How Can Pedestrians Get Into A Florida Road Accident?
Corbin Sutter
Personal Injury
Florida’s streets and roads are public spaces shared by everyone, including vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Despite the many traffic rules existing that allow all to use the roads without getting in each other’s way, road accidents involving pedestrians and motorists still happen all the time. How exactly do pedestrians get in a car accident in Florida? Here are the top 3 causes:
• Faulty Road Signs And Unnoticeable Crosswalks - There are bright road signs and lines that usually warn vehicles about designated areas for crossing. The most common would be the long vertical lines you would see painted on the pavement. There are also street signs that are at eye level with drivers so they wouldn’t miss it.
Unfortunately, these signs and paint are very vulnerable to external factors like weather changes. Over time, paint can fade and some signs are covered with vandalism, rendering them unnoticeable or incomprehensible to drivers. Even pedestrians wouldn’t recognize these signs anymore when they are too faded or covered. The lack of road signs can fail to inform both parties about the designated crosswalk, thus leading to dangerous swerving or collision.
• Ignoring A Pedestrian’s Right Of Way - Some motorists think they rule the roads given that they have the advantage of speed and safety from outside forces. This mindset causes drivers to be reckless, ignoring all traffic rules and even a pedestrian’s right of way when crossing the street.
Drivers should yield to pedestrians when they spot them about to cross the road. This is applicable even when there are no visible crosswalks, which is common in neighborhood areas where there is no traffic. When drivers refuse to slow down and stop, pedestrians might accidentally get hit, thinking that the vehicles will yield for them as they continue to cross the road.
• Pedestrians Are Hard To Spot - If cyclists and motorcycle drivers get involved in accidents because of their poor visibility, the same is especially applicable to pedestrians. These accidents do not simply happen when people are crossing the street after all. Accidents like getting hit by a car driving in reverse in a parking lot or colliding with a car door suddenly opening are also very common. Drivers and pedestrians should be very alert about their surroundings to avoid these accidents as much as possible.
Can Pedestrians Be At Fault For A Car Accident?
While people would automatically think that the driver is at fault when a pedestrian gets hit, it’s not always the case. There are a lot of instances where a pedestrian’s rashness is the reason why they got hit. One of the most common cases where pedestrians are liable is jaywalking, wherein a person would be found on an area of the road where they shouldn't be. Examples of these are crossing the highway where they are not allowed to cross, or walking on the road instead of using the sidewalk pedestrians should be.
When a pedestrian or a driver gets injured in a road accident, they can file a personal injury lawsuit and demand a damages claim. Get help from a personal injury attorney or car accident lawyer who is knowledgeable about these cases to increase your chances of winning the case.