Ft. Lauderdale Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Help Injured Walkers Get the Fair Settlements They Deserve

With balmy tropical weather all year long, gorgeous beaches and parks, and a vibrant shopping and arts scene, Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area can be wonderful places to explore on foot. However, any time a walk brings a pedestrian near traffic, there is the potential for tragedy. As vehicles have expanded in size and driving speeds have increased, the risk of severe injuries or death from pedestrian accidents has grown. Even a mundane walk through a grocery store parking lot can be dangerous if drivers aren’t paying attention.

If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact RTRLAW today for a free, no-obligation case review at 954-370-5152 or toll-free at 1-833-HIRE-RTR (1-833-447-3787)

Who May Be at Fault for a Pedestrian Accident?

Automobiles pose some of the most significant risks to pedestrians. Vehicles often share space with those walking, particularly in urban areas or parking lots. Mistakes on the part of drivers, such as distracted driving, swerving onto the sidewalk, backing up without looking, texting while driving, and not stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks, can quickly lead to harmful pedestrian accidents. Factors such as speeding and driving under the influence can increase the likelihood of a car striking a pedestrian.

However, not all pedestrian accidents are vehicle-related or can be blamed on driver error. Reckless bicyclists, broken sidewalks, falling debris from construction sites, and other hazards can lead to pedestrian injuries. Our experienced pedestrian accident lawyers at RTRLAW will thoroughly investigate your accident to identify all liable parties, so you can seek compensation for your injuries.

What Can You Do to Stay Safe While Walking?

Walking is a fun, healthy pastime and a great way to explore your city and neighborhood. Unfortunately, walking near roadways comes with risks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 7,000 pedestrians were killed in vehicle-involved accidents in 2020, and more than 100,000 pedestrians had serious injuries that required treatment in the emergency room (ER).

Drivers have a duty to operate their vehicles responsibly and safely, which includes obeying posted signs, following speed limits, and staying focused on their driving. However, some drivers don’t follow the rules of the road, putting pedestrians in danger. While you can’t control the actions of those around you, you can follow these steps to increase your odds of staying safe on your walks:

• Wear reflective clothing in bright colors.
• Use a flashlight at night to make yourself more visible.
• Cross the road at a crosswalk when available.
• Use walking paths to provide distance from vehicles.
• Avoid using noise-canceling headphones or other in-ear devices that can impact your ability to hear the sounds around you.

Why Is It Important to Seek a Medical Evaluation After a Pedestrian Accident?

Cars are made to withstand the forces of an impact, but the human body is much more fragile. Even a low-speed pedestrian accident has the potential to cause significant injuries. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes difficult to gauge how serious your injuries are in the moments after an accident because adrenaline floods your body and can mask the pain of an injury. Frighteningly, even some life-threatening injuries, such as internal bleeding, can go unnoticed by victims for several hours or days after an incident.

Getting a medical evaluation immediately after an accident, regardless of the perceived severity of your injuries, is the best practice. Proper medical care not only protects your health but also safeguards your legal rights by providing irrefutable evidence that you received injuries from the pedestrian accident. If you delay seeking medical care, the responsible party’s insurance company may attempt to argue that your waiting to get a medical evaluation show that you were not as badly injured as you claim or that your injuries were not actually caused by the accident.

After your initial medical visit, be sure to follow the treatment instructions closely and keep all follow-up appointments with your doctor. Your adherence to the doctor’s orders proves that you are doing everything in your power to heal. If you have concerns about paying for necessary medical treatment before your settlement is reached, a helpful pedestrian accident lawyer from RTRLAW can discuss options such as medical liens with you, so you can get the high-quality care you need.

What Injuries Can a Pedestrian Accident Cause?

Vehicle-related pedestrian accidents can result in painful, long-lasting injuries. Even pedestrian accidents caused by bicycles and improperly maintained sidewalks can leave victims struggling to heal and return to their daily lives. Some of the most commonly experienced pedestrian accident injuries include:

• Head trauma, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Broken or fractured bones
• Lacerations and bruising
• Organ damage and internal bleeding
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Facial and dental injuries, including loss of vision and jaw damage
• Crushed or severed extremities
• Ligament tears and musculoskeletal injuries

Because a pedestrian accident can be very sudden and traumatic, victims also may  struggle with mental health effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, phobias, and depression. Sadly, these impacts may last long after the physical injuries have healed.

What Compensation Can You Recover in Your Pedestrian Accident Case?

A pedestrian accident can take a considerable physical, mental, and financial toll on you and your family. You should not have to struggle because you were harmed by the negligent actions of another individual. A pedestrian accident claim seeks to hold those responsible for your injuries liable, so you can be made whole again. To ensure that you are getting a fair settlement, your lawyer will calculate the value of your claim by considering all the losses you have experienced due to your accident.

Compensation for personal injury claims is divided into economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are the financial losses you’ve incurred from your accident, including:

• Medical bills: This includes ER visits, hospital care, surgeries, medications, doctor visits, rehab and therapy appointments, and more. If your injury is expected to require ongoing medical care, the cost for future care also can be included.
• Lost wages: If you’ve had to miss work, any income you’ve lost between the time of the accident and the conclusion of the pedestrian accident lawsuit can be included in your compensation.
• Loss of earning capacity: Some long-lasting injuries can limit or destroy your ability to work. You may then receive compensation for the estimated amount you would have earned if your accident had not occurred.

Non-economic damages compensate you for the non-monetary impacts to your life and well-being that you’ve experienced, such as:

• Pain and suffering: Compensation often increases in conjunction with the severity and duration of your injuries.
• Mental anguish: Any emotional distress, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more, that you suffered during or after the accident will be considered.
• Scarring and disfigurement: If your accident left you with permanent, visible reminders of the incident that could impact how you can move or how others see you, you could be compensated.
• Loss of consortium: Your spouse’s or children’s loss of your love and support due to your injuries.

Punitive damages, which are meant to punish the offender for their harmful actions, may sometimes be awarded by the court if they believe the defendant acted in a malicious or egregiously reckless fashion.

How Can RTRLAW Help if You’ve Been Injured While Walking?

Pedestrian accident cases can be complex. Multiple individuals or entities may be at fault for your injuries, and crucial evidence can disappear quickly as the accident site is cleaned up. Contacting RTRLAW immediately after your accident can give you peace of mind that your case is in good hands. We will thoroughly investigate the accident to determine what occurred, and our skilled premises liability lawyers will collect evidence to build the strongest possible claim.

Under Florida’s comparative negligence rules, even if you were partially at fault for an accident, you are still eligible to seek compensation as long as you were not 100% responsible. However, your compensation does get reduced by the amount of fault assigned to you. This makes it critical to have an experienced personal injury attorney and accident law firm in your corner fighting for your rights, so the insurance company can’t attempt to place the blame on you for your injuries. To schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer, call RTRLAW today at 954-370-5152 or toll-free at 833-HIRE-RTR (833-447-3787).

For your convenience, you can sign all important documents electronically via email or text, and you will pay nothing unless we win your case and recover money for you.