. Even if your injuries were relatively minor, they can significantly disrupt your life. Our experienced attorneys are dedicated to helping our clients get the most compensation possible–regardless of the types of injuries they’ve suffered. To learn more about this area of law, call for a free initial consultation today.
What Causes Most Pedestrian Accidents in Thomson, Georgia?
With pedestrian deaths rising dramatically, it’s important to understand why these accidents are happening.
Some of the most common causes of car accidents involving pedestrians include:
- Texting while driving
- Other forms of distracted driving
- High speed limits and speeding
- Failure to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in intersections and crosswalks
- Traffic violations and aggressive driving
- Failure to watch for pedestrians when backing up
- Aggressive driving
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
- Lack of dedicated infrastructure, such as sidewalks and barriers
- Drivers who veer onto the sidewalk or shoulder
- Speeding through intersections to beat a red light
- Failing to stop at stop signs
- Malfunctioning or missing traffic signals
- Negligently designed intersections
Pedestrians can also contribute to the cause of an accident by:
- Failing to use crosswalks and intersections or jaywalking
- Disobeying traffic signals
- Walking while distracted
- Walking while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Darting into the road without watching for oncoming traffic
Most motor vehicle accidents happen quickly. You may not know what caused your accident and injuries if you were injured in a car accident.
Our experienced Thomson pedestrian accident attorneys will conduct our own investigation. The sooner we can start that investigation, the better. Call our law firm in Thomson today to schedule a free case evaluation.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Pedestrian Accident in Georgia?
Many factors can contribute to an accident. Most of the time, accidents happen because someone was negligent.
A successful negligence claim requires proof of the following elements:
- Duty of care. All motorists have a duty to obey traffic laws and exercise reasonable caution when behind the wheel.
- Breach of duty. Drivers breach the duty of care by driving carelessly or recklessly. The duty is often breached by drivers who fail to pay close attention to people walking down the street.
- Causation. The causation element requires proof that the breach of duty was the direct and proximate cause of the accident.
- Damages. Damages are the losses you suffer because of the accident. Your damages will probably include physical, emotional, and financial losses.
Our Thomson pedestrian accident attorneys will work to establish each of these elements by gathering valuable evidence, such as:
- Police and accident reports
- Medical records and billing statements
- Testimony from your doctor and other experts
- Eyewitness statements
- Video surveillance footage
- Dashcam footage
- Photos of the crash scene and damaged vehicle
- Details about road conditions at the time of the crash
After decades of handling complex injury cases, we’ve seen cases that are similar to yours in the past. That means we know how to approach the investigation to get the best results possible in your case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Pedestrian Accident in Georgia?
If you were injured in an accident in Georgia, you only have two years to take legal action. Once the two-year statute of limitations runs out, you can’t sue the at-fault party for damages.
Contact a Thomson Pedestrian Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
You don’t have to let the insurance company scare you into accepting less than you deserve. If you or a loved one were injured in a pedestrian accident, call Hawk Law Group for a free consultation today. With an experienced Thomson pedestrian accident lawyer by your side, you’ll be in the best position to recover the maximum compensation you deserve.
