Florida Injury Attorney Blog

A 47-year-old Florida man was seriously injured on Tuesday when he was hit by a car. The Florida Highway Patrol says that Fort Walton Beach resident James P. Dreyer was crossing the road when the accident happened. The FHP has ordered an investigation to determine whether charges need to be filed.

If someone you love has been injured or killed in a pedestrian accident, our South Florida injury lawyers can help determine whether you can recover compensation from the parties responsible. Although criminal charges may not be filed against a driver, you may still be able to hold him or her civilly liable for personal injury or wrongful death.

Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents happen far too often. NHTSA statistics report that nearly 5,000 pedestrians are killed each year in traffic accidents. Although some of these deaths are a result of pedestrian negligence, many injuries and deaths occur because a driver was speeding, distracted, driving under the influence, or text messaging/talking on the phone.

Pedestrians have absolutely no protection from the impact of being struck by a bus, truck, car, motorcycle, or train, and the injuries are often catastrophic. Florida’s sunny weather and its beaches, many universities and schools, and different recreational parks make the state easily prone to pedestrian accidents because there are bicyclists, skateboarders, vacationers, and others walking to and from their respective destinations on the state's sidewalks and roads throughout the year.

Whether you are a Florida resident or a visiting tourist, Our South Florida personal injury law firm can evaluate your pedestrian injury case for you and help you determine your legal options. We have the resources to help you pursue your full recovery.

Injured FWB pedestrian identified, NWF DailyNews.com, June 24, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Traffic Safety Facts, NHTSA.gov

Pedestrian Crash Facts, Walkinginfo.org

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In Collier County, Florida, two men sustained serious injuries when they were struck by two motor vehicles on February 2.

Naples residents Ernesto Perez, 34, and Juan Domingo, 32, were walking on Santa Barbara Boulevard at about 2am, when either one or both of them was hit by a 2002 GMC Sierra driven by Ryan Helms, 22. Both men were then struck by a white Ford pickup truck. The Florida Highway Patrol says that both vehicles left the accident scene after striking the two pedestrians.

Helms was later apprehended on Weber Boulevard close to 1st Avenue. Police have charged him with leaving the accident and DUI.

Anyone who leaves the scene of a motor vehicle accident or is apprehended for drunk driving in Florida is subject to criminal charges upon arrest. If a hit and run motorist or a drunk driver injures or kills another person during the accident, he or she may be named as the defendant of a personal injury or a wrongful death lawsuit.

Although Florida’s mandatory No-Fault (PIP) insurance coverage provides some coverage to drivers and others injured in motor vehicle accidents, there are many instances when personal injury claims must still be filed to compensate the injured person for their injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other costs.

Our Florida auto accident law firm has handled many Naples personal injury cases for motorists, pedestrians, and other injury victims in South Florida.

Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrians injured in motor vehicle accidents tend to sustain serious—if not fatal—injuries. Unlike car drivers, bus drivers, and truckers, pedestrians have no protection from the impact and speed of a collision involving a motor vehicle. Massive head injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, broken bones, severed limbs, other serious injuries, and even death can result.

Causes of Pedestrian Accidents Include:

• Speeding
• Drunk driving
• Driver inattention
• Driver negligence
• Defective auto or motor vehicle parts
• Falling cargo from a motor vehicle
• Uneven pavements that can cause a pedestrian to slip and fall onto a busy street

Two injured during hit and run, driver charged with DUI, WBBH-HD.com, February 2, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Florida Highway Patrol

FAQs on Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

Continue reading "Two Naples Pedestrians Injured By Hit & Run Drivers in Florida" »

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A 77-year-old man died last Thursday after being struck by a car while crossing the street in Largo. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the man was walking across Seminole Boulevard on the evening of September 6 when he stopped at the center divide. He then stepped in front of the path of a 2006 Honda Civic as he tried to cross the northbound lane.

The elderly pedestrian fell onto the hood of the car and then onto the ground. He was declared dead at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg.

The 22-year-old driver of the Honda stopped at the accident scene, and no charges were filed.

Although there are pedestrian-related deaths and injuries that do occur because the pedestrian was at fault, there are also many pedestrians accidents that occur on Florida’s roads every year because of driver negligence or carelessness.

A 2005 National Highway Transportation Safety Administration survey singled out Florida as the deadliest state for pedestrians. The NHTSA cited 3.24 deaths for every 1,000 residents.

Last year, 29 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in Pinellas. 465 pedestrians sustained injuries in motor vehicle-related crashs. 112 of the pedestrians that were injured had been using crosswalks, as had 5 of the pedestrians that died.

Although a pedestrian cannot prevent a bus driver, car driver, or motorcyclist from exercising caution on the roads, there are safety measure that a person crossing the street can take to lower the chances of becoming the victim of a pedestrian accident.

The Federal Highway Administration offers the following “crossing rules” for pedestrians:

• Always use a marked crosswalk when one is available. The bright white lines of a crosswalk remind motorists to look out for pedestrians.
• STOP at the CURB, edge of road, corner or parked vehicle before proceeding across.
• Look left-right-left, and if it's clear, begin crossing.
• Continue to check for traffic in all directions, especially for vehicles turning "Right-on-Red.
• If there is traffic, make eye contact with the driver/s so they see you, understand your intention, and STOP before you start to cross.

Man, 77, killed when he steps into path of car, St. Petersburg Times, September 8, 2007

Crossing Advice for Pedestrians, FAA

Related Web Resources:

Road Safety for Elderly Pedestrians, Loyola University Health System

Pedestrian Crash Facts, Walkinginfo.org

Continue reading "77-Year-Old Pedestrian Dies in Florida After Being Struck by Car in Largo" »

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Posted In: Pedestrian Accidents

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