Pedestrian Accidents Lawyers in Miami
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What You Need to Know After a Pedestrian Accident
Miami is known for its terrible drivers. That’s no surprise. In a survey recently, we were considered one of the worst places to drive with the worst drivers. Now isn’t that lovely.
But bad driving doesn’t cause harm to other drivers, it also causes harm and injuries to pedestrians.
In Florida alone there were 5,400 pedestrian deaths in a 10 year span. That averages about 500 deaths per year just from pedestrians walking around on the street.
Just to put in perspective, Orlando only had about 600 deaths over a 10 year span. Miami-Dade had about 1500. More than double and going into almost triple the deaths in Orlando from pedestrian accidents.
Of the people that are struck, an extraordinarily high number of them are elderly people. Now you would think most pedestrians that get hit would be young people that are jaywalking or maybe crossing the street when they weren’t supposed to, but that’s not the case. It is mostly elderly people that are walking within their neighborhoods and get hit by a car.
Just to add to the statistic, Florida is considered the most dangerous state to walk on the street. Of the 20 deadliest cities to walk in, Florida has 9 of those 20 cities. We have half of the most dangerous cities in our own state.
Of those cities, the most dangerous two cities are obviously Orlando and Miami. With the statistics named above, what other cities could top that list.
According to Smart Growth America, Miami’s pedestrian accident numbers stack up to a jumbo jet crashing every year and killing everyone. Now imagine that. If a jumbo jet was crashing every year, we would be questioning airlines and making sure that airplanes have better safety precautions. We wouldn’t just continue supporting airlines and keep flying. It would be much too dangerous.
But this is not the scariest part. The scariest part is how the cities in Florida compare to the rest of the nation.
There is a way to measure the amount of danger cars pose to pedestrians and it is called the PDI. The higher the number the more dangerous state can be. The lower the number the better it is for people. Florida has a PDI of 182 while the next highest is 111 in Texas. So as you can see, even compared to other states, Florida is the most dangerous state. That isn’t exactly the greatest news.
What Causes Pedestrian Accidents in Florida
One of the main reasons that Florida has insanely high pedestrian accidents is because of the way our roads are designed. With roads that average 40 mph and not that much sidewalks, our streets are not designed for people to walk on. They are actually designed for only vehicles to drive on.
Wide and long roads with barely any sidewalk makes it very easy for cars to go fast and not enough time for citizens to cross the wide roads.
Not to mention the speed limit signs in Miami are simply suggestions. Although they are state enforced, many people do not actually adhere to the rules and drive higher than the speed limit. In 40 mph areas they will go 60, possibly even 70 if they could.
Another reason that pedestrians are in much more danger than any other state is because of the nationwide trend for SUVs and pickup trucks. SUVs and pickup trucks are 2-3 times more likely to kill a pedestrian than a regular vehicle. Now combine that with the already deadly pedestrian death rate. These two reasons alone are probably the reason why Florida has such a high pedestrian death rate.
Walking is not even a common mode of transportation anymore. Due to the way that buildings are placed and the roads are built, cars are the best and most convenient form of transportation. Walking and biking is quite uncommon unless it is for hobby at certain locations in Miami, like Key Biscayne Beach, Rickenbacker Causeway, or MacArthur Causeway. This ensures that roads are flat and wide with lots of rooms for cars, but not enough for pedestrians. You will rarely see people walk across the street, unless it is to sell you something. For this reason, and the trends in SUV sales, Florida is one of the worst states to be a pedestrian in.
Distracted Driving that Causes Pedestrian Accidents
Distracted driving can be many thing, but the gist of it is that someone is driving their motor vehicle without their full attention on the road. Texting and driving, calling and driving, changing the music while driving. These are all actions that are considered distracted driving. Although there have been laws recently passed on the issues with distracted driving (like texting and driving), there are still too many cases of people getting in pedestrian accidents in Miami.
Drunk Driving in Miami, Florida
Drunk driving is one of the deadliest and leading causes of pedestrian accidents in Miami. After a night of clubbing in Miami, there is a good chance that the person will be incapable of driving. In fact, most people after a night out are unable to drive but STILL choose to drive.
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (or both) can lead to slow cognitive abilities. This can lead to slow reaction times and sometimes completely missing certain things in our vision. Hitting a pedestrian that has the right of way is something that can easily happen if the motor vehicle operator is under the influence.
Failure to Acknowledge and Notice Pedestrians
Pedestrians have it the hardest especially in counties like Miami-Dade. Miami-Dade is notorious for having some of the worst drivers and streets that are meant more for drivers rather than pedestrians. Wide roads with speed limits upwards of 45MPH, it is very dangerous for pedestrians to be on the road.
In crosswalks, pedestrians have the right of way, but that is ignored by most drivers. This results in some of the deadliest pedestrian accidents in Miami.
Why A Personal Injury Lawyer for Pedestrian Accidents
Although there are about 5,000 fatal cases, the injury numbers are much higher.
But just because it is an injury doesn’t mean that you are all good to go.
Yes, it is likely that the injury is just a small hit or maybe some scratches and bruising. But that is not always the case. In most cases, injuries are extremely painful and result in many things such as:
- Broken bones
- Damaged organs
- Fractures
- Extended stay at the hospital
- Possible death
These are all valid reasons as to why you should hire a personal injury lawyer. Our personal injury lawyers can file a claim on your behalf, instead of you going through all that stress by yourself. In fact, with our team of lawyers that have 20+ years of experience and winning pedestrian accident cases for years, we are confident in our ability to help you.
What A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Do For You
Even though winning you money is a priority, it is not a bigger priority than your actual health. If you are still in pain and suffering and have broken body parts and pain, then our first priority will be to get you to the emergency room and get treated.
In Florida, for non-threatening injuries, they will allow an individual up to 14 days to go visit a doctor with the possibility of compensation. Any longer and it may be very difficult to prove that you were in pain from the accident.
When it comes to pedestrian accidents and injuries, our personal injury lawyers can file a claim that encompasses:
- Lost wages and benefits
- Physical pain and anguish
- Medical bills, present and future
- Lost ability to earn money
- Medical devices like prosthetics
- Prescription drugs
- Mental pain and anguish
- And more
Getting in contact and working with a personal injury lawyer in Miami will help you get into this process and get your compensation for all the pain and suffering. Working with our personal injury lawyers will make sure that your case has the proper elements to make it actionable and win every opportunity for compensation that you can get.
Time Is Key To Winning a Case
The statute of limitations, according to David Goguen, is up to 4 years for any injury that resulted from an accident and injured anyone. As long as a motor vehicle injured you, you have 4 years.
However, if someone you loved or someone in your close circle died, then the statute of limitations is 2 years.
Our lawyers know the ins and outs of personal injury law, and can still do our best to serve you if you go over the statute of limitations. If you think you have gone over the statute of limitations, but were limited in movement and action because of the shock of the accident, then still give us a call. We can help you.
Contact an Personal Injury Lawyer in Miami
Our team is well-equipped and ready to help anyone with their pedestrian accident injuries.
With decades under our belt and hundreds of winning cases, our lawyers are ready to help you file a claim and get the compensation that you deserve.
We offer a customer-first service and focus on making our clients stress-free and as happy as possible throughout the process of winning their money. We handle everything for FREE until we win you the case. Our fee is a percentage of your winning sum, so until you win, we don’t win either.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still open questions?
Ideally, you will want to hire a personal injury lawyer as soon as you get injured. If you are injured and your body is in pain, why wait and live with the pain? That makes no sense. You want to get rid of the pain as soon as possible. If you have more questions contact us
That depends on how badly you were injured. People joke around about “I wish I got hit by a car” or “If I slip and fall here, I’m gonna make a fortune”. Although that is possible, it is not always possible. They are jokes for a reason. You will make as much as you are owed. If it is just a scratch, then you will not be compensated much. If you had to have major surgery and are going through rehab, then you will make MUCH more than just a simple scratch or small bump.
As a personal injury lawyer in Miami, what I do is make sure that you make your money back (maybe even more) from whatever damages you sustained. If someone else caused your injuries, then you have to contact us and consult with our team. We will make sure that you are taken care of. My job is to see if your current situation is actually someone else’s fault and if you can get your money back for the treatment you went or are going through.
We will represent all kinds of cases, from car accidents and work accidents, to truck accidents and uber/lyft accidents.
If you’re unsure if we can represent your case, give us a call at 305-680-5161 to get a FREE consultation and more information on your case.
OUR MISSION
As a personal injury law firm, our main goal is to serve the clients and get them back to full health. When you come to us with injuries, our main goal is to make sure that those are treated. Our second goal, which connects with our first goal, is to get your financial compensation if your injuries were caused by the negligence of someone else.
OUR PEOPLE
My team is ready to serve you. With already 20+ years working in the industry and winning our cases, we keep gaining experience as we keep serving you and making sure that you are taken care of. Do not hesitate to call us at 305-680-5161 or contact us. Our team is ready to serve you and is always ready to take a case.
24/7 Support
My team is always on standby. Whether you have a concern during the middle of the day or night, contact us and we will be sure to give you a response in no time. 24/7 on call team that is always ready to answer whatever question you have.