After An Accident, Do Not Wait To Get Trusted Help

Report Indicates Deadliest US City for Pedestrians is in Central Florida

On Behalf of | Mar 19, 2019 | Car Accidents, Personal Injury Law |

shutterstock_297577553

The results of a recent study are in, and the findings may be disturbing for Floridians who like to get around by walking. Online news source ClickOrlando.com reported that the Orlando metropolitan area has the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in the US. Worse, all of the five deadliest US cities for walkers are located in Florida, with Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Sarasota, Lakeland claiming spots 2 – 5. In total, eight Sunshine State cities were listed in the Top 20 too dangerous places to walk.

If you were injured in this type of incident, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your losses and an Ocala pedestrian accidents attorney can help. However, some statistics and a summary of how these cases work may also be informative.

Statistics on Pedestrian Accidents in Florida and Marion County: A total of 659 people lost their lives and another 8,126 were hurt across Florida in 2017. This figure is mostly in line with the three-year average from 2015-2017, in which more than 650 walkers were killed and around 8,000 suffered injuries in car-pedestrian collisions.

In Marion County alone, there were 16 fatalities and 132 people injured in pedestrian accidents in 2017. These numbers represent a significant jump over 2016, when 13 individuals were killed and 96 victims were hurt. 

How Wrongful Death Claims Work: When you lose a loved one in an accident, you may have rights similar to those in other personal injury claims. Florida law allows a surviving spouse, children, and parents of a deceased victim to file a wrongful death claim to recover monetary damages. Certain other family members may also have standing to bring a lawsuit if they were financially dependent on the decedent. It’s possible to recover for such losses as:

  • Financial support;
  • Care, comfort, and guidance;
  • Companionship and protection;
  • Funeral and burial costs;
  • Expenses related to the deceased’s medical care; and,
  • Other monetary damages depending on your situation. 

Pedestrian Accidents and Comparative Fault: One issue that could affect the amount of compensation in a wrongful death action is the legal concept of comparative fault. Under this rule, your monetary damages are reduced if the deceased victim was partly responsible for causing his or her own death. Examples might be where the pedestrian:

  • Ignored a traffic sign or signal;
  • Strayed outside or failed to use a crosswalk;
  • Did not cross the street at intersection, also known as jaywalking; or,
  • Otherwise acted in a way as to present an unreasonable risk of bodily harm to himself or herself.

Comparative negligence rules reduce the amount of compensation you can recover by the percentage of fault attributable to the deceased victim’s acts.

Schedule a Free Consultation with an Ocala, FL Pedestrian Accidents Lawyer 

If you were hurt or lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident, please call Ocala, FL pedestrian accidents lawyers, Piccin & Glynn today. You can set up a no-cost case assessment by calling our Ocala, FL office at 352-558-8480 or going online. We can tell you more about your rights and legal remedies after reviewing the circumstances of your case.

Resource:

clickorlando.com/news/the-most-dangerous-city-for-pedestrians-is-in-central-florida

Archives