Tampa is a beautiful city to explore on foot, and pedestrians are entitled to safety and respect while traversing the city. Drivers who fail to keep pedestrians safe are financially responsible for the injuries their negligence causes.
There are steps that the City of Tampa and the State of Florida have taken, and while those should be lauded, there will be far too many people injured in the time period between their implementation and the present moment. If you or a loved one have been injured by a negligent drive, call the Tampa pedestrian accident lawyers at Diaco Law at (813) 221-7978 to schedule your free consultation about your legal rights and options.
Why Diaco Law
By retaining the Tampa pedestrian accident attorneys at Diaco Law, you are retaining dedicated advocates with a proven track record of excellence in pedestrian accident cases. Our attorneys bring their scholarly understanding of the law, a creative approach to their cases, and a wealth of experience to every single one of our clients’ cases.
At Diaco Law, we understand that the expenses associated with high-quality legal representation are daunting, but you do not need to worry about that when you retain our Tampa pedestrian accident lawyers. Our Tampa pedestrian accident attorneys take our cases on a contingency fee, meaning we do the work upfront, and you only pay us if and after we have achieved an appropriate settlement for your case or received a winning jury verdict.
Pedestrian Accidents & the City
In 2023, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles released their Traffic Crash Facts, demonstrating a three-year average of 9,141 automotive crashes with an average of 761 pedestrians killed each year. These figures are striking and unacceptable, and the sad reality is that Floridians are forced to live with these dangers.
Approximately 80% of pedestrian injury crashes occur in urban environments, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. Per that same study, these crashes tend to correlate with a variety of circumstances posed by urban environments such as Tampa, including:
- Undivided Roadways: The median used to divide a roadway has a significant impact on the frequency of crashes because a divided roadway is easier to safely cross since pedestrians have a shorter distance to cross prior to reaching a place of safety.
- Sidewalks: The presence of sidewalks works to prevent pedestrian crashes in residential and mixed-use areas, but, paradoxically, sidewalks are less effective in preventing pedestrian accidents in large commercial areas.
- On-Street Parking: Areas with on-street parking decrease the space for both drivers and non-motorized travelers, but the results of the survey suggest that the decreased space in areas with on-street parking results in drivers moving more slowly, thereby driving down the rate of fatal and severe pedestrian accidents.
- Intersection Signaling: The most dangerous place for a pedestrian to cross is at an unsignalized intersection–where the pedestrian is four times more likely to suffer a fatal or severe injury than anywhere else on the road.
- Cell Phone Use: The use of a cell phone–by a driver or a pedestrian–greatly increases the risk of injury at these locations. The Federal Highway Administration’s study notes that pedestrians made more unsafe street crossings while talking on their cell phones than when they were not distracted.
Call Our Tampa Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Today!
The absence of proactive measures in Tampa and throughout the State of Florida means that pedestrian accidents will continue to happen with alarming frequency. Injured Tampa pedestrians deserve justice for the injuries that are so needlessly inflicted upon them. That’s where Diaco Law comes in.
Diaco Law understands the causes of pedestrian injuries, the law surrounding them, and most importantly, the grave impact they have on our clients. If you or someone you know were injured in a pedestrian accident, reach out to our Tampa pedestrian accident lawyers at Diaco Law by calling us at (813) 221-7978 to schedule your free consultation. You can also reach us through our online portal, which is linked here.