In Norcross, a lot of daily life happens on foot. People walk from apartment complexes to bus stops, from the bus to a shift at a warehouse, and from a parking lot to a grocery store on Buford Highway. The roads they cross are wide, fast and busy.
When a driver hits someone walking, the person on foot has no protection at all. If that happened to you or to someone in your family, Gary Huggins is a Norcross pedestrian accident lawyer at Huggins Accident Injury Lawyer. He can meet you at the hospital, at home, by video or at his office in Perimeter Center. Call (240) 421-5511, day or night.
Where Norcross pedestrian crashes happen
Most of the danger is concentrated on a few corridors.
Jimmy Carter Boulevard
Jimmy Carter Boulevard carries interstate traffic between I-85 and the shopping centers, restaurants and apartments that line it. Signals can be far apart, and many people cross where the bus lets them off rather than walking a long block to the nearest light. Drivers turning into and out of the many driveways are often watching for cars, not for someone on foot.
Buford Highway through Norcross
Buford Highway runs from Doraville up into Norcross and on toward Duluth. The markets, taquerías and service shops along it draw people walking between plazas. Long stretches have few marked crossings, and the shoulder is sometimes the only place to walk. Our article on Buford Highway pedestrian safety covers the corridor in more depth.
Bus stops and the trip to Doraville
According to Gwinnett County's published Ride Gwinnett schedules, local routes link Norcross with Doraville Station, the MARTA rail stop just across the county line. That means many riders cross a busy road at least twice a day: once to reach the stop and once to get home. A crash near a stop often happens at dusk, in the rain, or when someone is hurrying to catch a bus.
Downtown Norcross and parking lots
Around the historic downtown and Lillian Webb Park, traffic is slower, but people step out between parked cars. In shopping-center lots across the city, drivers backing out or cutting across rows hit people walking to the door.
What makes a Norcross pedestrian claim different
A pedestrian claim is not just a car wreck with a different victim. Three things come up again and again in Norcross.
First, the injuries are usually serious. Broken legs and hips, head injuries and spinal injuries are common, and recovery can mean months off work. That makes it critical to find every insurance policy that may apply, not just the driver's.
Second, many families don't own a car, or own one older car. People often assume that means no insurance can help them. That is frequently wrong, as explained below.
Third, it matters which agency investigated. Norcross Police handle crashes inside city limits, but many “Norcross” mailing addresses are in unincorporated Gwinnett, where Gwinnett County Police respond. Knowing which one has the report is the first step toward witness names and the officer's diagram.
If you're not sure who wrote the report, call (240) 421-5511. Gary can usually tell from the case number or the officer's card and get a copy started.
The Georgia rules that decide it
Georgia law puts a heavy duty on drivers near people on foot. A driver must stop and stay stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk on the driver's half of the road, or approaching closely from the other half (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91). Hands-Free Georgia also bars drivers from holding a phone while driving.
A person crossing outside a crosswalk must yield to traffic (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-92). That rule doesn't end a claim. Under Georgia's modified comparative negligence rule (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33), you can still recover if you were less than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share. Insurers in pedestrian cases push hard to put a person over that line, so the evidence of what the driver was doing matters.
Deadlines are strict. Most injury claims must be filed within two years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). Claims against a city or county need written notice far sooner, which our page on ante litem notice explains.
Who is liable, and which insurance pays
Georgia is an at-fault state, so the at-fault driver's liability insurance is the starting point. The state minimum is only $25,000 per person, which rarely covers a pedestrian's hospital stay.
Other coverage may apply:
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage on your own car, or on a car owned by a relative you live with, can protect you even though you were walking.
- Medical payments coverage, if the household policy has it, can pay early bills regardless of fault.
- An employer's commercial policy, if the driver was working, such as a delivery or service driver.
- A property owner, in some parking-lot cases where poor lighting or layout played a part.
- A city, county or transit agency, if one of its vehicles was involved, with special notice rules and shorter deadlines.
Gary sorts out which of these exist before you talk to any adjuster about what your claim is worth.
What Gary does in the first week
In the days after a Norcross pedestrian crash, Gary typically:
- Gets the crash report and identifies the officer and any witnesses
- Sends letters asking nearby businesses and apartment complexes to save their camera video before it is recorded over
- Photographs the crossing, the lighting and the sight lines, ideally at the same time of day
- Finds every policy in your household and the driver's, and notifies the insurers
- Handles calls from adjusters so you can focus on getting better
He does this in English or Spanish, whichever your family prefers. If you can't leave the hospital, call (240) 421-5511 and Gary will come to you.
Talk to a Norcross pedestrian accident lawyer today
Huggins Accident Injury Lawyer is at 1050 Crown Pointe Parkway, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30338, about 15 to 20 minutes from Norcross on I-285 outside rush hour. Gary also handles Norcross car accident claims, and our Norcross page and Atlanta pedestrian accident page cover more.
The consultation is free, and the phone is answered 24 hours a day. Call (240) 421-5511 to talk with Gary about what happened.
Free consultation. Gary meets Norcross clients at our Perimeter Center office, by video, or at home or in the hospital. (240) 421-5511
Other Norcross cases
Pedestrian accident attorney in nearby communities
Questions people ask about Norcross pedestrian accident claims
I don’t own a car. Can any insurance pay my medical bills after a Norcross pedestrian crash?
Often, yes. The driver’s liability insurance is the first place to look, because Georgia is an at-fault state. If that coverage is missing or too small, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage on a car owned by someone you live with may protect you as a household member, even though you were on foot. Optional medical payments coverage on that policy can also help with early bills. Gary checks every policy in the home before anyone gives up.
I was crossing Jimmy Carter Boulevard away from a crosswalk. Do I still have a case?
Possibly. Georgia says a person crossing outside a crosswalk must yield to cars (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-92), so the insurer will argue you share the blame. But under Georgia’s 50% rule (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33), you can still recover if you were less than half at fault, with your award reduced by your share. A driver who was speeding, on a phone or not looking can carry most of the fault. Gary looks at the lighting, the distances and any video.
The driver who hit me in Norcross drove away. What should I do now?
Report it to the police right away and give them every detail you remember: color, make, part of the plate, direction of travel. Georgia requires drivers to stop and give aid (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-270), and the investigating officer may find the driver later. If no one is found, your own or a household member’s UM coverage may pay, but Georgia has reporting and proof requirements for those claims. Our hit-and-run guide explains them.
How long do I have to file a pedestrian injury claim in Gwinnett County?
Usually two years from the date you were hurt (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33), and two years from the date of death for a wrongful death claim. If a city or county vehicle was involved, or a public road defect played a part, written notice is due much sooner: six months for a city and 12 months for a county or the State of Georgia. Evidence such as store video can disappear in days, so it is wise to call early.
¿Gary habla español? / Does Gary speak Spanish?
Yes. Gary Huggins speaks Spanish and can talk with you, your family and the people who saw what happened in Spanish, by phone, by video, at home or in the hospital. You don’t have to depend on the insurance company’s interpreter to understand what you are signing. Our Spanish page for people hit while walking has the basics: abogado de accidentes peatonales.