Every year, close to 5,000 people die in the United States when they are struck by moving vehicles. Thousands more are hurt in auto-pedestrian accidents, leaving many individuals in Florida and throughout the country struggling to find their new normal after suffering serious and sometimes profound injuries in crashes with cars. Florida families are not immune from these tragedies, and some have paid the ultimate price when their loved ones lost their lives from collisions with automobiles.
Many auto-pedestrian crashes are caused by driver negligence. When a driver behaves negligently, they fail to meet their duty of care to operate their motor vehicle as a reasonable person would in their given set of circumstances. Examples of driver negligence may include but are not limited to speeding, ignoring traffic laws or signals, driving while intoxicated or failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
In recent years, distracted driving has become a major problem throughout the United States. Distracted driving involves operating a motor vehicle in addition to doing another task at the same time. In particular, cellphone use and texting have caused many motorists to allow their focus to shift away from the task of driving when they are driving, which can cause devastating motor vehicle accidents with others, including pedestrians.
Losses from a pedestrian accident can be far-reaching and some victims may require financial support to help them get through the rest of their lives. Victims of auto-pedestrian accidents can protect their rights and may benefit from consultations with personal injury attorneys. With the help of knowledgeable lawyers some victims may opt to litigate their claims in order to pursue their losses.