Boynton Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County have some of the busiest roads in all of South Florida. This creates enormous risk for pedestrians trying to safely cross these busy urban streets. Indeed, no matter how careful you are in “looking both ways,” every Florida pedestrian is at the mercy of reckless motorists who think the road belongs to them alone.
Getting hit by a car is often deadly. At best, it is a traumatic experience that leaves victims with a mountain of medical bills and other debts. Our Boynton Beach pedestrian accident lawyers represent such victims in seeking full compensation for their losses. Steinberg Law is a personal injury law firm that serves people throughout Palm Beach County who are entitled to justice following an avoidable pedestrian accident.
Know Your Rights as a Florida Pedestrian
Florida has far more pedestrian accidents than most other parts of the United States. There are many reasons for this. South Florida, including Palm Beach County, is a heavily urbanized area designed to promote driving over walking. This part of the state also attracts a high volume of tourists–and thus rental cars–which leads to even higher levels of traffic congestion. Finally, public transit options are relatively scarce, meaning more people tend to walk if they do not have access to a car.
While all of these factors contribute to the general trend of pedestrian accidents, they do not explain how specific incidents occur. As Boynton Beach pedestrian accident lawyers, the first thing we look for is negligence–that is, signs that a driver’s reckless or unsafe behavior caused them to strike an innocent pedestrian. Some of the more common examples of negligence in pedestrian accident cases include:
- speeding;
- distracted driving, e.g. talking or texting while driving;
- driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal narcotics;
- failure to keep a lookout for pedestrians; and
- failing to yield to pedestrians who are lawfully in a crosswalk or otherwise have the right of way.
Florida is a comparative negligence state. This means that a driver can try to shift the blame for an accident onto the pedestrian. For example, the driver might argue the pedestrian “suddenly darted out into traffic,” leaving them no time to respond and avoid a collision. While most pedestrian accidents are not the fault of the injured pedestrian, any evidence supporting a finding of comparative negligence can reduce–and in some cases bar–compensation paid to the victim.
Contact Steinberg Law Today
If you already have a standard Florida auto insurance policy, your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits will still cover certain medical bills and loss of income even if you were injured in a pedestrian accident. Florida’s no-fault rules generally apply to any accident involving an insured person and a motor vehicle, even if the insured was not actually in a vehicle at the time. If you are not covered by insurance, however, you can still file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver who hit you.
These are just some of the legal issues that our Boynton Beach pedestrian accident lawyers can assist you with. Contact Steinberg Law today to schedule an initial consultation.
