Albany Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

When a car, motorcycle, or truck strikes a pedestrian in Albany, GA, the pedestrian always loses. People have little protection from the severe impact force of a collision, and pedestrians often suffer life-altering injuries in these incidents. To make matters worse, injured pedestrians frequently struggle to recover fair compensation, as insurance companies are more concerned about their profits than helping people.

Trust Parker Trial Law to protect your rights in a pedestrian accident claim. Our Albany, GA, pedestrian accident lawyers focus on taking these cases to trial because we know that’s often the only way to help you recover the money you need. We’ll handle all the legal work in your pedestrian accident case, letting you focus on healing and rebuilding your life.

Call us today or complete our contact form online for a free consultation with an Albany, GA, pedestrian accident attorney.

Benefits of Hiring an Albany GA, Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Hiring a pedestrian accident lawyer in Albany, GA, gives you many advantages in your fight for fair compensation. The benefits include the following:

No Legal Paperwork on Your End – Pedestrian accident cases and other personal injury claims involve a lot of paperwork. While filling out these forms can seem tedious, it’s crucial to get everything right to avoid delays or other issues that could derail your case. For instance, if you’re not careful when you sign a medical records release, you might inadvertently share more of your medical history than the insurance companies need. Another issue is the critical deadlines you must meet to file a claim and preserve your right to compensation. A pedestrian lawyer from Parker Trial Law can handle all the paperwork in your case for you to save you time, protect your private information, and make sure you meet all the required deadlines.
Thorough Claim Evaluation – Pedestrian accident injuries can linger for years after the initial incident and hurt your quality of life. It’s crucial to account for your present and future needs before accepting any insurance settlement offer. A pedestrian accident attorney can use your medical records and other evidence to fully document the financial and personal effects of your injuries. Without a lawyer’s help, your compensation might not be enough to meet your needs in the coming months and years.
Negotiating from a Position of Strength – Insurance companies protect their profits by keeping the amount they pay for claims as low as possible. They’re looking for fraud and any reasonable justification to reduce your compensation or deny your claim entirely. To maximize your compensation, you need to know the tactics insurers use to reduce your compensation and how to counter those tactics. An experienced pedestrian accident attorney from Parker Trial Law understands these tactics and can develop a strategy to enforce your rights.
Getting a Jump on Trial Preparation – Most Georgia pedestrian accident cases settle out of court before a trial is necessary. However, you always want to be prepared for trial to show the insurance company you’re serious about protecting your rights. Hiring a pedestrian accident attorney means they can handle all the trial preparations for you. These include filing motions, reviewing evidence, and developing a compelling strategy to convince the judge or jury that you deserve compensation.

What To Do After a Pedestrian Accident

Your actions immediately after a pedestrian accident and in the coming weeks and months can significantly impact your ability to recover fair compensation. Here’s what you need to do after seeking medical attention:

Follow Your Prescribed Treatment Plan – Failing to follow your doctor’s orders can affect your recovery time and may make your injuries worse. Additionally, not following your prescribed treatments can signal to the insurance companies that your injuries aren’t as severe as you say, hurting your case for compensation.
Write Down What Happened – If possible, write down everything you can remember about the collision once you’ve seen a doctor. The details may fade in the coming weeks and months, and having a consistent narrative of the collision is crucial for maximizing your compensation. Writing down everything you remember helps you keep the details of the crash fresh in your mind, and you can refer to the notes later.
Save All Your Medical Records and Receipts – A thorough documentary record is vital to recovering maximum compensation for a pedestrian accident injury. Your medical records can illustrate the nature and severity of your injuries, while your medical bills and other receipts help show the accident’s financial cost. The more evidence you have, the easier it will be to prove your losses to the insurance companies.
Get a Copy of the Police Report – Most insurance companies require a police report before they accept a pedestrian accident claim. The crash report can also help support your claim by providing additional evidence showing how the accident occurred. For example, the responding officer may have noticed the driver was impaired, and your lawyer can use that evidence to hold the driver liable for your injuries. If your injuries prevent you from getting the police accident report, a lawyer can get it for you.
Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company – You’ll need to report the accident to your insurer as soon as possible, but be careful what you say. Don’t agree to give a recorded statement, stick to the basic facts of the accident, don’t speculate about fault, and avoid saying “I’m sorry” or anything else that might implicate you.
Do Not Discuss the accident with Anyone Other Than a Lawyer – Anything you say about the accident, whether online or in person, could come back to haunt you in a personal injury claim. You don’t want to give the insurance companies anything to use against you, so it’s best to avoid discussing the accident with anyone other than your lawyer. Furthermore, do not post anything about the crash on social media, as insurance companies can find your posts and use them against you.
Talk to an Albany, GA, Pedestrian Accident Attorney – Your job after a pedestrian accident is to focus on getting better. Let an experienced personal injury lawyer from Parker Trial Law handle the legal work for you so you can concentrate on healing and putting your life back together.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Pedestrian Accident?

In Georgia pedestrian accident cases, the driver who hits a pedestrian is typically liable. The key to recovering compensation for your injuries is to show how the other driver acted negligently and caused your injuries. For instance, if the driver was texting or talking on the phone instead of looking at the road, that would be an example of negligence that could make the driver liable for your injuries.

There are pedestrian accident cases where someone other than the driver shares the blame for what happened. For example, the car’s manufacturer might be liable if the brakes were defective and the driver couldn’t slow down in time to avoid the crash. Local governments could also be partly responsible if poor road design, such as a lack of marked crosswalks, contributed to the accident. Your lawyer can investigate the accident to determine the identity of the liable parties.

What Compensation Can I Recover After a Pedestrian Accident?

Working with a Georgia pedestrian accident law firm gives you the best chance of recovering the money you need to pay your medical bills and other expenses. With the help of Parker Trial Law, your pedestrian accident compensation could include money for the following:

Lost income from missing work
Reduced future earnings due to an injury or disability
Current and future medical expenses
Diminished quality of life
Pain and suffering
Damaged personal property

How Long Do I Have to File a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Georgia?

Under Georgia law, you have two years from the date of a collision to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit. Two years sounds like a long time, but it takes a while to build a strong case and negotiate a fair insurance settlement. Additionally, crucial evidence can disappear or deteriorate within days or weeks of a crash if you don’t preserve it. Talking to a lawyer from Parker Trial Law as soon as possible after a collision gives you the strongest chance of recovering maximum compensation.

How Many Pedestrians Are Killed in Albany, GA, and Georgia Each Year?

Using Georgia’s public crash database, you can look up how many pedestrians were killed in Albany (or the state in general) for any given year. Based on the available figures, one pedestrian hit by a car died in Albany during one recent year. During that same year, 310 pedestrians across Georgia died in collisions.

What Are the Main Causes of Pedestrian Accidents?

Most Georgia pedestrian accident cases involve some type of driver negligence. Some types of driver negligence that can cause a pedestrian accident include:

Impaired/drunk driving
Distracted driving
Speeding
Drivers failing to yield the right-of-way
Drivers not adjusting their actions to account for poor road conditions caused by weather