Port Charlotte Bicycle & Pedestrian Accident Attorney

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Port Charlotte Bicycle & Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Bicycle and pedestrian accidents cause the most serious and catastrophic injuries, and injury victims require a large amount of compensation to deal with a lifetime of medical expenses, disability, pain and other challenges. The Port Charlotte bicycle & pedestrian accident attorneys at Hale Law provide high-quality, zealous representation to obtain a level of compensation that will help accidents victims get the best care and make the most improvements possible in their quality of life.

FLORIDA IS THE MOST DANGEROUS STATE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS

Unfortunately, we live in the worst state when it comes to walking and riding a bike, in terms of how dangerous it is anyways. According to the Orlando Weekly and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Florida has the highest fatality rate of cyclists. In fact, the cyclist death rate in Florida is 56 percent higher than the next most dangerous state in the country. When it comes to walking, Florida does just as poorly. According to a study Dangerous By Design, pedestrians are far more likely to be hit by a car in Florida than in any other state. Florida has the seven most dangerous cities for pedestrians in the country. Some reasons why this is the case include the following:

Lack of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, such as sidewalks, flashing crosswalks, bike lanes, bike paths, and streets with shoulders;
High speed limits;
Very lax laws for vehicular manslaughter;
Wide surface streets with too many lanes;
Unchecked urban sprawl;
A driving culture that encourages drivers to believe that sharing the road is not necessary;
Lack of laws that protect vulnerable road users; and
Road congestion caused by all of the above, which increases road rage.

BICYCLE ACCIDENT FACTS

Although they do not have to be licensed, bicycle riders are nevertheless required to follow the rules of the road, including traffic laws specific to bicycles as well as all applicable motor vehicle laws. Drivers, for their part, are required to drive with reasonable care around bicycles. In addition, Florida law requires cars to give at least three feet of space when passing a bicycle.

Florida bicycle riders are in danger of serious injury or wrongful death from accidents caused by negligent, aggressive or distracted drivers, and from other sources as well. Some of the most common hazards facing bicyclists in Port Charlotte include:

Getting “doored.” The occupant of a parked car should open a door on the traffic side only when it is safe to do so and after checking for oncoming bicycles or motorcycles.
Failure to yield to a cyclist with the right-of-way
Defective design or manufacture of a bicycle
Negligent repair or maintenance from a bike shop
Negligently repaired or badly maintained roads
Inadequate signage or traffic signals

Call our office if you or a loved one has been injured in a Port Charlotte bicycle accident. Even if you rented the bike and signed a liability waiver, the rental company may still be liable for providing faulty equipment.

FLORIDA PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT FACTS

Pedestrians are required by Florida law to use sidewalks, unless they are blocked because of construction or some other reason. If there is no sidewalk provided, pedestrians are supposed to use the left shoulder and walk in the direction facing oncoming traffic.

Pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right-of-way. Drivers are expected to yield to a pedestrian who is stepping into the crosswalk or who is in the crosswalk on the same half of the roadway as the vehicle. Also, if the pedestrian is crossing the street and is so close to the motorists’ half of the roadway that it would be dangerous for the car to move, the driver should stay stopped until the pedestrian has crossed.

Pedestrians for their part should yield the right-of-way whenever they are crossing in the middle of the street and there is no crosswalk, or at an intersection where the crosswalk is not marked.

Common causes of pedestrian accidents in Port Charlotte include:

Drivers running a stop sign or red light
Drivers turning right at a red light while pedestrians are in the crosswalk
Drivers stopping in the middle of the crosswalk, which forces the pedestrian to walk outside of the crosswalk
Drivers swerving around a vehicle which has stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross, in clear violation of Florida pedestrian traffic regulations

HOW CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS GET BLAMED FOR THE COLLISION

Bicyclists and pedestrians (vulnerable road users) are typically not at fault when they get hit by automobiles, yet they are often blamed for causing these collisions. Why is this?

Vulnerable road users are taken to the hospital when police arrive to conduct the official accident report and talk to witnesses and the other party, and therefore rarely have a voice when it comes to presenting their side of the story to law enforcement;
Laws and lack of proper infrastructure make it difficult for vulnerable road users to use the roads efficiently, so minor infractions like jaywalking by cutting the corner of a crosswalk or slowly rolling through a stop sign are common practice. Drivers see this and it creates a culture of intolerance, which is picked up by and adopted by law enforcement, judges, juries, and others—many of whom often do not see the story from the victim’s point of view.

At Hale Law, our Port Charlotte pedestrian accident attorneys have decades of experience helping individuals and families who have suffered the most serious injuries because of a driver’s negligence. We have the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to prepare and present a strong case for maximum compensation, whether negotiating a settlement with the insurance company or litigating in front of a jury in court. You can count on our lawyers to deliver effective and aggressive representation every time.

KNOWLEDGEABLE & EXPERIENCED PORT CHARLOTTE BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS

For help after a serious bicycle or pedestrian accident in Port Charlotte, call on the personal injury attorneys at Hale Law for a free consultation. We can come to you if you can’t travel to our offices, and there is no fee until we recover for you.

Sarasota - Main Office