Fort Walton Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

With its pleasant climate, gorgeous beaches, excellent fishing spots, and family-friendly communities, Fort Walton Beach is considered one of the best places to live and raise a family.

As is the case with many other cities in Florida, Fort Walton Beach is not the most pedestrian-friendly. With a Walk Score of 69, it is considered “somewhat walkable.”

Thanks to the lack of pedestrian-friendly roads and infrastructure, accidents involving motor vehicles and pedestrians are fairly common in Fort Walton Beach as well as other parts of Okaloosa County.

If you are a pedestrian who has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, the Fort Walton Beach, FL pedestrian accident lawyers at Whibbs Stone Barnett Turner, PA can help you. We bring extensive legal knowledge, aggressive negotiation skills, and more than 60 years of combined experience to the table and are committed to providing the highest level of personalized legal services to all our clients. We are prepared to fight as hard as we need to in order to obtain the compensation you deserve.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Fort Walton Beach, FL?

In a vast majority of cases, pedestrian accidents are caused by the negligent or reckless conduct of motorists. These include:

• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Impaired driving
• Reckless driving
• Failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians
• Failing to check for pedestrians while making a turn
• Failing to stop behind the line at intersections
• Running red lights
• Failing to check for pedestrians while backing out of a parking lot

Apart from this, the lack of properly marked sidewalks and crosswalks in Fort Walton Beach – as well as in many other parts of Florida – is also a reason why the risk of pedestrian accidents remains so high.

In some cases, pedestrian negligence can also contribute to accidents with motor vehicles. Common examples of pedestrian negligence include:

• Not using a crosswalk when it is available.
• Darting in and out of traffic.
• Trying to cross the road without paying attention to the surroundings.
• Trying to cross the road or disrupting the flow of traffic while being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Disregarding traffic signals.

Dangerous Intersections in Fort Walton Beach, FL

While pedestrian accidents can happen anywhere and at any time, they are more likely to happen at intersections compared to other places – largely due to driver error. Common examples of driver error that can result in pedestrian accidents at intersections include:

• Failing to pay attention to what other drivers are doing before making a turn.
• Misjudging the speed of other vehicles.
• Misjudging the distance between vehicles.
• Trying to make a turn while their view is partially or fully obstructed.
• Turning without using signals.
• Trying to rush through while the yellow light is about to turn red.

The most dangerous intersections for pedestrians in Fort Walton Beach are:

• Highway 98 and Mary Esther Cut Off.
• Highway 98 and Brooks Bridge.
• Highway 188 and Beal Parkway North.

What Kind of Injuries Can Result from a Pedestrian Accident?

Accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles almost always result in serious and debilitating injuries, due to the fact that pedestrians do not have any kind of protection. These include:

• Torn ligaments
• Broken bones
• Crush injuries
• Traumatic amputation
• Neck and back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Damage to internal organs due to blunt trauma or penetrating trauma
• Brain injuries caused by blunt trauma or penetrating trauma

What Kind of Damages Can You Recover after a Pedestrian Accident in Fort Walton Beach, FL?

Following the accident, you can file a personal injury protection claim (also referred to as a no-fault claim) with your auto insurance provider and receive up to $10,000 in compensation.

If you are seriously injured, you can file a tort claim against the party responsible for the accident and recover economic as well as non-economic damages. These include:

• Expenses associated with your treatment
• Cost of future treatment and care
• Rehabilitation expenses
• Lost wages and benefits
• Loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Under Florida law, your spouse also has the right to bring a loss of consortium claim against the at-fault party – if your ability to perform your duties as a spouse and a parent is affected by your injuries.

In addition to this, you might also be awarded punitive damages – if the at-fault party is found to have acted intentionally or acted with a callous disregard for the safety of others.

Under Florida law, there is no upper limit on the amount of economic and non-economic damages you can recover in a pedestrian accident claim. The amount of compensation is determined based on the extent of your injuries and the extent to which your physical and/or cognitive abilities are affected. On the other hand, the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in a tort claim is restricted to $500,000.

Can You Recover Damages If You Were Partially Responsible for the Accident?

Yes, you can. Under Florida’s pure comparative negligence doctrine, you can be compensated for your injuries even if you are partially responsible for the accident. Your compensation, however, will be reduced depending on the extent of your fault.

For instance, if your total compensation amounts to $100,000, and if you are found to be 25% at fault for the accident, you will only receive 75% of your compensation, which is $75,000.

Injured in a Pedestrian Accident? Discuss a Winning Strategy with our Fort Walton Beach, FL Pedestrian Accident Lawyers to Maximize Your Damages

At Whibbs Stone Barnett Turner, PA, we believe that you should not have to pay for injuries that were caused by someone else’s negligence. We can represent you, identify all the parties that can be held liable for your injuries, assess the extent of your damages, and fight aggressively to recover the maximum amount of monetary damages possible.

Our attorneys are known for their legal knowledge and professionalism and have received numerous awards and recognitions over the years – including the prestigious AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Call our law firm today at 850-446-7347 or get in touch with us online to schedule a free consultation with a seasoned Fort Walton Beach, FL pedestrian accident attorney who has been through the legal battlefields before.