Orlando Cyclist and Pedestrian Accidents Attorney
A pedestrian walking on a sidewalk or shoulder of the road, or using a crosswalk to cross an Orlando street should have no fear of being hit by a car, truck or motorcycle. Yet, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says 497 pedestrians were killed and 7,039 suffered some level of personal injury in car accidents across Florida in 2011.
In Orange County alone, there were 467 pedestrians injured and 27 killed in car accidents in 2011. Over five years through 2011, there were 127 pedestrian fatalities and 2,574 pedestrians injured in car accidents in Orange County.
Many pedestrians injured in these all-too-common accidents, or the families of those who have died, are entitled to compensation for their injuries and other losses, since it is often a driver’s negligence that has caused the accident.
The Florida law office Frank M. Eidson, P.A., can help you if you were a pedestrian injured in a car accident or if a loved one of yours was hit by a motor vehicle while walking on or along a Central Florida street. Our experienced pedestrian accidents attorney, Frank M. Eidson has recovered millions of dollars in successful verdicts and settlements, including awards to injured pedestrians and their families.
Contact the law office of Frank M. Eidson, P.A., today for experienced legal assistance with a car accident that has injured a pedestrian in Orlando, Kissimmee, Daytona Beach or elsewhere in Central Florida.
Pedestrian Accidents in Florida
Florida has a very high rate of pedestrian injuries and deaths in car accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in August 2012 that 4,280 pedestrians were killed and an estimated 70,000 were injured in traffic crashes in the United States in 2010. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says 7,290 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes in our state in 2010, which is 10.4 percent of the number of pedestrians hurt in car accidents nationwide. The 499 pedestrians killed in car crashes in Florida in 2010 represent 11.6 percent of the nation’s total for the year.
A pedestrian who suddenly steps into the road, crosses the street in the middle of the block, crosses against the lights or makes a similar reckless mistake can be injured or killed. But many times when a car, truck or motorcycle hits a pedestrian, it is because the driver has failed to yield to the pedestrian (who always has right of way), or has run a red light or a stop sign, lost control of their vehicle and run off the road, or engaged in some other carelessness or recklessness.
The NHTSA says older pedestrians (age 65 or older, which would describe a large number of Central Florida residents) accounted for 19 percent of all pedestrian fatalities and an estimated 11 percent of all pedestrians injured in 2010. On the other hand, 7 percent of pedestrians who were killed and 23 percent of pedestrians who were injured in traffic crashes were 15 years old or younger.
NHTSA statistics also show that drinking or “alcohol involvement” – either by the driver or by the pedestrian – was reported in 47 percent of the traffic accidents that resulted in pedestrian fatalities in 2010.
Traumatic Injury in Pedestrian Accidents
Obviously, pedestrians don’t have the protection of an enclosed vehicle when they are hit by a car or truck. This is why a pedestrian is likely to suffer serious traumatic injury if they are involved in a motor vehicle accident.
While the vast majority of pedestrians survive car accidents, according to statistics, they are likely to do so only after medical treatment for injuries that may range from cuts and bruises, to broken bones or catastrophic injuries like spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Statistics that simply relate injury vs. death do not indicate the potentially huge costs of recovering from injuries suffered in a pedestrian accident or living with a disability after being hit by a car on a city street. A spinal cord injury that leaves a person paralyzed, for instance, can easily lead to more than $1 million in medical and assisted living expenses over the victim’s lifetime, and can cost several million dollars if the victim is young when the injury occurs.
Orlando pedestrian accident lawyer Frank M. Eidson understands these costs, and works to help pedestrian accident victims recover compensation to cover the medical expenses and lost wages ahead of them. His firm, Frank M. Eidson, P.A., firm has recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured clients throughout Florida, and he has successfully pursued personal injury cases specifically about TBI.
Contact Our Florida Pedestrian Accidents Attorney
If you or loved one of yours has been hit by a motor vehicle while a pedestrian, attorney Frank M. Eidson understands the financial and personal devastation you are likely to be facing. The Orlando firm of Frank M. Eidson, P.A., can investigate your accident and injuries and, with the help of medical consultants, develop a case that seeks all ofthe compensation you will need to recover and move forward.
Frank M. Eidson, P.A., has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of car and pedestrian accident victims from Orlando, Daytona Beach and other Central Florida communities like Kissimmee, Winter Park, Melbourne and others. Frank Eidson is the only attorney in his law practice, so clients get to know him and trust that they can rely on him to pursue their best interests.
If a Florida pedestrian accident has left you or a loved one of yours seriously injured, or taken a loved one’s life, contact Frank M. Eidson, P.A., today. Having an experienced pedestrian accidents attorney on your side counts when you have to deal with insurance companies and their lawyers, and if Frank M. Eidson is your attorney, you have that experience. Call today for a free discussion of your case.
