Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Brunswick, GA

A pedestrian struck by a vehicle has no steel cage, no airbag, and no seatbelt, just the full force of the impact. Worse, because there is no second vehicle to share the blame, the driver’s insurance company does the one thing that cuts its payout: it argues the pedestrian caused the crash.

Boyd Law Firm represents pedestrians struck by vehicles in Brunswick and throughout Southeast Georgia. We investigate how the crossing actually happened and defeat the “blame-the-victim” defense before it shrinks your recovery.

What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Georgia

Pedestrian evidence disappears faster than in almost any other crash, so the steps you take in the hours after being struck matter enormously.

Call 911 and get a police report, which documents any citation issued to the driver and captures witness statements before people leave.
Seek medical attention immediately. Traumatic brain, spinal, and internal injuries frequently don’t show obvious symptoms right away.
Document the crossing: crosswalk markings, signals, lighting, skid marks, and vehicle position.
Do not give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurer before speaking with an attorney.

Contact Boyd Law Firm early. The sooner we’re involved, the more surveillance footage and signal data we can preserve before it disappears.

How Fault Works in Georgia Pedestrian Accident Cases

Because there is no other driver to point at, the insurer’s only path to a smaller payout runs through the victim, so the fight is almost always about fault, governed by Georgia’s right-of-way rules in Title 40.

OCGA § 40-6-91, right of way in crosswalks: a driver must stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross within a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
OCGA § 40-6-92, crossing outside a crosswalk: a pedestrian must yield to vehicles unless they have already, and safely, entered the roadway.
Negligence per se: a documented crosswalk violation is powerful evidence of liability on its own.

Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule (OCGA § 51-12-33), a partly-at-fault pedestrian still recovers, but the award is reduced by their percentage of fault, and recovery is barred entirely at 50% or more. That threshold is exactly why insurers work to pin blame on the pedestrian, arguing jaywalking, a signal violation, or dark clothing. Surveillance footage, signal-timing data, and the vehicle’s event data recorder frequently disprove those defenses. Liability can also extend to an employer (if the driver was working) or a government entity (a missing crosswalk or broken signal), though government claims carry much shorter notice deadlines.

Dealing with the Insurance Company

The driver’s insurer is not on your side. In a pedestrian case, its central strategy is to shift fault onto you.

Inflating your share of fault: arguing you jaywalked or ignored a signal, to push you toward the 50% bar.
Early, lowball settlement offers made before anyone knows the full scope of a brain or spinal injury.
Requests for recorded statements designed to create inconsistencies they can use against you.

A common misconception: an injured pedestrian has no insurance because they weren’t driving. In Georgia, uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage follows the person, not just the car, so your own auto policy’s UM coverage can pay even though you were on foot, and may extend to a resident relative’s policy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pedestrian Accidents in Georgia

Do pedestrians always have the right of way in Georgia?

No. Under OCGA 40-6-91, a driver must stop for a pedestrian in a marked or unmarked crosswalk, but under OCGA 40-6-92 a pedestrian crossing outside a crosswalk must yield to vehicles unless they have already safely entered the roadway. The right of way depends on where and how the crossing happened.

Can I still recover if I was partly at fault for the pedestrian accident?

Yes, as long as you were less than 50% at fault. Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule (OCGA 51-12-33), your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and barred entirely only at 50% or more.

I was hit by a car while walking and the driver had no insurance. Am I covered?

Possibly. Georgia UM/UIM coverage follows the person, not the vehicle, so a pedestrian struck by an uninsured driver can claim under their own auto policy’s UM coverage even though they were on foot.

What if the driver fled the scene after hitting me?

In a hit-and-run, your own uninsured motorist coverage stands in for the missing driver’s liability insurance. A police report is critical, so report the crash immediately and seek medical care.

How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident claim in Georgia?

The standard deadline under OCGA 9-3-33 is two years from the date of injury. If a government entity is responsible, a much shorter ante litem notice deadline applies, sometimes as short as six months to one year.

What is a pedestrian accident case worth in Georgia?

Because pedestrians absorb the full energy of a collision, damages are often among the most serious in personal injury law: medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, where the driver was impaired, punitive damages. There is no fixed figure.

Serving Brunswick and Southeast Georgia

Brunswick and the Golden Isles mix heavy tourist foot traffic with high-speed highway corridors: US-17 through Brunswick, the St. Simons Island pier village, Jekyll Island beach crossings, and the I-95 interchanges. It is a dangerous combination for people on foot. Boyd Law Firm handles pedestrian accident cases across Glynn, Camden, Brantley, Liberty, Wayne, and McIntosh counties.

Free Consultation
No Fee Unless We Win

Talk to us before you talk to the insurance company. The consultation is free, there’s no obligation, and you pay nothing unless we win your case.

Call (912) 265-5069 or submit your case details online.

Free Consultation

912-265-5069