Listen to this article
Estimated Loading...
Georgia pedestrian settlements skew higher than ordinary car claims because a person on foot has no protection from a vehicle. Georgia is an at-fault state with no PIP, so an injured pedestrian claims against the at-fault driver's liability coverage, and their own UM/UIM, from the start. Georgia's crosswalk law is unusually strong (drivers must stop and remain stopped), and there are no caps on pain and suffering, but the 50% comparative fault bar is a real risk because insurers argue the pedestrian jaywalked or darted out.
Key facts at a glance
Georgia Pedestrian Accident Settlement Values (2026)
Last updated
- Minor injuries
- $10,000 to $75,000 for sprains, soft tissue, and small fractures.
- Moderate to severe
- $75,000 to $750,000 for broken bones, internal injuries, and traumatic brain injury.
- Catastrophic
- Spinal cord injury and severe TBI $500,000 to $25,000,000+; wrongful death $500,000 to $2,000,000+.
- No PIP, at-fault
- Georgia has no PIP; a struck pedestrian claims against the at-fault driver and their own UM/UIM (vital, since about 19% of Georgia drivers are uninsured).
- Drivers must stop
- Drivers must stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91); recovery barred at 50%+ fault (§ 51-12-33), with fault apportioned among all parties.
- Deadlines + caps
- No caps on pain and suffering (Nestlehutt); 2-year deadline (§ 9-3-33), but ante-litem notice as short as 6 months against a city or MARTA.
Source: SetCalc analysis of Georgia and national pedestrian injury data, Georgia GOHS and GHSA crash statistics, real reported Georgia verdicts, and Georgia statutes, 2020-2026. Get your free Georgia pedestrian accident settlement estimate →
Typical Pedestrian Accident Settlement Amounts in Georgia
Pedestrian settlements span a wide range because the injuries do, but they cluster higher than car-occupant claims. National pedestrian data shows a mean near $67,500 and a median around $30,000, and the median is the more honest "typical" number, because a handful of catastrophic cases pull the average up. In Georgia, the more severe the injury, the more the state's no-cap rule works in the victim's favor, since pain and suffering can scale without a statutory ceiling.
The biggest threat to a Georgia pedestrian claim is not the injury value, it is the 50% comparative fault bar. Insurers know that if they can pin half the blame on the pedestrian (jaywalking, crossing against a signal, dark clothing at night), the claim collapses entirely, and Georgia juries apportion fault among everyone involved. Protecting the liability picture is therefore as important as documenting the injuries. For the national baseline, see our pedestrian accident settlement calculator.
Georgia Pedestrian Settlement Ranges by Severity
| Severity Tier | GA Settlement Range | Typical Injuries & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | $10,000 - $75,000 | Sprains, soft tissue, small fractures; strong-liability crosswalk cases settle at the higher end |
| Moderate | $75,000 - $200,000 | Broken bones, lacerations, concussion; value often exceeds a minimum-limits driver's policy |
| Severe | $200,000 - $750,000 | Multiple fractures, internal injuries, moderate to severe TBI; no cap on pain and suffering in Georgia |
| Catastrophic | $500,000 - $25,000,000+ | Spinal cord injury/paralysis and severe TBI needing lifetime care; recovery often gated by available insurance |
| Wrongful Death | $500,000 - $2,000,000+ | Full value of the life plus survivors' losses; commercial-vehicle deaths (see verdicts below) can reach far higher |
Source: SetCalc analysis of Georgia and national pedestrian injury data, 2021-2026. Figures are illustrative ranges. For brain-injury values, see our TBI settlement calculator, and for Georgia car-occupant values, the Georgia car accident settlement calculator.
Get Your Georgia Pedestrian Accident Settlement Estimate
Real Reported Georgia Pedestrian Verdicts and Settlements
The cases below are real, publicly reported Georgia pedestrian outcomes. They range from a $0 defense verdict to a $21 million wrongful-death verdict, and together they show both how high Georgia values a strong pedestrian case and how the 50% fault bar can wipe out even a catastrophic claim.
These are reported results, not typical settlements
| Case | Amount | Year | County / Court | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian walking along a highway killed by a tractor-trailer (wrongful death); "Act of God" defense rejected | $21,000,000 | 2020 | U.S. District Court (GA) | Landline Media |
| Pedestrian in a marked crosswalk with the walk signal struck by a left-turning driver; TBI and multiple fractures | $2,300,000 | 2022 | Cobb | Butler Kahn |
| Pedestrian struck while crossing the road | $300,000 | n/a | Gwinnett | Robert J. Fleming |
| Pedestrian struck on the roadside, rib and neck injuries (policy-limits settlement) | $100,000 | 2018 | Georgia | Scholle Law |
| MARTA bus killed a pedestrian crossing at night, outside a crosswalk, in dark clothing (family sought $14.5M to $19M) | $0 | 2024 | Fulton | FMG Law |
Sources: reported case results from Landline Media, Butler Kahn, Robert J. Fleming, Scholle Law, and Freeman Mathis & Gary (defense verdict). The $0 Fulton County result (White v. Paulk and MARTA, tried December 2024) is a cautionary example of Georgia's 50% fault bar when a pedestrian crosses outside a crosswalk. Browse more in the SetCalc verdict and settlement database.
At-Fault, No PIP: How a Georgia Pedestrian Recovers
Unlike no-fault states such as Utah or Michigan, Georgia repealed its no-fault system in 1991 and is a traditional at-fault (tort) state. There is no mandatory Personal Injury Protection (PIP), so a struck pedestrian does not have a first-party policy paying the first bills automatically.
You Claim Against the At-Fault Driver
The primary source of recovery is the at-fault driver's bodily-injury liability coverage. Because Georgia's minimum limits are only 25/50/25, a serious pedestrian injury frequently exceeds what the driver's policy will pay, which is where your own coverage becomes essential.
Your Own UM/UIM Protects You on Foot
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage from your own auto policy covers you as a pedestrian, including when the driver is uninsured, underinsured, or flees in a hit-and-run, even though no vehicle of yours was involved. With an estimated 19 percent of Georgia drivers uninsured, UM/UIM is frequently the difference between a partial and a full recovery. Georgia insurers must offer it, and it can only be declined in writing.
Optional MedPay Is the Only First-Party Medical Coverage
Some Georgia drivers carry optional medical payments (MedPay) coverage, which pays initial medical bills regardless of fault. It is not required, and many people do not have it, so for most injured pedestrians the practical path is the driver's liability policy plus their own UM/UIM.
Georgia Crosswalk Law and How Fault Is Decided
Fault in a Georgia pedestrian case usually turns on the crosswalk and yield rules. Under the 50% bar, the difference between 40% and 50% fault is the difference between a reduced recovery and nothing, so these rules matter enormously.
Driver Duty to Stop (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91)
Georgia's crosswalk law is stronger than a simple yield rule. A driver must stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is on the driver's half of the roadway, or approaching within one lane of it. A 1995 amendment upgraded the duty from "yield" to "stop and stay stopped." No vehicle may pass another vehicle stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian, a rule aimed at the deadly multiple-threat crash on multi-lane roads.
Pedestrian Duties (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-92 and § 40-6-96)
Pedestrians have obligations too. Crossing at any point other than a crosswalk means yielding the right-of-way to vehicles (§ 40-6-92), and a pedestrian may not suddenly leave a curb into the path of a vehicle that is too close to stop. Where sidewalks are absent, pedestrians should use the shoulder, and on a two-lane road walk on the left facing traffic (§ 40-6-96). Insurers lean on these duties to build a comparative-fault argument.
How Insurers Push Your Fault to 50%
Expect the insurer to argue you jaywalked, crossed against the signal, wore dark clothing at night, or looked at your phone. The 2024 Fulton County MARTA defense verdict above shows the stakes: a pedestrian killed crossing outside a crosswalk at night recovered nothing. Countering these arguments with crosswalk photos, signal timing, witnesses, and evidence of driver speed or distraction is the core of protecting a Georgia pedestrian claim. See our Georgia comparative negligence explainer.
Georgia Pedestrian Crash Data
Pedestrian deaths are a large share of Georgia traffic fatalities and have climbed over the past decade. These figures come from the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), federal FARS data via GHSA, and Smart Growth America.
310
Georgia pedestrian deaths in 2023, about 19% of all traffic deaths (GOHS)
~48%
Share of Georgia pedestrian deaths in the metro Atlanta region
72%
Pedestrian fatalities on roads posted at 40 mph or higher
Georgia Ranks Among the Deadliest States
Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design ranks Georgia among the eight to nine deadliest states for pedestrians, with a death rate around 2.66 per 100,000, and the metro Atlanta area 29th of 101 large metros. Georgia had 310 pedestrian deaths in 2023 (per GOHS), and federal preliminary data put 2024 around 280, still historically high. In 2023 the state also recorded 564 serious pedestrian injuries and 732 hospitalizations.
Buford Highway: the Deadliest Corridor
Buford Highway in metro Atlanta is widely reported as Georgia's deadliest pedestrian corridor. Over a decade, roughly 30 people were killed and 250 injured crossing it, reportedly three times any other Georgia road. It is a seven-lane highway with no median, few sidewalks, and crosswalks about a mile apart, serving a heavily transit-dependent immigrant population, and about a quarter of its pedestrian crashes involve people trying to catch a bus.
Addy's Law (HB 409, 2024)
After 8-year-old Adalynn "Addy" Pierce was killed in Henry County crossing to board her school bus, Georgia enacted Addy's Law, effective July 1, 2024. It directs schools to consider routes that avoid stops requiring a child to cross a road posted at 40 mph or higher, requires stops on the bus-door side of the road, and makes illegally passing a stopped school bus a high-and-aggravated misdemeanor. It reflects how seriously Georgia now treats pedestrian safety, especially for children.
Source: Georgia GOHS 2023 Traffic Safety Facts, GHSA/NHTSA FARS pedestrian data (2023-2024), Smart Growth America Dangerous by Design, and reporting on Buford Highway and HB 409. Counting methods differ between FARS-based and state preliminary figures; each is attributed above.
Georgia Laws That Affect Your Pedestrian Claim
No Caps on Pain and Suffering (Nestlehutt); Punitive DUI Exception
Georgia does not cap economic or non-economic damages in a pedestrian case. The Georgia Supreme Court struck the $350,000 non-economic cap as unconstitutional in Atlanta Oculoplastic Surgery, P.C. v. Nestlehutt (286 Ga. 731, 2010). Punitive damages are capped at $250,000 (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1), but not when the at-fault driver was under the influence, a meaningful exception in impaired-driver pedestrian crashes.
Deadlines: 2-Year SOL and Short Ante Litem Notice
Personal injury and wrongful death each have a 2-year deadline (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). If a government vehicle or entity is involved, ante litem notice is due far sooner: 6 months for a city (§ 36-33-5), 12 months for a county or the State of Georgia. A MARTA bus case carries a short pre-suit notice (widely reported as 6 months) that an attorney should confirm. See our Georgia statute of limitations page.
Liability Minimums (25/50/25) and the Uninsured Problem
Georgia requires only 25/50/25 in liability coverage, which a serious pedestrian injury exhausts quickly, and an estimated 19 percent of Georgia drivers are uninsured, among the higher rates in the country. That combination makes your own UM/UIM coverage central to a full recovery, as explained above.
How to Maximize Your Georgia Pedestrian Accident Settlement
Get Emergency Care and Document the Injury
Always be evaluated at the ER after being struck; internal injuries and concussions are easy to miss and their documentation drives value. With no PIP, prompt and consistent treatment is what establishes both causation and the value of the claim.
Key point: Georgia has no cap on pain and suffering, so documented permanent injury translates directly into higher non-economic value.
Call Police and Get the Official Crash Report
Make sure an officer documents the scene, the driver's statements, and a fault assessment. In a 50% bar state, an officer's finding that you were lawfully in a crosswalk, or that the driver failed to stop, is powerful evidence.
Key point: If you are transported before the report is complete, follow up to obtain it and confirm your account is reflected.
Preserve Crosswalk and Camera Evidence Fast
Photograph the crosswalk, signals, lighting, and point of impact. Identify witnesses and look for nearby traffic, doorbell, or business cameras before footage is overwritten, often within days.
Key point: Video showing you had the walk signal, or the driver turning without stopping, is the strongest counter to a comparative-fault argument.
Identify Any Government Vehicle and the Ante Litem Deadline
If a city, county, school-bus, or MARTA vehicle was involved, a short ante litem notice deadline applies (as little as 6 months), separate from the 2-year lawsuit deadline. Identify the responsible entity immediately.
Key point: Government claims have strict procedural rules; this is where early legal help pays for itself.
Do Not Give a Recorded Statement or Accept a Quick Offer
You are not required to give the driver's insurer a recorded statement, and early offers are typically far below fair value because pedestrian injuries are severe.
Key point: Check whether your settlement offer is fair before signing anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a pedestrian accident settlement worth in Georgia?
Georgia pedestrian settlements track injury severity and the strength of the liability case. Minor injuries (sprains, soft tissue, small fractures) generally settle for $10,000 to $75,000, moderate injuries (broken bones, concussion) for $75,000 to $200,000, and severe injuries (multiple fractures, internal injuries, traumatic brain injury) for $200,000 to $750,000. Catastrophic injuries such as spinal cord damage and severe TBI reach $500,000 into the millions, and wrongful death commonly falls between $500,000 and $2,000,000 or more. National pedestrian data shows a mean near $67,500 and a median around $30,000, with the median the more realistic typical figure. Georgia has no caps on pain and suffering, so serious, permanent injuries can recover substantial non-economic damages.
Does Georgia no-fault or PIP cover pedestrians hit by a car?
No. Georgia repealed its no-fault system in 1991 and is a traditional at-fault (tort) state, so there is no mandatory Personal Injury Protection (PIP). An injured pedestrian recovers from the at-fault driver's bodily-injury liability coverage, and, when the driver is uninsured, underinsured, or flees, from the pedestrian's own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which protects you as a pedestrian and even in a hit-and-run without any vehicle of your own being involved. Some people also carry optional MedPay, which pays initial medical bills regardless of fault, but it is not required. Because there is no PIP, establishing the driver's fault is central from the start.
What does Georgia law say about drivers yielding to pedestrians?
Georgia's crosswalk law is unusually strong. Under O.C.G.A. 40-6-91, a driver must stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is on the driver's half of the roadway, or approaching within one lane of it. A 1995 amendment changed the driver's duty from merely yielding to stopping and staying stopped. Drivers also may not pass another vehicle stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian. Pedestrians have duties too: outside a crosswalk they must yield to vehicles (O.C.G.A. 40-6-92), and they may not suddenly leave a curb into the path of a vehicle that is too close to stop.
How does Georgia's 50% fault rule affect pedestrian claims?
Georgia uses modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar (O.C.G.A. 51-12-33). Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and if you are 50 percent or more at fault you recover nothing. Georgia juries also apportion fault among all responsible parties, including nonparties who are not named in the suit. In pedestrian cases, insurers routinely argue the pedestrian jaywalked, crossed against the signal, wore dark clothing at night, or darted out, all aimed at pushing the pedestrian's share to or over the 50% line. A real Georgia example: in a 2024 Fulton County trial, the family of a pedestrian killed by a MARTA bus while crossing outside a crosswalk at night recovered nothing, a defense verdict, despite seeking over $14 million.
Are there caps on pedestrian accident settlements in Georgia?
No. Georgia does not cap economic or non-economic (pain and suffering) damages in a pedestrian accident case. The Georgia Supreme Court struck the state's $350,000 non-economic damages cap as unconstitutional in Atlanta Oculoplastic Surgery, P.C. v. Nestlehutt (286 Ga. 731, 2010). This matters because pedestrian crashes frequently cause permanent, disfiguring, or disabling injuries where pain and suffering is the largest part of the claim. Punitive damages are generally capped at $250,000 under O.C.G.A. 51-12-5.1, but that cap does not apply when the at-fault driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
What is the deadline to file a Georgia pedestrian accident claim?
Georgia gives you 2 years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit (O.C.G.A. 9-3-33), and 2 years for wrongful death. If a government vehicle or entity is involved, much shorter ante litem notice deadlines apply: 6 months for a city (O.C.G.A. 36-33-5), 12 months for a county, and 12 months for the State of Georgia. A pedestrian struck by a MARTA bus faces a short pre-suit notice requirement, widely reported as 6 months, which an attorney should confirm for your specific situation. Missing an ante litem deadline permanently bars the claim, so act quickly when any government vehicle is involved.
How common are pedestrian accidents in Georgia?
Pedestrian deaths are a large and rising share of Georgia traffic fatalities. Georgia recorded 310 pedestrian deaths in 2023 (per the Governor's Office of Highway Safety), about 19 percent of the state's 1,615 traffic deaths, with roughly 48 percent of pedestrian fatalities in the metro Atlanta region. About 72 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur on roads posted at 40 mph or higher. Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design ranks Georgia among the eight to nine deadliest states for pedestrians. Buford Highway in metro Atlanta is widely reported as the state's deadliest pedestrian corridor, a seven-lane road with few crosswalks and no median serving a transit-dependent population.
What if the driver who hit me has no insurance in Georgia?
An estimated 19 percent of Georgia drivers were uninsured in 2023, among the higher rates in the nation. If an uninsured driver hits you, or flees the scene in a hit-and-run, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage becomes the primary route to recovery, and it protects you even though you were on foot. Georgia insurers must offer UM/UIM, and you can only decline it by rejecting it in writing, so many people carry it without realizing. Because Georgia's 25/50/25 minimum limits are quickly exhausted by serious pedestrian injuries, UM/UIM is one of the most important protections a Georgia household can have.
Calculate Your Georgia Pedestrian Accident Settlement Value
Every Georgia pedestrian case is different. Your value depends on your injury and treatment, your fault percentage, and the insurance available, both the driver's liability policy and your own UM/UIM coverage.
Georgia Law Analysis
- • At-fault system with no PIP; UM/UIM for pedestrians
- • Crosswalk stop duty (§ 40-6-91) fault analysis
- • Modified comparative negligence (50% bar)
- • No caps on pain and suffering
Case-Specific Analysis
- • Injury type and severity assessment
- • Treatment type (conservative vs. surgical)
- • County-level jury verdict tendencies
- • Liability limits and UM/UIM coverage
What Is Your Georgia Pedestrian Accident Case Really Worth?
Georgia has no caps on damages and a strong crosswalk law, so a well-documented pedestrian case can be worth far more than the first offer, but the 50% fault bar makes the liability evidence critical. Get a Georgia-specific estimate reviewed by a licensed personal injury attorney.
Calculate My Georgia Pedestrian Settlement Free100% free • Attorney-reviewed • No obligation • Results in 5 minutes
Related Resources
Pedestrian Accident Settlement Calculator
National pedestrian settlement data with severity-based ranges and liability tips
Georgia Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Georgia's 50% fault bar, no caps, ante litem deadlines, and injury ranges
TBI Settlement Calculator
How traumatic brain injuries are valued, a common and high-value pedestrian injury
Georgia Comparative Negligence
How Georgia's 50% bar and fault apportionment reduce or eliminate recovery
Are You An Attorney?
Use AI to estimate settlements for your clients with a SetCalc Professional account.
Learn More
More Georgia Settlement Calculators
Car Accident Settlement Calculators in Other States
Related Resources
Georgia Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Georgia car accident settlement values by county and injury type, no caps on pain and suffering, 50% fault bar
Georgia Back Injury Settlement Calculator
Georgia herniated disc and spinal fusion settlements - no caps on pain and suffering, 50% fault bar, real GA verdicts
Georgia Truck Accident Settlement Calculator
Georgia 18-wheeler settlement values, FMCSA insurance limits, multiple-defendant liability, and Atlanta freight corridors
Georgia Motorcycle Accident Settlement Calculator
Georgia motorcycle settlement values, universal helmet law, no caps on pain and suffering, and the 50% fault bar