Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Were you struck by a vehicle while walking in Atlanta, GA?

At Burrow & Associates, LLC, we provide dedicated pedestrian accident representation grounded in decades of plaintiff-side trial work.

A pedestrian struck by a vehicle has a claim against the driver. Our Atlanta, GA pedestrian accident lawyer investigates the scene, documents the full extent of the injuries, and values the claim before the carrier successfully shifts blame on to you. Burrow & Associates, LLC offers free and confidential consultations. Contact our office to learn what your options are.

Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Atlanta, GA

A pedestrian accident claim arises when a person on foot is injured by a motor vehicle through the driver’s negligence. Georgia law requires drivers to stop and remain stopped for pedestrians in crosswalks, and it requires pedestrians crossing outside a crosswalk to yield. Fault depends on where the crossing happened, what the signals showed, and what each party could reasonably see.

Pedestrian deaths in the eleven-county Atlanta region climbed from 155 in 2021 to 176 in 2022, a 14 percent increase in one year, according to Atlanta region fatality data. The disproportion is the part that matters legally. Georgia pedestrian fatality data shows that pedestrians and bicyclists made up less than one percent of the people involved in motor vehicle crashes statewide in 2022, yet accounted for 21 percent of all traffic deaths. A person on foot absorbs the entire force of the impact, which is why these cases produce catastrophic injuries at speeds another motorist would walk away from.

Types of Pedestrian Accident Cases We Handle in Atlanta

Where and how the collision happened drives both the liability analysis and the available insurance. Our attorneys handle the following pedestrian matters for Atlanta clients.

• Marked crosswalk collisions. A driver fails to stop for a pedestrian in a painted crosswalk. Liability is usually clear, and the fight shifts to the value of the injuries. The rules on when drivers must stop at crosswalks are more demanding than most motorists realize.
• Unmarked crossing collisions. A pedestrian crosses mid-block or at an intersection with no markings. Carriers lean hard on this fact pattern, though the question of whether jaywalking in Georgia bars a claim is more nuanced than they suggest.
• Left and right turn collisions. A turning driver fails to see a pedestrian who has the signal. Sight line obstructions and signal phasing determine the outcome.
• Backing and parking lot collisions. Drivers reverse out of spaces and driveways without checking. Low speeds still produce fractures and head injuries.
• Hit and run accidents. The driver flees. Recovery often depends on uninsured motorist coverage under the pedestrian’s own auto policy, which applies even though no vehicle of yours was involved.
• Drunk driving accidents. An impaired driver strikes a pedestrian. These claims support punitive damages against the driver in addition to compensation.
• Catastrophic injury. Brain trauma, spinal cord damage, pelvic fractures, and amputations. Valuing these claims requires life care planning rather than a multiplier.
• Child pedestrian collisions. Children struck in school zones, near bus stops, and in residential areas. Georgia evaluates a child’s conduct differently than an adult’s.
• Wrongful death. Surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim measured by the full value of the life lost.

Why Choose Burrow & Associates, LLC as my Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Atlanta, GA?

Investigation That Starts Immediately

Signal timing records, nearby camera footage, vehicle damage patterns, and the positions of debris and personal effects all speak to speed and point of impact. This evidence disappears quickly and collecting it is our attorney’s top priority. We move on those first. Leading the firm is Darrell L. Burrow. In 1992 he was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia. His practice has been devoted to injured plaintiffs for more than thirty years. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, belongs to The National Trial Lawyers, and has been recognized under Super Lawyers standards.

Our firm has recovered millions of dollars for injured Georgians. Results relevant to pedestrian claims include:

• $500,000 in a pedestrian accident claim
• $885,000 in a wrongful death claim
• $560,000 in an auto accident claim
• $150,000 in a car accident claim

Past results do not guarantee the outcome of any future case.

Valuing a Claim Before the Carrier Does

Insurers may offer a quick settlement. That figure ignores the surgeries still ahead, the months of therapy, and the permanent limits the injury imposes. Our personal injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA builds the damages model first and negotiates from it, rather than responding to whatever the adjuster proposes. Representation is on a contingency fee basis, and the initial consultation is free.

What Is Important to Understand About a Pedestrian Accident Case?

What Are Important Aspects of a Pedestrian Accident Case?

Five realities shape nearly every pedestrian claim in Atlanta.

• Comparative fault is the carrier’s primary tool, and the argument that you crossed improperly is raised even when the driver was speeding or distracted.
• Pedestrian injuries are frequently catastrophic, which means the claim is worth more than minimum liability limits and coverage becomes the practical ceiling.
• Your own auto policy may cover you as a pedestrian through uninsured motorist and medical payments provisions, a point many injured people never learn.
• Scene evidence degrades fast. Businesses overwrite recordings, debris gets swept, and witness memories blur within weeks.
• The right of way is not the same as the right to recover. A pedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk may still recover if the driver had time to react, and the rules on keeping pedestrians safe apply to all parties.

What Is The Pedestrian Accident Case Timeline?

Pedestrian claims take longer than typical collision claims because the injuries take longer to resolve.

1. Emergency and trauma treatment, followed by the police investigation of the scene.
2. Our investigation, including camera canvassing, signal records, witness interviews, and photographs of the roadway as it existed.
3. The treatment period, which often runs a year or more. Serious injuries are undervalued when a claim is presented too early, and recovery after an accident rarely follows the timeline a patient expects.
4. Damages assembly, including medical narratives, wage records, and life care projections where the injury is permanent.
5. Demand, negotiation, and, if the carrier will not pay fair value, suit and trial preparation.

Suit must be filed within two years of the injury under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Pedestrian Accident Cases

A pedestrian claim compensates both documented losses and the harm that no invoice records. Severe cases add categories that routine collision claims never reach.

• Medical expenses. Trauma care, surgery, rehabilitation, assistive equipment, and projected future treatment.
• Lost income and earning capacity. Wages missed during recovery and the long-term effect when the injury prevents a return to the same work.
• Pain and suffering. Physical pain, emotional distress, and the loss of activities the injury takes away permanently.
• Disfigurement. Scarring and visible injury, valued separately from pain.
• Home and vehicle modification. Ramps, lifts, and adapted controls where the injury is permanent.

Liability rests on negligence, and Georgia applies modified comparative fault under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33. A court reduces the award by the pedestrian’s percentage of fault, and a plaintiff found 50 percent or more responsible recovers nothing. That rule is exactly why carriers invest in the crossing argument, and why documenting shared fault correctly matters so much in these claims.

What Should You Bring to Your Pedestrian Accident Consultation?

The goal of the consultation is to determine if you have a valid personal injury case. These documents help our attorney accurately explain your options.

• The police report or incident number. Include the responding agency if you have it.
• Photographs of the location. The crosswalk, the signals, the sight lines, and where you were struck, taken at the same time of day if possible.
• Medical records and bills. Emergency department records, imaging, surgical reports, and every bill received.
• Your own auto insurance declarations page. Coverage may apply even though you were on foot.
• Clothing and personal items from the scene. Damaged belongings help establish points of impact and force.

Most Dangerous Locations for Pedestrian Accidents in Atlanta, GA

Atlanta’s pedestrian risk concentrates on wide, fast arterials with long gaps between signalized crossings, often in areas where many residents walk out of necessity rather than choice.

Surface streets with recurring pedestrian collisions:

• Campbellton Road. A wide southwest arterial with substantial transit ridership and limited marked crossings.
• Cascade Road. High speeds through residential and commercial blocks.
• Boulevard. Dense residential frontage with heavy foot traffic and frequent mid-block crossings.
• DeKalb Avenue. A reversible-lane corridor with rail alongside and constrained pedestrian space.
• Piedmont Avenue. Continuous commercial activity with turning conflicts at nearly every block.

Higher-speed highways and state routes:

• Metropolitan Parkway. A multi-lane route with long distances between protected crossings.
• Buford Highway. One of the region’s most documented pedestrian risk corridors, with dense housing and few safe crossing points.
• Fulton Industrial Boulevard. Truck-heavy, poorly lit, and used on foot by workers along its length.
• Lee Street. A southwest corridor combining transit stops with high vehicle speeds.

National context is available through NHTSA pedestrian safety resources. City crashes are investigated by the Atlanta Police Department, and a copy of the report can be requested through Fulton County police reports. Emergency response is dispatched through Fulton County Emergency Services, and fatal pedestrian collisions are examined by the Fulton County Medical Examiner.

Reach Out to Burrow & Associates, LLC to Schedule a Consultation

If  you were hit by a car in Atlanta, our attorneys will secure the scene evidence, document the full injury, and tell you what the claim is worth. Our personal injury attorney handles pedestrian cases on contingency, and the consultation is free. To get started, contact us to schedule a risk-free review.