Child Pedestrian Accidents

Tragically, children are at high risk for pedestrian accidents. Nowhere is that truer than in South Florida. Florida is the most dangerous state in the nation for pedestrian accidents and home to four of the nation’s five most dangerous metro areas – Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach.

Fort Lauderdale Pedestrian Accident Attorney Richard Ansara takes special care in working with children. At The Ansara Law Firm, we understand the pain, anger and frustration wrought by the serious injury or death of a child. No compensation can make it right. But we are devoted to fighting to make the resources available to give a child every chance at making a full recovery after a child pedestrian accident. Our attorneys also take every step we can to ensure dangerous conditions are addressed and reckless, careless drivers are taken off the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more than 4,000 pedestrians are killed each year in the United States and more than 70,000 are injured. Senior citizens and children are most at risk. And, while the overall number of fatal traffic accidents continues to decline in the United States, the number of serious and fatal pedestrian accidents is on the rise. Poor urban planning, an aging population, and distracted drivers are among the primary reasons.

Children under the age of 14 account for one-fourth of all pedestrians who are injured in accidents, accounting for 13,000 cases a year.

Perhaps most alarmingly, 22 percent of those killed in pedestrian accidents are under the age of 5 – the highest fatality rate of any age group.

Children are at particularly high risk while walking to and from school. Backover accidents in parking lots and private drives also claim a disproportionate number of young lives.

Our lawyers would like to share some advice on how to keep your child safe:

• Always use crosswalks and obey traffic signals.
• Make eye contact with a driver before crossing the street.
• Look left, right left: Left is the direction from which traffic will first approach.
• Do not run.
• Walk facing traffic.
• Watch for cars turning or backing up.
• Teach your child to take the most direct route with the fewest street crossings.

Most at Risk for a Broward Pedestrian Accident

• Boys account for two-thirds of accident victims.
• Half of back-over accidents involving children occur at home.
• Three-quarters of pedestrian accidents involving children occur somewhere other than intersections.
• Half of all pedestrian accidents involving children occur between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Low-income, densely-populated urban areas are the site of a disproportionately high number of accidents.
• Children who walk to school are at higher risk.

If you are dealing with a child pedestrian accident in Fort Lauderdale, contact The Ansara Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call our Broward pedestrian accident attorney (954) 761-3641 – 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. Serving all of Broward County, including Weston, Sunrise, Miramar, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Davie and Coral Springs.