Buford Highway pedestrian accidents in DeKalb, explained.

WHICH BLOCK WERE YOU ON

Which stretch of Buford Highway were you on?

Buford Highway is State Route 13. In DeKalb County it runs northeast through Brookhaven, Chamblee and Doraville to the Gwinnett County line. Each city has its own police department and its own claim rules, so the block where you were hit decides who wrote the report and who may need written notice.

Maybe you were crossing to the bus stop after a late shift. Maybe a driver turned right on red while you were already in the crosswalk. You were on foot and the car wasn’t, and the days since have been hard. People say “I got hit on Buford Highway” as if it’s one place. It isn’t. Two blocks can mean two different cities. Not sure where you were? The Atlanta office that handles Buford Highway cases can work it out from a store name, a cross street or a bus stop.

Don’t sign anything from an insurance company, whether it’s a statement, a medical release or a check, before you’ve talked with an attorney.

Where you were on Buford Highway	Usually inside	Who usually responds	Who may need written notice
Around North Druid Hills Road and Briarwood Road, north to Clairmont Road	City of Brookhaven	Brookhaven Police	The City of Brookhaven, generally within six months
From Clairmont Road northeast toward Chamblee Tucker Road	City of Chamblee	Chamblee Police	The City of Chamblee, generally within six months
Farther northeast, through the I-285 interchange to the Gwinnett County line	City of Doraville	Doraville Police	The City of Doraville, generally within six months
Pockets along the road and side streets that sit outside any city	Unincorporated DeKalb County	DeKalb County Police	DeKalb County, generally within twelve months
Anywhere on the road, if the road itself played a part	State Route 13, a state highway	Any of the above, or a Georgia State Patrol trooper	The State of Georgia, generally within twelve months

City lines along Buford Highway zigzag. A mailing address can name one city while the curb belongs to another, and the southern end runs close to Atlanta city limits. The officer’s card and the top of the crash report settle the question, so keep both.

Who writes the report on Buford Highway?

The police department that responds keeps your report. Inside Brookhaven, Chamblee or Doraville, that’s usually the city’s own police. In unincorporated pockets, DeKalb County Police usually respond. A Georgia State Patrol trooper may also work a crash on the highway. The agency named on the officer’s card is the one to ask for a copy.

Lost the card, or left in an ambulance before anyone handed you one? Our guide to requesting a DeKalb crash report walks through each agency and what to bring.

Why are crosswalks so far apart?

Buford Highway was built for speed, with wide lanes and long blocks. Signalized crosswalks can be a long walk apart, so many people cross between them, often to reach a bus or get home. Insurers like to point to that. In Georgia, crossing outside a crosswalk doesn’t automatically end a claim, and drivers still have to watch the road.

Georgia uses a comparative fault rule. If you share some of the blame, your recovery can be reduced, and it can be barred if you’re found mostly at fault. That’s why the small details matter: the lighting, the driver’s speed, where the nearest signal was and whether the driver was looking at a phone. If you were hit by a car while walking, those details are worth writing down now.

How do bus stops change your claim?

Many people cross Buford Highway to reach a bus stop. MARTA’s Route 39 runs the corridor between Lindbergh Center and Doraville, and a stop doesn’t always sit at a signal. If a stop’s placement, missing lighting or a broken signal played a part, a government body may share responsibility, and its notice deadline can be short.

If you were hurt on a bus, or while getting on or off one, read about claims involving a MARTA bus. A different set of rules can apply, and the clock can start the day you were hurt.

What if the driver didn’t stop?

Hit-and-runs happen often on Buford Highway, and they take away the thing a claim usually starts with: the driver’s name. Evidence fades fast. Security cameras at shops and gas stations often record over themselves within days. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may also pay, even though you were on foot when you were hit.

Write down every store, restaurant and gas station near the spot where you were hit, and anyone who was waiting at the stop. Our Georgia pedestrian accident lawyers can ask those businesses to save their video and track down people who saw it happen.

How long do you have after a Buford Highway crash?

It depends on who you’re claiming against. A claim against a driver generally has a two-year deadline to file suit in Georgia. If a city, DeKalb County or the state played a part, written notice can be due much sooner. For a city, that’s generally six months from the day you were hurt.

Who you’re claiming against	What usually comes first	How long, generally
The driver, or the company the driver worked for	A claim with their insurer, then a lawsuit if needed	Two years to file suit, under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33
The City of Brookhaven, Chamblee or Doraville	A written ante litem notice to the city	Six months, under O.C.G.A. § 36-33-5
DeKalb County	A written notice to the county	Twelve months, under O.C.G.A. § 36-11-1
The State of Georgia, for a defect on State Route 13	A written ante litem notice to the state	Twelve months, under O.C.G.A. § 50-21-26

Hit on Buford Highway in the last few weeks? Call us today at 404-609-1075. We’ll work out which city you were in, who has the report and which clock applies to you. For the county side, read about DeKalb County courts and notice deadlines.

Where does the DeKalb stretch end?

Buford Highway leaves DeKalb a little past the I-285 interchange and enters Gwinnett County. Past that line, a different county police force, different courts and different deadlines apply. If you were hurt on the Gwinnett side, our Duluth office handles those cases, and the first questions are the same: where, who responded and which clock.

Start with our Gwinnett County crash report guide. If you were hurt on the interstate itself rather than on Buford Highway, our I-285 Perimeter crash guide explains who works crashes on the loop.

What does this mean for your claim?

Kenneth S. Nugent, P.C. has helped injured Georgians since 1980. A pedestrian case on Buford Highway turns on details that disappear fast: video, witnesses and the exact spot where you were standing. The sooner someone gathers them, the stronger your side of the story. You pay nothing up front, and zero fee unless we win. You can see every kind of crash we take on our motor vehicle accident attorneys page.

What should you do this week?

1. Get medical care, and keep every discharge paper and bill.
2. Write down the nearest cross street, store or bus stop, which side of the road you were on and the time.
3. Find the officer’s card or report number, and note which department it came from.
4. List the businesses with cameras facing the road, and anyone who stopped to help.
5. Call 404-609-1075 and talk with our Atlanta pedestrian injury team. Don’t give a recorded statement or sign anything first.

What do the Buford Highway terms mean?

• State Route 13. The state highway number for Buford Highway. A state route is a state road, even where it runs through a city.
• Ante litem notice. A written notice some government bodies must get before you can sue them. It’s Latin for “before the lawsuit.”
• Unincorporated. Land inside a county but outside any city. County police and county rules usually apply there.
• Comparative fault. Georgia’s rule for sharing blame. Your recovery can go down by your share of fault.
• Uninsured motorist coverage. Part of your own auto policy that can pay when the driver who hit you has no insurance or can’t be found.
• Crash report custodian. The agency that keeps the official report, and the one you ask for a copy.