Pedestrian Accidents

Five Things to Do if You’ve Been Injured in an Accident

January 29, 2019 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

A doctor holding a chart Accidents happen every day. Thankfully, most of them are minor, but many can result in life-changing injuries. If you’ve been injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may have a legal claim against them in order to receive compensation for your injuries. However, there are first five things you need to do in order to protect your rights.

Seek Medical Treatment

Your health is your most important asset. If you didn’t see a doctor right after the accident and are in pain, go get checked out. It’s not uncommon for some injuries to manifest themselves days or even weeks after an accident. Your symptoms could signal a more serious injury, and you’ll need medical treatment in order to make a full recovery.

Electric Scooters: How Safe Are They?

December 13, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

An illustration of an electric scooter First, there was Uber and Lyft. Then there was Relay Bike Share. You may have recently noticed a new development in the sharing economy, devised as a way to reduce urban congestion: racks of electric scooters available for rent by pedestrians. Popping up across the country, these services offer what appears to be a fun, affordable, and green alternative to driving. Lime and Bird are just two of the companies renting scooters and vying for customers in Atlanta. As the industry appears to be aggressively expanding, we should take time to consider some of the potential hazards that these vehicles present.

A Fun and Easy Way to Get Around the City

Renting an electric scooter is surprisingly easy. Using an app on your phone, you can locate the nearest station to unlock and rent your scooter. When you’re finished, you return to any station you like. You lock up the scooter, snap a photo, and end your ride through the app, which also handles payment. No coins or cash is required, and you use it as much or as little as you like. You pay as little as $1, at a rate of 15 cents per minute.

Motor Vehicle-Pedestrian Accidents Happen More Often Than You Think

August 28, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

In a study released earlier this year, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association reported that Georgia ranked 16th in the nation in the number of pedestrian traffic fatalities. While every other type of traffic fatality decreased, pedestrian fatalities increased by 27% from 2007 to 2016. These are alarming statistics that underscore the importance of increasing our efforts to make sure our roadways are safe for everyone, not just motorists. However, these numbers also serve as a sobering reminder of the risks you face every time you go out for a walk. And of course, these risks include very serious injury and even death.

You May Be Entitled to Compensation

If you or a family member were injured in an accident as a pedestrian, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. However, in order to receive compensation, you need to prove that the driver owed you a duty – namely to drive in a manner so as not to cause you injury. You then have to prove that the driver breached that duty, typically by driving negligently. Finally, you have to prove that the driver’s breach of his duty to you caused the accident and thereby caused your injury.

How to Avoid Being the Victim of a Pedestrian Accident

March 5, 2018 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

As more and more people move back into central cities from the suburbs, walking and biking have become much more popular means of getting around. Walking has several benefits over driving; it’s healthier for you, better for the environment, and much less stressful than dealing with traffic jams and road rage. While walking is generally a much safer way to get around than driving (which is by far the most dangerous activity regular people engage in), it’s not completely risk-free. Walking can be especially risky in many urbanizing neighborhoods in the Atlanta area because there are more people walking around, but the pedestrian infrastructure has not quite caught up to the demand. In fact, a 2014 study in the report “Dangerous by Design” placed the Atlanta metropolitan area at number eight on its list of the 10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians.

Below, we’ll take a look at pedestrian accident statistics and go over a few ways that you can protect yourself from being the victim of one.

Pedestrian Accidents in the US

Do Pedestrians Always Have the Right of Way?

May 11, 2017 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

You’ve probably heard the very old, very common saying: “Pedestrians have the right of way.” While it’s a good idea to always give pedestrians a little more leeway than you would ordinarily give to vehicles, it is not true that pedestrians always have the right of way. Laws regarding pedestrian right of way vary by state, but below, we will take a look at how the law works in Georgia.

When Pedestrians Have the Right of Way

Crosswalks: Pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks. In Georgia, drivers are required to come to a full stop (not just yield) when a pedestrian is within a crosswalk that is on the half of the roadway upon which the car is driving, or when the pedestrian is approaching and is within one lane of the half of the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling or turning onto. “Half of the roadway” in this case means all traffic lanes carrying traffic in one direction of travel. So if you are driving on a road that has five lanes (two going in each direction with a turn lane between them), and a pedestrian enters from the far side of the road walking across your path, you must stop as soon as they enter the turn lane–this is the lane that is within one lane of the half of the roadway on which you are driving.

Pedestrian Accidents in Atlanta

April 26, 2017 | by Slappey & Sadd, LLC

Traveling by foot is not terribly common in the United States. In fact, only 11% of transport happens on foot, yet pedestrians are involved in 13% of vehicle-related fatalities. Each year, more than 4,000 pedestrians are killed in collisions with automobiles, while another 70,000 are injured. These are shocking statistics , but what is even more shocking is that the majority of pedestrian accidents are not caused by the behavior of drivers, but by the pedestrians themselves.

Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , 73% of pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas, which is to be expected, since foot travel is more common in more densely populated areas. Thus, being a pedestrian in an urban environment alone increases your risk of being involved in an accident, but there are a few more specific causes of pedestrian accidents. Some of these situations are the fault of the pedestrian, while others are the fault of the urban environment.