Most Common Causes of Florida Pedestrian Accidents

December 17, 2021 | Attorney, Matthew Dolman
Most Common Causes of Florida Pedestrian Accidents

What Causes Florida Pedestrian Accidents?

Florida sees some of the most pedestrian accidents in the entire country with hundreds of people ending up harmed by motor vehicle collisions while walking. The injuries suffered because of these collisions inflict severe damages which can place a lot of strain on one's financial stability. Pedestrian accidents are often caused by drivers that fail to follow the rules of the road and their negligence can make them liable. Knowing what primarily causes these accidents can help you to determine how exactly the person who caused your accident was negligent. 

Speeding

One of the most common reasons for all accidents involving motor vehicles is speeding. It is very easy for someone to lose track of how fast they are going and speed. On the other hand, many people simply neglect to follow speed limits out of a disregard for the law. Regardless of why people speed, the risk it creates for accidents is the same.  Pedestrians are often hit because a vehicle was traveling too fast which caused the driver to not have enough time to brake or avoid a pedestrian. This also causes especially severe damage compared to other accident causes because of the increased velocity at which the vehicle strikes the pedestrian. 

Distracted Driving

Drivers can become distracted when they drive which puts pedestrians at risk. Distracted driving can take on a number of forms that all can affect a person in different ways. Cognitive, manual, and visual distractions all take away from your ability to operate a vehicle safely and put others in danger of being involved in a collision.  Most commonly, drivers caused distracted driving accidents when they use their smartphones while operating their vehicles. However, anything from eating while driving, to adjusting car settings can be considered a dangerous distraction and make someone liable if they end up causing an accident. 

Failure to Stop

Stop signs are not a suggestion and neither are red lights. Despite this, many drivers recklessly ignore not just these but other traffic signals as well and end up causing pedestrian accidents. Drivers that run red lights and ignore stop signs can easily hit a pedestrian that is following traffic signals and rules to the letter with the expectation that the way is clear. 

Failure to Yield to Pedestrians

Many drivers can become frustrated with pedestrians and many more simply do not afford them the courtesy that they are owed. It is a rule of thumb that cars need to afford pedestrians the right of way and yield to them. Many drivers erroneously place priority on their own use of the road rather than pedestrians and fail to stop which can end up causing a pedestrian accident. Drivers are expected to yield to pedestrians and not the other way around. 

Poor Vehicle Maintenance

There are a fair amount of pedestrian accidents that occur because of a failure on the vehicle's part to stop in time to avoid colliding with a pedestrian. However, one cannot simply pass off the fault to the car. Having a vehicle be maintained in a satisfactory operating condition so as to avoid accidents like this is the car owner's responsibility. 

Driving Under the Influence

Pedestrian accidents are regularly caused by negligent drivers that operate their vehicles while under the influence. While alcohol is the most commonly abused substance that leads to pedestrian accidents, driving under the influence can also involve other substances such as amphetamines, opioids, hallucinogens, and certain medications. Driving under the influence is not just dangerous and puts pedestrians and drivers at risk but it is also illegal.  To a lesser extent, substance abuse can also occur on the other side of a pedestrian accident. Some pedestrians can end up involved in collisions with motor vehicles when they themselves are walking while under the influence. This can lead to the same issues with poor judgement, reduced perception, and bad motor control that can increase the risk of an accident occurring. Pedestrians that do something reckless and negligent like drunkenly crossing the middle of the street can potentially be considered partially at fault which can affect a potential claim.

Seek an Experienced Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one have sustained a severe injury in a pedestrian accident, you are no doubt going through a difficult time. Severe injuries bring physical pain, emotional stress, and financial hardship to victims and their families. In some cases, these struggles may only be short-term; in severe cases, permanent disabilities caused by a TBI lead to lifelong complications, pain, and financial difficulty. Florida law entitles pedestrian accident victims to seek damages in civil court from liable parties. You may be able to recover medical costs and lost wages, as well as future medical expenses and future lost wages for long-term disabilities. The court might also award you non-economic damages such as compensation for pain and suffering, loss of consortium, scarring and disfigurement, or any other that might apply to your case. You and your family don't have to fight the liable party and their insurance companies alone. Focus on recovery and rehabilitation while you hand over the day-to-day aspects of your case to one of our skilled personal injury attorneys, who will help you pursue the best possible outcome for your situation. We typically handle personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis, only collecting attorney fees after we secure a verdict or settlement in our clients' favor. To schedule a free consultation with Dolman Law Group about your case you can either fill out a contact form online or contact our office at (954) 302-7068. Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA 800 North Belcher Road Clearwater, FL 33765 (727) 451-6900 https://www.dolmanlaw.com/pedestrian-accident-lawyer/florida/

 

Matthew Dolman

Personal Injury Lawyer

This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits.  Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.

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