Most of our Georgia readers know that many car accidents involve a vehicle hitting a pedestrian. These types of auto accidents are, unfortunately, quite common, despite the fact that many cities and towns throughout the country are making a point of making their public areas more accessible to pedestrians.
Many of these accidents are caused by negligent motorists who violate a pedestrian’s right of way. However, there are also cases in which a pedestrian was hit after being less careful than he or she should have been.
Just as a negligent motorist is one who fails to exercise reasonable care to avoid an accident, a pedestrian can be negligent in failing to exercise reasonable care to avoid a pedestrian accident.
That being said, depending on the situation it is possible for a pedestrian to seek financial recovery in an auto-pedestrian accident, even if the pedestrian was partially at fault. Under Georgia law, courts measure the proportion of the fault for an accident. If the pedestrian is deemed to be less than 50 percent responsible, he or she may recover damages from the other negligent party. The amount of damages will be reduced, however, depending upon the amount of fault the pedestrian bore for the accident.
The injuries in auto-pedestrian accidents are often severe, and this can mean enormous medical expenses and other damages. It’s important for the injured to get all the compensation they can after these accidents. An experienced attorney can help the injured and their families to understand their rights and options.