In case you haven’t heard: October is National Pedestrian Safety Month!
This national initiative is designed to call attention to pedestrian safety and what municipalities can do to help curb the incidence of pedestrian-involved accidents.
Officials from the Florida Highway Patrol are actively engaged in outreach efforts to educate drivers and pedestrians alike about pedestrian safety issues to ensure safer roads.
Filing pedestrian accident claims
People who have been injured in a pedestrian accident and wish to file a personal injury claim against the negligent party must be able to prove that negligence if they are to succeed.
Drivers may be liable in pedestrian accident cases in circumstances such as:
- Not yielding the right of way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk
- Traveling at a high rate of speed during the collision
- Driving while under the influence of drugs, alcohol or other altering substances
In fact, the majority of pedestrian accident cases involve drivers who were negligent in their actions. There are, however, some circumstances in which pedestrians can at least share liability, such as if they walk out into a busy street where there is no realistic opportunity for a driver to slow down or otherwise avoid them.
Florida pedestrian accidents have been occurring in elevated numbers in recent years, and with widespread problems with distracted drivers and pedestrians alike, these types of statewide and national initiatives are important to helping create safer roads.
For more information about the steps you must take if you are to file a personal injury claim after being injured in a pedestrian accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez &Walsh.