(407) 712-7300What are some of the best ways to avoid a pedestrian accident?
According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are certain steps that people can take to avoid automobile and pedestrian accidents, whether you are driving or walking:
- Search: Scan the environment for potential hazards
- Detect: You and the other person spot each other
- Evaluate: You determine that there is a threat of collision and that there is a need to avoid it
- Decide: You assess the risks of your possible actions and decide which one is best
- Action: You act on your decision and hopefully avoid the accident
All of these actions take place in fractions of a second. If you frequently travel through the area, you should be aware of where heavy foot and automobile traffic overlap allowing you to make some decisions ahead of time.
What are the most common injuries in a pedestrian accident?
If you are involved in an automobile/pedestrian accident, there are three possible ways to be injured:
- Impact with the vehicle
- Impact with the ground or other stationary object
- Impact with flying debris
Collision from any or all three of these can result in death or serious injuries including:
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Broken limbs
What are the most common types of pedestrian accidents?
Some of the most common types of pedestrian accidents include:
- A pedestrian is hit while a vehicle was turning or preparing to turn at an intersection.
- A pedestrian is hit in a mid-block collision where the pedestrian entered the driver’s field of view leaving little or no time to react.
- A pedestrian is struck in parking lot or other non-roadway area.
- A pedestrian is struck while walking or jogging along the side of the road going with the traffic.
- A pedestrian is running through an intersection (as opposed to mid-block).
- A pedestrian is struck by a backing vehicle.
If I am a driver involved in a pedestrian accident, am I automatically at fault?
As the driver of the vehicle, you do have more responsibility to drive in a safe manner especially in heavy pedestrian traffic. However, there are some instances where the pedestrian may be at least partially at fault.
If the pedestrian is found to be at fault, it could reduce their awarded damages by the percentage of fault that was theirs. So if they were found to be 20 percent responsible, the damages awarded would be reduced by 20 percent. You should seek the services of a pedestrian accident attorney as soon after the accident as possible to ensure you get adequate representation.
Are urban areas more dangerous than rural areas?
Because of the dense population of most urban areas, pedestrian accidents occur more frequently than in rural areas. Approximately two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities and 85 percent of all pedestrian accidents occur in urban areas. However, there is a higher ratio of deaths to injuries in rural settings because the speed of impact is usually greater in these areas.
If you or a loved one has been hit by a vehicle in Orlando or elsewhere in Florida, please contact one of the experienced pedestrian accident lawyers at Colling Gilbert Wright as soon as possible. Call (407) 712-7300 or complete the form on this page to arrange your free consultation.
