Nobody expects to be struck by a vehicle when out for a walk. However, this happens quite often, and it frequently leads to serious injuries. In Florida, pedestrian accidents happen most frequently in the evening, and they are more likely to occur in cities than in rural areas. These accidents tend to happen on sidewalks, crosswalks, and the side of the road. However, pedestrian accidents can happen wherever vehicles and people are present. If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident in Florida, please review the information below, and contact a Florida personal injury attorney as soon as possible for legal assistance.
Damages in pedestrian accidents
A driver who causes a pedestrian accident may be held liable for the following damages:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement or disability
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral expenses if the accident results in death
Florida right-of-way laws
Pedestrians in Florida are required to obey traffic control devices unless otherwise directed by a police official. In addition, if a sidewalk is available for use, pedestrians should not walk in the road. When crossing the road, pedestrians:
- Must obey traffic signals
- May not leave the curb until the traffic signal permits it
- Must keep to the right side of crosswalks
- Must cross the roadway by the shortest route available (unless within a marked crosswalk)
- May only cross a roadway intersection diagonally unless directed otherwise by a traffic device
- May not cross between two adjacent intersections (unless within a marked crosswalk)
Common Injuries
As noted above, pedestrian accidents often result in injuries—many of them serious. Obviously, this is due to the fact that when a person on foot is struck by a large, moving object, such as a car or truck, the results tend to be severe. In fact, pedestrian accidents often result in some of the most severe injuries of all automobile accidents. When a pedestrian strikes the ground after being struck by a speeding vehicle, head injuries, broken bones, and lacerations are common. Other common pedestrian accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Fractures
- Soft tissue injuries
- Paralysis
- Amputations
- Injured extremities
- Emotional trauma
- Death
Hire a Pensacola pedestrian accident attorney
If you’ve suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident in Pensacola, Florida, you need an experienced Florida personal injury attorney on your side. Located in Pensacola, Florida, Staples, Ellis + Associates, P.A., has over seventy years of combined experience representing the victims of pedestrian accidents in Northwest Florida and Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties. At Staples Ellis, we understand the severe trauma caused by pedestrian accidents. Therefore, if you or a loved one have been injured in a pedestrian accident in Pensacola or Northwest Florida, Staples Ellis is here to help. Please contact our office as soon as possible to set up a consultation with one of our talented attorneys.
Posted in: Personal Injury