Pedestrian Hit By Vehicle: $485,000 Recovery

Our client was walking to work when she was struck by a driver attempting to make a left turn. Fortunately, our client did not suffer any broken bones, but she was badly injured. Ultimately, our client underwent surgery to correct a herniated disc in her lower back which we believe was caused by this collision. In this post, we describe the basic steps that we took to obtain a successful recovery for our client in a case involving a pedestrian hit by a vehicle.

• Scene photographs immediately after the incident were critical. Our client was struck in an intersection of downtown Atlanta. The traffic lights at the intersection were disabled that day. The photographs that we took of the scene were critical in resolving the case. We had photographs of the walk signals with bags over them.
• Your lawyer must have the capacity to listen to what your doctors are telling you and have the time to help you find doctors if your current doctors are not treating you. Our client was originally told that she did not need surgery. This case would have been resolved in a dramatically different manner if our client had not undergone the surgery that she needed for her back injury. When our client’s pain continued to grow, we successfully lined up a second opinion from another orthopedist that recommended surgery for her. Our client has now fully recovered. Having a lawyer that is willing to spend the time on your case to understand what is going on with your condition and your treatment recommendations can make a big difference in your case.
• Pre-mediation preparation was critical. Our client is an immigrant to the United States. Her life was extremely compelling, and almost everyone would agree that she was incredibly deserving…if only she could communicate her life effectively to other people. We went through several prep sessions prior to our client’s mediation, and our client gave an exceptional statement at her mediation that was critical to the successful resolution of this case.
• We’ve all heard that vehicles must yield to pedestrians. So, it would seem that establishing liability in a pedestrian accident would be simple and straightforward. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. When a pedestrian has been hit by a vehicle, it remains vital that we establish the violation of a rule of the road by the driver.

This accident was caused by a rideshare driver.