Broward and Miami-Dade will benefit from new traffic safety programs after a state study found that those counties have the highest number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries.
Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident attorney is a staunch advocate for victims injured by the negligence of others. 
Continue reading
Throughout the holidays, the city of Fort Lauderdale asks you to be extra safe. Whether driving, walking, or biking, you are reminded to take it slow and watch out for others. Keep in mind that people of all ages and abilities are pedestrians. Together, we can all make this a safe and happy holiday season.
Our pedestrian accident lawyers are also reminding pedestrians to follow the rules including looking both ways while crossing the street, obeying traffic signs, and walking only in areas designated for pedestrians such as crosswalks and sidewalks. On average, in this country a pedestrian is injured in a traffic collision every eight minutes. Most pedestrian injuries happen because of a combined fault of motorist inattentiveness as well as the failure of pedestrians to use crosswalks, according to the City of Fort Lauderdale.
During the holiday season, we especially need to be cautious of pedestrians in parking lots. Parking lots are designed for vehicles and not pedestrians. Therefore, hazards are everywhere. The National Safety Council’s Journal of Safety Research reported 2,057 work-related deaths on company parking lots between 1993 and 2003.
Continue reading
Fort Lauderdale firefighters saved the day when they rescued a woman over the New River. She was up on the river’s railroad drawbridge, which crosses between Las Olas Riverfront and a historic district. Firefighters had to use a 24-foot ladder to reach the 55-year-old woman.
According to the Sun Sentinel, witnesses say that the woman was crossing the railroad bridge when it started to raise. That’s when people are not supposed to be on it, as there are warning signs to keep pedestrians away.
Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that this isn’t the first time this has happened on the bridge. Back in December of 2010, two soccer players from Lynn University were crossing the bridge when it opened and caused them to fall to the water below. Only one soccer play made it out alive. It’s because of incidents like this that we have the Andrews Avenue Bridge nearby. That’s a pedestrian-friendly walkway. But does more need to be done at the railroad drawbridge to keep pedestrian traffic away?
Continue reading
A plaza with benches and specific areas designed for shade may soon sit atop the roof entrance to Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Boulevard. According to the South Florida Business Journal, city officials want to make this area a more than $800,000 priority. They also want to move the tunnel entrance more than 20 feet to the north. This move was presented after raised safety concerns that motorists weren’t able to see pedestrians nearby.
The truth of the matter is that Broward County is ranked as the second most dangerous metro area in the state for pedestrian accidents. From 2000 to 2009, there were close to 500 pedestrians killed along our roadways. These fatalities accounted for more than 21 percent of all of the traffic accident fatalities recorded throughout the year, according to Transportation For America.
Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that Florida’s traffic accident fatalities are on the rise too, especially for pedestrians.
Continue reading
What might be more terrifying than the ghosts and goblins of All Hallow’s Eve are the risks for young pedestrian accidents. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, October 31st is the deadliest night of the year for pedestrians. An overwhelming majority of children (close to 90 percent) participate in Halloween activities, and three quarters (close to 75 percent) go trick-or-treating door-to-door.
“On Halloween, motorists need to be especially vigilant between the hours of 4 p.m. and midnight, when pedestrians are most vulnerable,” said AAA’s Jennifer Huebner Davidson.
Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that with excited children running through the streets and darting between parked cars — often in dark clothing — Halloween and those trick-or-treating adventures are a hazardous time and it’s putting youth more at risk of traffic accidents. But there are things that we all can do to help to reduce the risks of these kinds of accidents. Parents, children, motorists, ghosts and goblins can work together to make sure that everyone gets through this haunted holiday safely.
Continue reading
Law enforcement officials are looking into the death of a 32-year-old woman from Davie who was killed after she got out of a vehicle pulled over onto the shoulder of South Federal Highway. According to the Sun-Sentinel, the accident happened in the 3200 block of South Federal near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
According to the accident report, the woman was a passenger in a vehicle that pulled over onto the side of the road. For unknown reasons, she reportedly walked into oncoming traffic and was hit and killed. She was pronounced dead just before 12:00 a.m. at Broward Health Medical Center.
Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that highways are dangerous for everyone, but especially for pedestrians. If you ever find yourself on the side of the road, whether you’ve been involved in an accident or your vehicle has broken down, it’s important that you know what to do to stay safe. The first thing you want to do is try to get to the right-hand shoulder of the road as soon as possible, especially if you’re on a highway. As you pull your vehicle off the road, keep the following safety procedures in mind:
Continue reading
The city has made a decision, and it’s to give pedestrians priority over drivers at two intersections along Las Olas Boulevard. According to the Sun Sentinel, there is a new crossing system to let an all-red cycle at both Southeast Eighth and Ninth avenues. What this means is that when a traffic light turns red, motorists are required to stop in all directions to allow pedestrians to cross.
This system was first used in Broward County, and after seeing its success it’s here to stay and will be expanded to other areas. That’s why state officials put in a similar crossing system at State Road A1A and Commercial Boulevard over the summer. Although it only operated on weekends, it was deemed highly successful. And that’s why officials want to expand the system.
Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident attorneys understand that both A1A and Las Olas, as well as Andrews Avenue and Broward Boulevard may soon be getting this same system. In these areas, pedestrian traffic is dense and we see far too many accidents. Unfortunately, since vehicular traffic is so dense in many areas, the stop system may not be effective for the flow of traffic.
Continue reading
pedestrian was killed in a recent accident at the Miami International Airport. According to 7 News, the pedestrian was exiting Concourse H when the accident happened around noon. The victim, who was returning from a business trip, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators are currently looking into the accident, trying to determine the answers to two very important questions:
-Did the pedestrian look both ways to make sure that it was safe to cross?
-Did the driver check the crosswalk before proceeding across?
Our Miami pedestrian accident lawyers understand that this isn’t the first accident of its kind in the area in recent months. According to South Florida airport officials, there have been two other fatal accidents in just the last 10 months. Back in May, a woman was run over by a bus at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after she reportedly tripped on a curb. Earlier in December, a tour bus slammed into an overpass at the Miami International Airport. Three people on that bus were killed.
Continue reading
Fort Lauderdale is one of the nation’s hottest Labor Day 2013 travel destinations, according to the Huffington Post. With that being said, we can expect our beaches to be packed through the weekend. While this travel trend is great for local businesses, it’s not such great news for safety on our roadways.
Our Fort Lauderdale accident lawyers understand that this increase in motor traffic also poses a serious threat to pedestrians and bicyclists in the area. Unfortunately, many of the visitors to the area will not be as seasoned and familiar with this kind of traffic. It’s a pleasure our coastline enjoys, but an unfamiliar transportation risk for many of those from out of town.
When we’re aware of each other’s presence and we work together, we can all enjoy safe travels through the big holiday weekend.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), there will be close to 400 people killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. over the holiday weekend. This is considered the time from 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2.
Continue reading
Fort Lauderdale police officers have released the name of one of two men who were hit in a recent accident. According to CBS Miami, the accident happened just after 8:30 p.m. when a driver heading east on Broward Boulevard slammed into a pedestrian and then into a bicyclist.
Here’s how it happened: When the man turned to figure out what he struck in the first accident, he slammed into a bicyclist. The pedestrian died before emergency responders arrived at the scene. The bicyclist was taken to Broward Health Medical Center and treated for various injuries.
Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that bicyclists and pedestrians are awfully common along our South Florida roadways. Unfortunately, safe and responsible drivers are harder to come by. This is especially true once the sun sets. As a matter of fact, fatal accidents are more likely to happen during the evening and early-morning hours than during any other time of the day.
Driving at night can be risky business, and many drivers do not take into account that it can present hazards that are not present during daytime driving.
Driving at night is a common risk factor for all drivers, but it is particularly dangerous for young drivers. Distracted driving, speeding, motorists who don’t use a seat belt use and alcohol use are also among the most common dangers. But nighttime ranks as one of the most dangerous for our youngest motorists out there, and this is mostly because of a combination of the visibility challenges caused by dark conditions, slower response time brought about by fatigue, and a lack of experience driving after dark.
But just because we’re not teenager doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. Drivers of all ages suffer some serious obstacles when driving at night. Drivers are not able to see roadway dangers as easily as they are during the daylight hours. Unfortunately, because drivers cannot see the dangers, they drive as if they do not exist. The truth of the matter is that those dangers are still present. About 90 percent of a driver’s reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.
Consider This: Traffic fatality rates are three times greater at night than during the day, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Yet many of us are unaware of night driving’s special hazards or don’t know effective ways to deal with them.
When you’re behind the wheel at night, make sure that you keep an eye on your speed and keep your distance from other vehicles and objects. Use your headlights from sunset until sunrise and during periods of rain or snow. When in doubt as to whether you should use your lights, turn them on. Nighttime driving can be safe, if you’re safe behind the wheel.
Continue reading
Broward Injury Lawyer Blog