People choose their mode of transportation every day. Some choices are easier than others. For example, if you have access to a personal vehicle then more than likely you are going to chose your personal vehicle to head to work or take your kids to school. Some are close to public transit stops and choose to access public transit. Others decide to walk. Walking is a great exercise that helps people maintain their weight or lower their blood pressure. Walking is great for the environment as it leaves less of a pollutant footprint. However, walking does not come without risk. Just like when you get into a car it does not come without risk. The problem is when a walker gets hit by a car the likelihood of survival decrease exponentially every mile per hour. If you are in a car then your risk is highly compromised because you are more protected.
Cars, trucks, and semi-trucks are constantly moving on major highways and local roads. Imagine if you sat in the same spot every day and watched the vehicles that drove by you would start to see a pattern. You would see the same cars go about their business every day and rightly so. However, the problem with daily communities that our eyes get lazy. They don’t pick up on details because they are used to the drive. So if you are not paying particular attention to your surroundings your eyes aren’t really doing all the processing.
This is a problem for pedestrians. If a driver isn’t making eye contact with you then they are not paying attention to the details around them. Even though inner city driving is meant to be at a slow speed, depending on your age and height can prove fatal. Common injuries a pedestrian of average adult height and weight, who is middle-aged or a young adult, is more likely to suffer traumatic head and back injuries if a driver is going more than 30 MPH. However, if the person is 65 years or older, and hit by a car at the same speed, the likelihood for fatality is far greater as someone who is older is more likely to die from injuries than someone who is younger.
Since cars hit a pedestrians knees and waist, there is potential for severe knee and leg injury amongst lesser injuries like lacerations, fractures, and bruises. If a small child is hit there is a greater risk for fatality as the car would hit the head or upper body first. This can lead to traumatic brain injury or broken ribs which can affect lungs and heart.
If you or a loved one has experienced an injury due to a vehicle hitting you while walking then it is best to consult with our Pedestrian Attorney at Vladimir Tsirkin & Associates, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale. Walking should not be a hazard, but it is and you shouldn’t have to suffer the financial loss as well as your physical injury. Call 305-831-4333 or click here for a free consultation where we will evaluate your situation and give you the support you need.
