
If your child has been hurt in an accident, our Atlanta child pedestrian injury lawyer can help you seek the justice you deserve. All parents want to keep their children safe, yet when they walk on or near roadways, there are risks of serious injury from an accident.
Parents with children who walk to school, to sports practice or elsewhere have very real reason to be concerned about the possibility of a pedestrian accident. In 2012, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, 490 children 19 and under died as a result of a pedestrian accident, and that approximately 19,183 child pedestrians were injured in an accident with some type of motor vehicle.
Crosswalk Pedestrian Accidents
Children are at a higher risk of being struck by a vehicle than adults when crossing at a crosswalk. Their lower stature makes a child less visible. Children are also less likely to check to ensure no vehicles are moving too quickly, or may be planning to turn into the intersection. The ability to evaluate the surrounding risks is much less in younger children, and a child may believe that he or she is safe to cross a street, as long as it is at a crosswalk.
Heavy suburban traffic in the Atlanta area poses a heightened risk to children walking through crosswalks to get to a destination, whether to school, home or other location. At The Poe Law Firm, our child injury lawyers are skilled at pursuing cases in which children were injured by the neglectful actions of others.
A Leading Cause of Death for Children: Traffic-Related Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issues reports on the numbers of pedestrian deaths nationwide. A recent publication from the agency reveals that in 2012 the highest percentage of fatalities (42 percent) for child pedestrians aged 14 or younger occurred between 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is generally the time children are returning from school, or walking to lessons or sports practice.
For children aged 14 and younger, 76 percent of pedestrian deaths took place at non-intersection locations, including a sidewalk when a vehicle veers off the road, or on a sidewalk when a vehicle driver backs out of a driveway or other property access roadway, or in parking lots, or other similar locations.
Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Lawyer: Metro Area Pedestrians at Risk
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Metro Atlanta is among the most dangerous for pedestrians, and that a recent study by Smart Growth America reveals the Atlanta, Marietta and Cobb areas to be the eighth most dangerous location in which to walk in the country.
Our Atlanta child pedestrian accident lawyer knows children walking in these communities are at much higher risk than in most urban areas in the entire country. Sometimes children play near roads and are unaware of the dangers of passing vehicles.
Injury Cases Involving Child Pedestrians: What to Do If Your Child Is Injured
If your child has been injured as a pedestrian, whether crossing at a crosswalk, at a non-crosswalk location, or when playing by the street, it is important that you speak with a legal professional about what occurred. The injuries may have been caused by the negligent actions of a motor vehicle driver.
If so, Georgia law permits a personal injury claim for any resulting damages. The injuries sustained are often life threatening, lead to permanent impairments, or fatal. These are tragic incidents, and the family is thrown into turmoil, hoping and praying that their child will recover from a pedestrian accident.
The injuries are often very serious, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
- Amputations
- Broken bones (fractures)
- Head injuries
Contact Our Atlanta Child Pedestrian Injury Lawyer Today
The legal team at our firm is dedicated, compassionate and committed to helping families seek justice after a child has been injured in a pedestrian accident. The first step is to connect with us so we can review the facts in your case, and assess your legal options.
Our focus will be on seeking justice for the injured child, and to pursue a level of compensation that reflects the level of the injuries sustained, as well as the long-term consequences of the accident for the child.
Call us. An Atlanta child pedestrian injury lawyer is here to help you to pursue justice for your child.
Sources:
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts, Children
- Safe Kids. Pedestrian Safety Fact Sheet
- Atlanta Journal Constitution. Metro Atlanta Among the Most Dangerous for Pedestrians
- Smart Growth America. Dangerous by Design 2014