Mark Roman | August 2, 2019 | Pedestrian Accidents

Cases where cars hit pedestrians or bicyclists are often the most serious cases we handle. While car-to-car collisions can, and do, produce injuries, cars hitting pedestrians often cause even greater injuries. The mismatch is obvious when a human body is struck by a metal box weighing several thousand pounds.

That’s bad enough, but there is an even bigger problem: a high-velocity strike often kills the pedestrian victim. As vehicle speed increases, the survivability of the collision for a walker or bicyclist tails off to zero. In many cases, that means there is only one version of events heard after the collision: the version told by the driver, who is unharmed and has an overwhelming interest in blaming the person they killed.

If you were injured or lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident in Clearwater, the Board-Certified attorneys at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers are here to help you pursue justice!

The Economic & Emotional Loss of Pedestrian Wrongful Death

You don’t have to be a lawyer to know that causing a death creates great economic harm. A dead person loses the ability to support their family or save something to pass on to others. Their families lose the value of the relationship they had with the deceased. Funerals or other memorial services must be paid for by someone. These losses quickly vault into the six or seven figures.

Drivers may not think specifically about these types of damages, but virtually all of them know that killing a pedestrian means deep trouble. They also know in many cases that they could be charged with a crime. Thus, the temptation to lie is enormous. That temptation always exists for at-fault drivers to some degree, but it’s even greater when the stakes are so high and there is no one left to dispute a lie.

Holding Negligent Drivers Accountable for the Harm They Cause

In a cruel irony, the drivers who cause the most harm may be the ones most likely to get away with it. A pedestrian struck and killed by a car or truck can’t rise from the dead to give a police officer their own version of events.

This discrepancy has implications for the entire system. Everyone from the police officers who investigate the accidents, researchers who study accidents to determine fault, and engineers who design roadways are influenced by it. Surprisingly, no one in the industry really talks about it: investigators typically just accept what a driver has to say, and there is no body of research about false testimony in those types of cases.

Fortunately, there are ways to get to the truth. Thorough review of physical evidence and other information can reveal inconsistencies in a driver’s statement. The increased use of video can help as well (gas stations and other businesses sometimes have surveillance video which show activity on roads). Some cyclists now use Go-Pros and other “onboard” cameras to record their rides and protect themselves.

Contact the Clearwater Pedestrian Accident Law Firm of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today

For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a pedestrian accident lawyer in Clearwater. We have four convenient locations in Florida: Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.

We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers – New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442