Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Injury Treatment

It’s well-known that pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users in the country, and in Atlanta, it is no different. Pedestrians, especially in urban areas, are at a considerable risk of being struck by cars, which can have fatal consequences. That’s why Georgia Spine & Orthopaedics strives to offer the best Atlanta pedestrian accident injury treatment to help pedestrian accident victims recover from their injuries.

A pedestrian accident with a car moving as slow as 40 mph can cause death. Even at slower speeds, the accident can cause life-long injuries. We offer dedicated medical services that are tailored to every patient’s needs.

At Georgia Spine & Orthopaedics, you can rest assured of a caring team of experts working together to help you recover. Call us today at 678-929-4494 and learn more about our pedestrian accident injury treatment services.

Causes of Pedestrian Accidents

While fatal pedestrian accidents are on the rise across the country, it is a huge issue in Georgia. Our state has one of the highest pedestrian accident fatality rates in the country. The Georgia Department of Transpiration (GDOT) reported that in 2022-2023, there were 548 accidents involving people walking, (as well as biking or rolling), resulting in 324 pedestrian fatalities and numerous injuries in Georgia.

Failing to Yield Right of Way

Right of way is the legal right of a motorist or pedestrian to use the road in a particular part of the road or situation. In case a traffic signals pedestrians to use the crosswalk, the motorist should allow the pedestrians to cross the road first before proceeding. GDOT’s 2022 accident statistics in Atlanta showed that 21% of pedestrian fatalities were caused by motorists not yielding to pedestrians.

However, the vice versa is also true if the traffic signals the motorist to proceed. Failure to yield the right of way can be caused by the motorist or pedestrian, resulting in a pedestrian accident.

Drugs and Alcohol

Driving while intoxicated is a major contributor to accidents in general and pedestrian accidents in particular. An intoxicated driver is at a high risk of poor judgment regarding distances and speed. They may also be impaired to notice road signage and spot pedestrians on the road, which increases the risk of accidents.

The same goes for pedestrians. A pedestrian under the influence may also be impaired in judging car speeds and spotting road signage, such as when to cross and how to stay safe while using the road.

Poor Visibility

Poor visibility is another major cause of accidents in Atlanta. It may be occasioned by poor weather conditions, vehicles or objects on the side of the road obstructing the driver’s view of pedestrians, poor headlights on a car, or even bright lights shining on pedestrians or driver’s eyes.

Lack of Sidewalks

Some roads in Atlanta are designed without safe sidewalks for pedestrians to use. In such cases, pedestrians are forced to walk on the main road beside fast-moving vehicles, which is unsafe. In fact, the GDOT report showed that 63% of the pedestrian fatalities in 2022 ā€“ 2023 occurred on roads that lacked sidewalks.

Atlanta Pedestrian Accident

Some 79% of the pedestrian fatalities cases in Georgia in 2022-2023 were attributed to pedestrians. Some of the ways pedestrians contribute to accidents include distracted walking and improperly crossing intersections.

Clothing Choices

The choice of clothes a pedestrian wears may contribute to a pedestrian accident. Wearing dark-hued clothes can make someone difficult to spot, especially in the dark and poor visibility conditions. Consequently, the driver might not see the pedestrian crossing the road or using the intersection until it’s too late if they wear clothes that cause them to blend with the background.

Distracted Walking

Another way pedestrians may cause accidents is by being distracted while walking on the road. Distracted walking is most commonly caused by using electronic gadgets such as smartphones or cameras while walking. Such distractions can reduce the pedestrian’s awareness of their surroundings, including road traffic, resulting in a traffic crash and personal injury.

Crossing an Intersection or Roadway Improperly

Crossing roadways improperly is another notable way through which pedestrians can cause accidents. For instance, crossing the road on a section that isn’t designated for road crossing (jaywalking) puts the pedestrian at a huge risk of getting hit by a vehicle. GDOT’s report showed that 95% of pedestrian fatalities in 2022-2023 occurred outside crosswalks.

Another example of improper road crossing is when a pedestrian crosses the road in the last seconds before a light change or before traffic clears after a light change. In both cases, the driver may not have sufficient time to spot the pedestrian, resulting in a pedestrian accident.

Standing, Playing, or Working on a Road

Standing, lingering, running, darting, or playing on the road increases the risk of vehicular accidents. Even if the first driver sees you can veer to avoid causing an accident, chances are the following driver might not spot you, resulting in an accident.

In some cases, ongoing road work can affect normal traffic and pedestrian flow, causing some pedestrians to walk where they shouldn’t usually walk. This increases the pedestrian’s susceptibility to being hit by vehicles.

Other major causes of pedestrian accidents include reckless driving, speeding, rolling stops, defective traffic lights, and distracting driving.

Causes of pedestrian accidents

Preventing Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian Accident Injuries

When it comes to pedestrian accidents, they’re best avoided. The consequences of a pedestrian accident are dire, regardless of whether the driver or the pedestrian is at fault. As a pedestrian, always do your part to stay safe whenever you use the road by following these safety measures:

  • Use Designated Crosswalks ā€“ Follow the traffic rules and cross the road where you have a designated crosswalk. Avoid jaywalking in areas with a crosswalk and where the traffic moves at high speed, such as freeways and interstates.
  • Avoid Walking in the Streets ā€“ Avoid walking on the roadways. Strictly use sidewalks while navigating around on foot. That said, there are many instances where you might want to walk to a part of the time with no sidewalk. In such situations, walk facing the traffic and stay as far away from the road as possible.
  • Pay Attention to Drivers and your Surroundings ā€“ Do not assume drivers can see you. Pay careful attention when crossing busy intersections, especially where drivers are turning left or right, even when you have the right of way. Be sure the road is clear before you cross the road.
  • Wear Highly Visible Clothes While Walking ā€“ Whenever you intend to walk around, wear brightly-colored and highly visible clothes, especially if there are poor visibility conditions such as bad weather or dark.
  • Avoid Walking in the Streets While Inebriated ā€“ If you’re going on a night out, plan your movement well ahead of time to avoid walking around while your judgment is a tad impaired.

How Do We Assess Your Pedestrian Accident Injuries?

It is the nature of pedestrian accidents to result in concurrent injuries affecting different parts of the body. As such, when a pedestrian accident victim walks into our facilities, they tend to present many symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting, headache, and head and face injuries, some of which can be caused by a number of different ailments.

As such, we have invested in the best diagnostic tools to ensure our orthopedic specialists can glean the exact cause of the symptom, which is essential in developing a holistic, comprehensive, and effective treatment and recovery plan for you.

While we pride ourselves in our experience and knowledge in treating our patients with utmost care and concern, we also take great pride in our investments in diagnostic equipment. And for good reason. For instance, we use Computed tomography (CT) scans to identify traumatic tissue injuries that are a great source of pain for many pedestrian accident victims.

We also use MRI imaging to identify soft tissue injuries. Finally, we use X-rays to identify broken bones and dislocations in cases of suspected skeletal fractures.

Combining these tests ensures our experts understand the root cause of your pain and can, importantly, develop a treatment plan involving a combination of therapies that suits your specific conditions.

Call us on 678-929-4494 to learn how our diagnosticians can help identify where you’ve been harmed after a pedestrian accident.

Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries

As you might appreciate, no two accidents are the same. After all, the car’s speed, the accident’s location, and a multitude of other factors will influence the seriousness of the accident and the resulting injuries. However, most pedestrian accident victims usually suffer one or more of the following injuries.

  • Traumatic brain injuries such as subarachnoid hemorrhages, contusions, and skull fractures
  • Soft tissue injuries, especially to the back, shoulders, and neck
  • Lower limbs and pelvic injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Rib fractures
  • Teeth and mouth injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Road rash

We work with our cross-section of in-house medical experts to develop an effective treatment plan guided by your injuries.

Atlanta Pedestrian Accident Injury Treatment

How We Treat Your Pedestrian Accident Injuries

The typical concurrency of injuries in a pedestrian accident requires the input of many experts to ensure our patients recover well. With this in mind, our patients’ care takes the form of:

Neurological Care

Our neurotrauma experts work to diagnose injuries that your brain and nervous system would have experienced due to accidents. Our neurology specialists develop tailored treatment and rehabilitation plans to aid in your recovery while also mitigating any possible long-term effects of the trauma.

Orthopedic Care

Our orthopedic specialists diagnose and treat injuries resulting from traumatic impact in pedestrian accidents, such as dislocations, soft tissue damage, and fractures. Our skilled team can perform orthopedic surgery.

Pain Management

Finally, we develop holistic and integrated pain management strategies aimed at tackling pain and helping our patients get back to an active lifestyle after an accident.

Importantly, we integrate these specialized treatments into a unified, holistic treatment to ensure effective recovery.

Georgia Spine & Orthopaedics: The Go-To Pedestrian Accident Injury Treatment Center in Atlanta

The severity of pedestrian accident injuries can be severe and life-long. At Georgia Spine & Orthopaedics, we offer tailored spine and orthopedic services designed and optimized to aid recovery. Whether you suffered severe or minor injuries, we are experienced in creating treatment and recovery plans for pedestrian accident victims.

As the premier Atlanta pedestrian accident injury treatment, we welcome walk-ins. We are ready to help you recover from a pedestrian accident. Call us today at 678-929-4494 or visit our treatment center.

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