Hurt by a Vehicle While Walking? Talk to a Duluth Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Pedestrian Accident Lawyer for Duluth and Metro Atlanta

A pedestrian accident lawyer helps people hurt on foot seek compensation from the person whose negligence caused the crash. Slam Dunk Attorney is a personal injury firm based in Duluth, Georgia, serving injured pedestrians and families across metro Atlanta and Georgia. This page explains how these claims work under Georgia law, what to expect, and how to get started.

What a Pedestrian Accident Claim Is and Who It Helps

A pedestrian accident claim asks for compensation after a vehicle strikes a person on foot. A pedestrian can be a walker, a runner, or someone using a wheelchair or mobility device. The crash may happen in a marked crosswalk, at an intersection, in a parking lot, or somewhere else on the road.

Most claims are aimed at the driver. Depending on the facts, others may also be involved:

• An employer. Georgia law makes a person liable for torts a servant commits within the scope of the business (O.C.G.A. § 51-2-2).
• A rideshare company. Georgia’s ride share law limits when a network service, such as Uber or Lyft, can be held liable for a driver’s operation of a personal car (O.C.G.A. § 40-1-201).

This page is for injured pedestrians, families of people who died, and anyone in Duluth or metro Atlanta who wants to understand their options.

Pedestrian Accidents We Handle and Common Causes

Slam Dunk Attorney handles pedestrian accidents involving cars, trucks, motorcycles and rideshare vehicles. Our team also handles related premises liability, slip and fall, and wrongful death matters.

Common causes include:

• Distracted or impaired driving
• Failure to yield at a crosswalk
• Speeding through an intersection
• Backing up in a parking lot without checking behind the vehicle
• Turning into a crosswalk while someone is crossing

Some pedestrian crashes cause catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and paralysis, amputation, and severe burns. These injuries often need long-term care, so the financial effects can last well beyond the first hospital stay.

A common mistake is waiting to see whether pain fades before the facts are written down. Early records of the scene, the injuries and the treatment help show how the crash caused the harm.

Georgia Right-of-Way Rules and Fault

Georgia law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in some crosswalk situations, and it limits where walkers can cross. The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety explains these duties for drivers and pedestrians. The key rules include:

• Pedestrians cannot dart into traffic. No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or safe place and walk into a vehicle’s path when it is too close for the driver to yield (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91).
• Crosswalks here include marked crosswalks and unmarked crosswalks at an intersection (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-92). O.C.G.A. § 40-6-92 reads: “(a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway unless he has already, and under safe conditions, entered the roadway.”
• Drivers must use due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian on the roadway (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-93).

Fault works differently. Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, damages are reduced by the injured person’s share of fault. If that share is 50 percent or more, no damages can be recovered. This is why the details of where each person stood and moved matter to any claim.

Injuries and Types of Compensation

Georgia law separates general damages from special damages, and each has its own proof rule. General damages are those the law presumes to flow from a wrongful act, and they can be recovered without proof of any amount (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-2). Special damages actually flow from the act and must be proved.

Losses a claim may address include:

• Medical bills and future treatment costs
• Lost wages and reduced ability to earn
• Pain, suffering and reduced quality of life
• Costs of long-term care or disability equipment

Families of a pedestrian who died may pursue wrongful death claims. A surviving spouse, or children if there is no surviving spouse, may recover the full value of the decedent’s life, as shown by the evidence (O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2).

No amount can be promised. The value of any claim depends on medical records, bills, evidence and the facts of the crash.

What to Expect: Step-by-Step Process

A pedestrian claim usually moves from a free first consultation to investigation and insurance talks. A lawsuit is filed only if it is needed.

1. Free first consultation. You describe the crash, your injuries and any treatment. The consultation is confidential and carries no obligation to continue.
2. Investigation. The firm can gather the police report, witness contact information, photos, medical records and any available video.
3. Insurance claim and negotiation. A demand for compensation goes to the insurer, which then responds. These talks can take time.
4. Lawsuit, if needed. Georgia’s general deadline for injury claims is two years after the right of action accrues (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). Claims against state government entities have an earlier step: written notice within 12 months of when the loss was discovered or should have been discovered (O.C.G.A. § 50-21-26).

Timing varies with the injuries, treatment and insurer responses. No settlement timeline can be promised.

Why Slam Dunk Attorney

Slam Dunk Attorney is a personal injury firm based in Duluth, Georgia. It handles the case types on this page for injured people and their families across metro Atlanta and Georgia.

• Responsible lawyer: Peter F. Jaraysi is the responsible lawyer for this page.
• Lawyers: Our lawyers include Peter F. Jaraysi and Brian D. Wright.
• Support staff: Assistants and office staff support our lawyers and our team.
• Case types: Car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, rideshare, dog bite, premises and wrongful death matters.
• Plain-language approach: Each rule on this page links to the Georgia code text, so you can read the law yourself.

Questions About Cost, Timing and Next Steps

The first consultation is free, confidential and carries no obligation to continue.

Talk With a Duluth Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Now

If you were struck while walking and now face hospital bills, missed paychecks and calls from an insurance adjuster, time matters. Legal time limits can affect your options, so it is worth discussing timing with a lawyer early. Contact Slam Dunk Attorney to have your crash reviewed. Your first consultation is free, confidential and carries no obligation to continue.