Common Pedestrian Accidents in Tampa

There are many common ways that pedestrian accidents can occur in Tampa. The most prevalent of these are accidents involving children. Often, children run across the street while playing in a neighborhood. This can make them much more susceptible to being injured in pedestrian accidents, and their injuries can be significantly more serious because of the larger mass of a vehicle striking such a small person.

If you have been injured in an accident due to another’s negligence, it is important to contact a Tampa pedestrian accident lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced attorney can build a claim and help pursue monetary compensation for any sort of common pedestrian accident in Tampa.

Child vs. Adult Accident Cases

Child pedestrian accidents result in much more severe injuries than adult-related accidents. There is a burden placed upon adults to act with reasonableness, and children, especially younger children, do not have that burden.

Even though a child may not be paying attention, it is the obligation of the driver to make sure that there is no risk of harm to pedestrians by their operation of the motor vehicle. If a child steps in front of a car where children are playing, the car is responsible. If an adult steps out in front of a car, the adult is responsible.

Teenage Accidents

Teenagers are also commonly involved in Tampa pedestrian accidents. They are normally distracted a lot more than small children even though they are old enough to know better. Teenagers are often severely distracted by the smartphones they carry.

That distraction sometimes leaves them at risk, because if a teenager is willing to walk across the street or a crosswalk while on their phone, they may be struck by a vehicle.

Elderly Individuals

Elderly people normally do not walk out in front of cars. The biggest problem with elderly people is if they fall, especially if they are in wheelchairs, they may slide backward into traffic. For example, an individual may be trying to transfer the wheelchair bound person into a car and the wheelchair rolls back into traffic.

Unfortunately, those individuals do not have the coordination to react to the impact and become an open target. Their injuries are normally critical if they are hit by a car.

Accident Risk Factors

Aggressive driving habits normally start in places where there are a lot of pedestrian foot traffic, such as sporting events, theaters, people trying to get to a location where an event is about to begin, et cetera. When there is a lot of pedestrian traffic and people already have heightened anxiety, that tends to make people less careful. This can lead to any number of common pedestrian accident cases in Tampa.

Presence of Tourists

Tourists are often at risk for pedestrian accidents because they are preoccupied with what they are trying to accomplish or where they are trying to go, and do not recognize the traffic patterns near the beaches or in high tourist areas.

This would include Ybor City where there is a lot of pedestrian traffic, and Channelside which is an entertainment venue that is designed for people to walk around.