Trial-Experienced Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of roads and sidewalks. Without the protective walls of a vehicle, or even the potential means of escaping an accident afforded by a bicycle, pedestrians have little to keep themselves from serious injury from oncoming cars and trucks. Without any shield from an accident, pedestrians are at risk of suffering devastating injuries when hit.
A pedestrian accident can alter the course of a victim’s life. Victims of Florida pedestrian accidents are often left with a mountain of medical debt. After suffering painful injuries such as broken bones, lacerations, or brain injuries, they might not be able to return to the work they once did, sometimes permanently.
After a pedestrian accident in Florida, hiring a skilled personal injury attorney can make all the difference in the amount of damages you’re awarded for your injuries. At Meldon Law, we’ve spent decades going to bat for accident victims in Florida, and we know how to win. Don’t wait to take action after an accident. Contact the experienced Florida pedestrian accident attorneys at Meldon Law to receive a free evaluation of your claim.
Florida is one of the nation’s most dangerous states for pedestrians
Florida holds the dubious distinction of being one of the most dangerous places in the US for pedestrians. In multiple surveys, Florida has ranked first among all states in the number of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents. Florida was also found to be one of five states whose pedestrian fatality totals accounted for 47% of all pedestrian fatalities in the country. Nine of the nation’s 13 metropolitan areas found to have the highest pedestrian fatality rates are located in Florida. One year, a single city in Florida was the location of 20% of the entire nation’s pedestrian fatalities. In other words, Florida’s pedestrians are at grave risk of injury.
What are the most common reasons for pedestrian accidents?
Why does Florida experience so many more pedestrian fatalities than other states? The reasons aren’t entirely clear as to why Florida’s roads are so disproportionately dangerous for pedestrians. Safety experts have found that the following are some of the most common reasons that pedestrians become victims of vehicle accidents:
- Low visibility: In general, over half of all pedestrian accidents occur at night. Among pedestrian fatalities occurring at night, a larger share occurs on unlit roads than roads with street lights. The greater prevalence of nighttime fatalities is due in part to the lowered visibility but is also attributable to the greater likelihood that drivers are intoxicated when driving after dark.
- Speeding: Drivers traveling at an unsafe rate of speed are less likely to notice that a pedestrian has entered the roadway and are traveling too fast to come to a stop in time to avoid hitting a pedestrian.
- Distracted driving: Drivers who are distracted by their cell phones or in-vehicle entertainment centers are another major cause of pedestrian accidents. Even if drivers aren’t staring at their phones when the collision occurs, drivers attempting to use their phones or entertainment systems while driving are more prone to simply making quick glances up at the road. These quick glances do not afford drivers enough time to scan the road ahead for smaller visual objects, such as persons on foot or riding a bicycle, causing them to injure these individuals.
- Dangerous intersection or roadway design: Some intersections are designed so that oncoming drivers do not have an optimal view of pedestrian crosswalks. Likewise, some roadways offer few safe crossing locations for pedestrians, forcing them to run between lights to get to their destination. Without a safe, visible place to cross, pedestrians are at risk of injury by passing traffic.
Get Help from a Florida Pedestrian Accident Attorney
If you or someone you love has suffered a pedestrian accident in Florida, you don’t have to fight with massive insurance companies on your own. These corporations employ hundreds of adjusters and attorneys who focus their energies on denying accident victims claims or attempting to pay less than what they’re owed. Without a background in injury or insurance law, it can be difficult not to feel hopeless and overwhelmed when going up against these goliaths.
After an accident, get the legal help you can rely on from the Florida pedestrian accident victim attorneys at Meldon Law. We know all the tactics that insurance companies use to try to bully accident victims into accepting a cheap settlement. We make sure that our clients don’t get taken advantage of during settlement negotiations by accepting less than they deserve for their injuries. Contact Meldon Law to discuss your legal options after a pedestrian injury accident.
