Carlos Jimenez, a Florida pedestrian accident attorney in Boca Raton has seen many cases of pedestrian accidents that result in debilitating injuries or death. In 2011 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) reported 69,000 pedestrian injury accidents and 4,432 fatal pedestrian accidents nationwide; 490 of the fatal accidents occurred in Florida. Many of these fatalities and injuries are caused by negligent and dangerous drivers.
24/7 Injury Law has a Florida pedestrian accident lawyer for West Palm Beach and all major South Florida cities that can help you understand your legal options and discuss your specific case so that you know what to expect throughout the legal process. A South Florida accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale knows that pedestrian accidents can have serious, lifelong consequences for victims and their families, and if the accident was caused by the negligence of another, you deserve justice.
Our Florida Pedestrian Accident Attorney of Boca Raton Knows the Laws for Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian laws in the state provide specific protection for pedestrians’ right to safe travel near roadways, but also require that pedestrians follow the rules, too. Both sides of a pedestrian accident claim need to know their rights, and our Florida pedestrian accident lawyer of West Palm Beach is here to help South Florida residents understand their rights and responsibilities in such cases.
For example, pedestrians are required to walk on sidewalks when one is provided and to adhere to pedestrian control signals. If a signal is not present, they should follow the traffic signals at the intersection when crossing the street.
Like drivers, pedestrians are required to use caution when walking along the road or crossing the street. Unfortunately, following the rules may not be enough to protect pedestrians if a careless or reckless driver fails to abide by the law. The good news is, a South Florida accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can help injured pedestrians obtain compensation from these reckless drivers when they suffer serious injuries due to their negligence.
If you, as a pedestrian, are in an area marked to allow pedestrians to safely cross the street, drivers must be diligent in yielding so you may safely cross the road. Drivers must not overtake other vehicles that have stopped at a crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross.
But did you know that not all crosswalks are marked? All sides of an intersection are considered crosswalks, even if they are not physically marked. A South Florida accident lawyer of Fort Lauderdale can help prevent a negligent driver’s excuse of “oh, they weren’t in the crosswalk lines” from preventing your ability to collect the injury settlement you deserve.
But pedestrian accidents in Florida may also occur at non-intersections and may be caused by distracted or reckless drivers. For example, within the few seconds a driver may take his or her eyes off the street, a vehicle speeding down the highway can veer off the road and strike a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk.
Whatever the case, a pedestrian injured by a negligent driver may file a claim to recover compensation from the driver who caused the accident and resultant injuries.
But one of the main complications of pedestrian accidents that a Florida pedestrian accident attorney of Boca Raton can help your family deal with is the occurrence of a hit-and-run. According to Florida law, a driver must remain at the scene of an accident and notify the authorities. If there is no driver to hold liable for your injuries, collecting an injury settlement to cover damages like medical bills or lost wages can become extremely difficult without the help of a Florida pedestrian accident lawyer in West Palm Beach.
A South Florida accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can handle cases involving hit-and-run drivers to explore the recovery options that may be available, such as from the victim’s own insurance coverage.
A Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in West Palm Beach Can Help Recover Compensation for Critical Injuries or Wrongful Death
Some of the injuries that may result from a pedestrian accident in South Florida are:
- fractures;
- spinal cord injury;
- paralysis;
- brain injuries;
- lacerations;
- loss of limb(s);
- herniated discs; and
- scarring.
Severe injuries such as these can become costly in terms of medical bills and lost wages. Recovery may take months, even years, and not all of these injuries will heal completely. Long-term or permanent disability is a risk that many of these injuries pose to pedestrians who have suffered damages due to a negligent driver. All of these matters are important to your family, but rarely will they be of concern to the insurance company when evaluating your settlement. You need a dedicated South Florida accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to advocate on your behalf.
A South Florida Accident Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale Can Help You Recover Damages after a Pedestrian Accident
As the victim of another’s negligence, you have a right to seek compensation for your damages through a personal injury lawsuit with the help of a Florida pedestrian accident attorney in Boca Raton. Due to Florida’s no-fault laws, your own insurance will be your first source of compensation for your damages. However, in some situations a pedestrian may not have adequate coverage to deal with the injuries suffered in a South Florida pedestrian accident.
In Florida, a pedestrian who does not own a car may be eligible for up to $10,000 in coverage for medical expenses. This coverage would be demanded through the insurance company of the car or vehicle that struck the victim. Seeking this compensation can be frustrating when you’re trying to focus on recovery from your injuries, which is where a Florida pedestrian accident lawyer in West Palm Beach can come to your aid.
A South Florida accident lawyer of Fort Lauderdale will investigate all avenues of recovery of damages and will aggressively pursue compensation for:
- pain and suffering;
- medical care and treatment;
- loss of income;
- loss of consortium (loss of services to your spouse);
- money for future medical care and treatment; and
- other damages depending on your specific case
Pedestrians are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to surviving an accident with a vehicle. While the driver will have the protection of the car to shield them from injury, pedestrians rarely has any safety gear to protect them from the thousands of pounds of speeding metal. In many of these pedestrian accident cases, death is an unfortunate result. Families of pedestrians killed in accidents with negligent drivers have the right to seek the services of a South Florida accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to seek compensation in a wrongful death claim.
The injuries you may sustain in serious West Palm Beach pedestrian accidents can cause life-long disabilities. Many victims of pedestrian accidents become unable to work, especially if they suffered damage to their brain or spinal cord. In cases such as these, you should be working with a Florida pedestrian accident attorney in Boca Raton. A properly settled pedestrian injury lawsuit should compensate for future income loss and pain and suffering if you sustain a permanent injury such as brain damage, paralysis or loss of limb.
Legal Representation from a Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in West Palm Beach Can Help Build Your Injury or Wrongful Death Claim
No matter what the circumstances, you have the right to work with a South Florida pedestrian accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to protect your rights as a pedestrian. Even if you felt you were “in the wrong” for crossing at an undesignated crosswalk or jaywalking, there is typically little excuse for a driver to have struck a pedestrian.
Victims of South Florida pedestrian accidents have the right to seek legal guidance and representation from a Florida pedestrian accident attorney in Boca Raton when they seek a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. At 24/7 Injury Law every South Florida accident lawyer at our Fort Lauderdale and South Florida offices strives to ensure every pedestrian has the opportunity to seek compensation for injuries incurred due to the negligence of another.
Proving negligence in a South Florida pedestrian accident involves developing a solid case with evidence of driver negligence. Fault in a pedestrian accident case can be shown through evidence such as:
- photographs of the accident scene;
- police reports;
- medical records;
- witness statements; and
- expert testimony.
Gathering this evidence takes up your time that could be better spent recovering from your injuries and dealing with other important life and family matters. That’s why many pedestrian accident victims trust a South Florida accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to handle these details for them.
One of the biggest reliefs we provide to our clients is that a Florida pedestrian accident attorney in Boca Raton will handle the correspondence between you and the insurance companies. No more phone calls or letters to deal with when you are trying to recover from your injuries – a Florida pedestrian accident lawyer in West Palm Beach from our firm keeps a detailed case file for every victim to track all correspondence regarding your case.
A common reason many pedestrian injury claims are denied is due to inadequate evidence of the victim’s injuries and the driver’s fault for the accident. Insurance companies often collect recorded statements from victims within days, sometimes hours of the accident. When you are hospitalized or fresh out of the ER, you’re not always in the best frame of mind to be discussing the details of your case.
The sooner you choose a South Florida accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to represent your pedestrian accident case, the sooner you can relax knowing your rights are being protected by a professional. You don’t have to give a recorded statement to the insurance company, and your Florida pedestrian accident attorney of Boca Raton will work to reach a fair and complete settlement for your damages.
Contact Our South Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale
There’s no time to waste when it comes to establishing a case regarding pedestrian accidents. In Florida, you must file personal injury claims within four years of the accident.
24/7 Injury Law, with a South Florida pedestrian accident lawyer of Fort Lauderdale, offers a free initial consultation during which we will evaluate your claim, answer your questions, and advise you of your options. A Florida pedestrian accident lawyer of West Palm Beach from our firm will take every action to get you the compensation that your case deserves and we will guide you through the process step by step.
Whether you come in to one of our convenient offices located in Boynton Beach or Fort Lauderdale, or a South Florida accident lawyer of Fort Lauderdale comes to you, there’s no reason you shouldn’t exercise your right to working with a trusted attorney. Call 888-984-4878 today to get the answers to your questions about how a South Florida accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can help your pedestrian accident case.