Understanding Georgia Crosswalk Laws
Let’s say you’re crossing the street in Brunswick and a careless driver fails to yield resulting in a collision. You suffer serious injuries including broken bones, muscle tears, and nerve damage. Do you have a legitimate personal injury case? The answer is probably yes.
In Georgia, according to OCGA 40-6-93, all drivers of a vehicle must practice caution so as not to hit any pedestrian on the road and should warn them accordingly by blowing their horn. They should also exercise adequate safety measures on spotting any young child, or older person or someone who is lost, crippled or inebriated.
In you are crossing a road where there is a pedestrian control device that lets you know when to stop or cross the road, you must abide by the control device. In the event that you are hit by a car, but you were crossing when the red colored “no crossing” sign was lit, then your personal injury claim may be de-valued under Georgia’s comparative negligence system. On the other hand, if you could legally cross the road and were hit, you have a strong foundation for pursuing a personal injury claim against the negligent driver.
Common causes of crosswalk accidents feature drivers failing to yield to a pedestrian because they are preoccupied or distracted by their cell phones, CD player, navigation gadgets or other some other kind of diversion. Or, they mistakenly believe they have the right of way. Other major causes of crosswalk accidents include:
- Failure to halt to a stop at a traffic sign or light;
- Failure to stop before turning right on a red light at an intersection;
- Failure to stop at a crosswalk;
- Failure to adhere to the speed limit in residential areas; and
- Failure to exercise reasonable caution to avoid accidents.
Damages You May Pursue If Hurt in a Crosswalk Accident
If you or a loved one was seriously hurt after being hit in a crosswalk, you may be entitled to pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages simply means the damages you can document (for example, if you have thousands of dollars in medical bills and/or had to miss an extended period of time from work). These are economic damages and can be substantiated with documentation from your doctor(s) and employer(s). Non-economic damages include the pain, suffering, and inconvenience of suffering a serious injury. This may include the time you missed out on family events, social events, and/or having to change your daily routine because of your injuries.
Contact an Experienced Crosswalk Injury Attorney in Brunswick
If you or a loved one was seriously hurt in a crosswalk accident, you should reach out to an experienced Georgia personal injury attorney. It costs you nothing to speak to an attorney at our office. At Gillette Law, P.A., we offer free, completely confidential consultations. Contact the staff by phone at 904-358-1304 or toll-free at 888-366-5904. Additionally, our team works on a contingency fee basis, so you pay on a percentage basis only when if win your crosswalk injury case.
