A woman was killed this April as she pushed a stroller across the road in Port Charlotte. This mother, who was visiting the area on vacation, was taking an early morning walk with her son when she was struck by an SUV.
Mariah Klinefelter, of the Pittsburgh area, was attempting to cross the street in an area of Appleton Boulevard with no sidewalks or crosswalks. She suffered fatal injuries when the SUV hit her. Her five-month-old son in the stroller suffered broken bones, but is expected to survive. The police are calling the crash an accident, and there are no pending charges against the driver. Residents in the area are calling for the immediate installation of sidewalks.
Like many vacationers each year, the 35-year-old woman was visiting the area to spend time with her family. The beaches in the Sarasota area, from Anna Maria and Longboat Key to Sanibel Island, are a major tourist draw. People come to enjoy the weather, relax and participate in recreational activities.
Many of these activities — from something as simple as the morning stroll Mariah Klinefelter was taking, to more active recreation such as water-skiing or hang-gliding — come with risks. These risks are often exacerbated by the actions or negligence of others. When vacationers are hurt by someone’s negligence while they are in Florida, they may feel that their options are limited because they are far from home.
In these situations, it is helpful to work with accident attorneys who are experienced at helping out-of-state victims pursue compensation from people and businesses located in Florida. To learn more about your rights after a Florida vacation injury, consult the personal injury attorneys at the Bradenton firm of Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.