Injured in a pedestrian accident? An experienced pedestrian accident attorney is here to help you recover damages for your injuries. Contact us for a free consultation.
Throughout the state of Florida, pedestrian accidents occur several times each month. Florida’s busy city roads in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Miami pose significant risks to pedestrians who walk to work or school as well as those who simply enjoy walking for fitness and recreation.
Pedestrian accidents involve any occurrence of a traffic accident in which a person on foot, roller skates, or in a wheelchair is struck by a motor vehicle and injured or killed.
Florida’s major cities possess some of the highest pedestrian accident fatality rates in the entire US.
An injured pedestrian may have a right to recoup any financial losses due to medical treatment, time missed from work, and pain and suffering if the motorist who hit them is found to be at-fault or negligent.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Most pedestrian accidents involve a pedestrian and a car, but there have also been cases of pedestrians being struck by bicycles or motorcycles.
- According to the CDC an average of 460 people are admitted to hospital emergency rooms for pedestrian-accident injuries every day (24 hours)
- The state of Florida ranks #2 in the US with the most fatal pedestrian accidents
- The Tampa-Florida-Clearwater area ranked as the #5 most dangerous area in the US for pedestrians in 2011, with 905 deaths
- Four out of five pedestrian fatalities occur outside of designated crosswalk areas
- An average of nearly 4,200 pedestrian fatalities have occurred annually over the past 3 consecutive years in the US
- Pedestrian accidents are the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages 5 to 14 in the US
- In 2010, nearly one in every five children between the ages of 5 and 9 who were killed in traffic crashes was a pedestrian
- The pedestrian accident mortality rate increases with age
- Pedestrians ages 65 and older accounted for 19% of all pedestrian deaths and an estimated 11% of all pedestrians injured in 2010
- Teens account for nearly 50% of all child pedestrian injuries over the past five years
- In 2010, more than 80% of child pedestrian deaths occurred at non‐intersection locations
- The pedestrian death rate among teens is twice that of younger children
Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
All pedestrians are advised to walk on sidewalks and to use crosswalks at all times. If a sidewalk is not available, walking on the shoulder or as far away from the road as possible while facing traffic is recommended. Under Florida law, drivers must yield for pedestrians who have already entered a crosswalk, provided the driver can do so safely and reasonably.
Despite exercising common sense and discipline, pedestrian accidents still occur through the state of Florida. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a pedestrian accident, its advisable to contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your case as soon as possible.
