Vulnerable Parties in St. Petersburg Pedestrian Accidents

Vulnerable parties in St. Petersburg pedestrian accidents can be triggers to some drivers. Drivers can get annoyed if the child is not paying attention to where they are going and walk in front of the car or a teen is texting, walking, and looking down at their phone or is listening to their iPod so they cannot hear the cars around them. Some drivers get annoyed as some elderly people may walk across the street at a little slower pace than some younger people.

Because it is a beach town and there are local bars and restaurants in downtown, St. Petersburg gets a lot of tourists and a lot of snowbirds that come down in the wintertime, and that makes it a little more jam-packed and there are more people walking on foot. Either they take Uber or they walk and that creates a condensed area with more people around.

It increases the chances of being hit by a car because there are more pedestrians walking in and out of the streets, bars, and restaurants, and on and off the beach. Contact a compassionate pedestrian accident attorney about how to seek damages for the harm you or your loved one have experienced.

Vulnerability of Teen Pedestrians

Teens are one of the many vulnerable parties in St. Petersburg pedestrian accidents. There are very similar risk factors as children pedestrians because they may think they can make it across the street before the car comes, they may run, they may walk, they may be standing too close to the road or not paying attention to their surroundings, and that can cause severe injuries if they are hit by a car.

Frequency of Children-Related Incidents

Children are commonly considered vulnerable parties in St. Petersburg pedestrian accidents because they do not know the rules of the road, as well as adults, do. They will walk in the middle of the street, not in a crosswalk, and walk close to the edge of the sidewalk or even in the bike lane not realizing where they are. They have a lower capacity and a lower duty as well. The pedestrian always has the right of way, meaning drivers of a motor vehicle always have to be on the lookout for pedestrians, not just in crosswalks, but all over the road.

Many times, the injuries are more severe and they could have long-lasting effects. If growth plates are broken or stunted because of the injury they sustained, it can be a big deal for children. Also, the activities they are involved in are usually more physically intensive, whether it is sports or after-school activities. They are very important to children that maybe some adults that have sedentary jobs, it is not as important. It can change a child’s life if they suffer severe injury in a pedestrian accident case.

Understanding the Likelihood of Child Walker Accidents

Sometimes children just are not as aware of their surroundings. They are not paying attention to what is going on around them. They do not know that they have to only walk in a crosswalk as opposed to crossing in the middle of the street. Sometimes children do not know to look both ways. It is their hyperactivity and not being aware of their surroundings that children sometimes are more susceptible to pedestrian accident scenarios.

Risks Involved in Elderly Cases

Usually, elderly people are a little bit slower crossing the street. If they have a wheelchair, a cane, or a walker, it can cause them to be even slower and more delayed in crossing the street even if they’re at a crosswalk. Also, their depth perception or eyesight might not be as good, so they might not notice how far away a car is or that the crosswalk is saying to stop as opposed to walk. Those are some increase risks to elderly pedestrians.

Impact of Private Parking Lots on Vulnerable Parties

Many times police officers will not come to private property or provide a police report if there was an accident occurs on private property. The documentation on behalf of vulnerable parties in St. Petersburg pedestrian accidents would be very important to document how something happened, where and when it happened, and any witness statements that may be available at the time of the accident.