The National Highway Traffic Safety Association keeps all the yearly auto-related crash statistics. According to this organization, in the United States, over the course of a year, tens of thousands of pedestrians suffer injuries in auto-pedestrian collisions. If you are one of the many people in Florida or elsewhere affected by injuries from a pedestrian accident, do not let relief walk on by, as it is something to which you may have a right.
The simple truth is that the injuries typically suffered by the victim of an auto-pedestrian collision can be devastating in a number of ways. Not only will they cause physical damage, but one may not be able to solely bear the emotional and financial consequences that follow.
Duty of care
A pedestrian-vehicle collision can happen for any number of reasons. At the end of the day, what it all comes down to is the driver’s and the pedestrian’s duty of care. What does that mean?
Duty of care, when referring to a driver, simply means that he or she is responsible for exercising reasonable care in order to keep him or herself and others in the vicinity safe from harm. Negligence may have occurred if those actions do not fall within these lines. Such actions include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Driving while intoxicated
- Right-of-way violations
- Disobeying traffic signals
A pedestrian’s duty of care, on the other hand, is to take reasonable actions in order to protect him or herself from harm.
If injured in an auto-pedestrian accident, what should I do?
Following a pedestrian accident, if you are able, first call police and seek medical treatment. Then, when you are physically and mentally capable, document the details of the event. Information you may want to gather includes:
- Where the incident occurred
- What you were doing when it happened
- Phone numbers and names of witnesses
- Any Injuries you have suffered
- Other damages experienced
- Any other information you feel is important
Getting all of this information together may prove helpful if you decide to pursue legal actions in order to seek compensation for your losses.
How can I achieve relief?
If you want to seek relief following your auto-pedestrian accident, you will need to file a personal injury claim in the time frame allowed. In Florida, four years from the date the injury occurred is the statute of limitations.
An experienced attorney will be able to review the details of your pedestrian accident and assist you in filing and litigating civil claims, if appropriate.