Pedestrian Accident Attorneys in Boca Raton

Finding Justice in Complex Injury Cases

Pedestrian accidents have been on an upward trend for the last 30 years, sending tens of thousands to the emergency room annually. Aside from the high cost of emergency medical treatment, accident victims may miss paychecks and sustain lasting disabilities. At-fault drivers can be held liable for these damages through an injury claim.

Our skilled attorneys are here to help injury victims secure compensation to defray the cost of a serious accident. Those who try to navigate the injury claims process on their own often end up with a lower settlement than they deserve. Let us help maximize your settlement. With over 30 years of serving accident victims, we have the skill and reputation that can make a difference in your case.

Learn more with a free consultation: Call us today at (866) 629-1061. Our caring Boca Raton attorneys are on your side.

Liability in Pedestrian Accidents

Distracted or inattentive driving factors into many pedestrian accidents. Because pedestrians have a much smaller profile, they may be hidden by blind spots or other obstacles. A driver who does not take the time to fully look around may cause an accident by:

• turning (left or right) into a pedestrian who is crossing the street;
• backing out of a parking space into a pedestrian;
• failing to leave enough room when passing a pedestrian along the road;
• ignoring a school bus stop arm and warning lights;
• driving through a stop sign or red light; or
• failing to yield to a pedestrian who does not make it across a crosswalk quickly.

Pedestrians can share liability in accidents. Especially if you were using your phone or occupied with another activity while crossing the street, a driver may argue you should have been looking for hazards like oncoming traffic. Pedestrians do have the right-of-way once they are in the road, but they also are responsible for making sure it is safe to cross.

Auto defects can also cause pedestrian accidents. Brake failure or sudden acceleration are two problems that have been documented in some car models. Either malfunction can turn a situation that looks safe into a pedestrian hazard. If an auto defect played a role in your accident, it’s especially important to have a skilled firm with significant resources on your side.

Why Pedestrian Accidents Are So Dangerous

Unlike those who travel in cars, with airbags, seatbelts, and more, pedestrians do not have any protection in an accident. This means the threshold for injury is much lower for them than for other drivers. Pedestrians may suffer serious injuries like:

• Complex/multiple fractures
• Facial injury
• Loss of limb/amputation
• Spinal cord injury
• Traumatic brain injury

On top of the vulnerability inherent to not being in a car, factors controlled by drivers can also affect the severity of a victim’s injury.

Speed

Speed limits not only protect drivers—they are also calibrated to protect pedestrians. A vehicle’s speed is one of the biggest factors in the outcome of an accident.

When a pedestrian is hit by a car traveling around 25 mph, they have a 25% chance of severe injury and a 10% chance of death. By contrast, a car traveling around 30 mph brings a 50% chance of severe injury and a 25% chance of death. Over 30 mph, the risk increases quickly; severe injuries happen in 90% of accidents where the driver is traveling 45 mph and fatalities reach a likelihood of 90% at around 60 mph.

A driver who chooses to speed, even if he is “only” going 5 or 10 mph over the speed limit, increases the injury risk for any accident they may be involved in.

Larger Vehicles

As SUV sales have increased, so have pedestrian deaths. Experts have identified two reasons for this correlation. First, SUVs are heavier than sedans, meaning any collision with one involves more force. These vehicles are also taller; while sedans are likely to hit a pedestrian’s legs, SUVs may impact the torso or even the head. When the chest, spine, or head is damaged, victims are at a higher risk of severe injury or death.

Hit-and-Runs

A startling and heartbreaking study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found more than one hit-and-run happens every minute in the U.S. These accidents have been increasing over the past decade and disproportionately kill pedestrians and bicyclists.

Pedestrians and bicyclists make up a minority of road users but were the victims in 65% of the fatal hit-and-run accidents reviewed for the study. Additionally, these accidents cause around 20% of pedestrian deaths as opposed to 1% of driver deaths.

Though prosecuting drivers who flee the scene of the accident is difficult, it can be done. Witness testimony and security cameras often provide vital clues that help police or legal investigators track down the individuals who cause these collisions.

Our Lawyers Can Handle Serious Pedestrian Accidents

Successfully securing compensation after an accident can change the shape of an accident victim’s future. Our team is dedicated to helping the injured receive fair settlements—or, when insurers refuse to cooperate, successful verdicts. We have recovered hundreds of millions for clients, with each win changing a life for the better.

We want to help you understand your rights and options after an accident. We can also do our part to reduce the burden on your shoulders at this time. A full team of legal investigators, paralegals, and attorneys works on every case we take, allowing us to craft individual strategies and strong arguments to support a client’s needs. Let us take the lead on your pedestrian accident claim.

Call our Boca Raton office today at (866) 629-1061 to schedule your free consultation. Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen has been serving injury victims since 1988.