Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Florida

Pedestrian Accident Claims in Florida Can Create Serious Challenges

A pedestrian accident lawyer in Florida can help after a driver hits someone who was walking, crossing, standing near a roadway, or moving through a parking lot. Pedestrian accidents often leave people with serious injuries, medical bills, lost wages, physical pain, and questions about what to do while they are still trying to heal.

Pedestrian accident victims have far less physical protection than people inside motor vehicles. A car accident involving a person on foot can cause broken bones, head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, internal injuries, emotional distress, and long-term medical treatment needs. Many pedestrian accidents occur at crosswalks, intersections, parking lots, driveways, cross streets, and areas where drivers fail to watch for people on foot.

At Pardy & Rodriguez, P.A., we help injured pedestrians across Florida review the facts, preserve evidence, and determine whether a personal injury claim may be available. We can review the accident scene, police report, medical records, traffic signals, witness statements, insurance coverage, and Florida pedestrian accident laws to determine which legal options may apply. Call us at 888-522-0222 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation with our team.

Key Takeaways

• Pedestrian accident cases may involve negligent drivers, distracted driving, poor visibility, unsafe parking lots, dangerous intersections, or hit-and-run crashes.
• Florida pedestrian accident laws address how drivers and pedestrians should act near crosswalks, traffic signals, roadways, and intersections.
• Evidence such as police reports, medical records, witness statements, photos, traffic camera footage, and accident scene details can help support a pedestrian injury claim.
• An injured pedestrian may be able to pursue compensation for medical expenses, medical bills, lost wages, physical pain, emotional distress, and future treatment needs.
• Florida’s comparative negligence law may reduce or bar compensation depending on fault, so determining fault early can be important.

Pedestrian Accident Cases We Handle in Florida

Pedestrian accident cases can happen in many settings, and each one may raise different questions about driver behavior, pedestrian behavior, traffic laws, insurance coverage, and liability. Pardy & Rodriguez, P.A. handles pedestrian accident claims involving:

• Crosswalk Accidents: Drivers must exercise caution near crosswalks. A driver who fails to yield, ignores traffic signals, or turns without checking for pedestrians may cause serious injuries.
• Intersection Accidents: Pedestrian crashes often happen at intersections and cross streets when a driver runs a red light, turns too quickly, or fails to see a person crossing.
• Parking Lot Accidents: Parking lots can be dangerous when drivers back out without looking, speed through lanes, ignore pedestrians, or fail to account for poor visibility.
• Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accidents: A driver may leave the accident scene after striking a pedestrian, creating urgent questions about police reports, insurance coverage, and uninsured motorist claims.
• Distracted Driving Accidents: Drivers using phones, looking at GPS systems, or failing to watch the road may strike pedestrians who had the right of way.
• Impaired or Fatigued Driver Accidents: Pedestrian accidents may occur when a driver is impaired, tired, or unable to react safely to people crossing or walking nearby.
• Commercial Vehicle Accidents: Delivery trucks, rideshare vehicles, work vehicles, and other commercial drivers can cause severe injuries when they strike pedestrians.
• Poor Visibility Accidents: Limited lighting, weather, missing signage, or obstructed views can affect pedestrian safety and raise questions about roadway design or driver conduct.
• Dangerous Road Design Claims: Missing crosswalks, unsafe traffic signals, poor lighting, or poorly designed pedestrian areas may contribute to a crash.
• Wrongful Death Claims: Some pedestrian crashes cause fatal injuries, leaving families with funeral expenses, lost support, and questions about legal responsibility.

What Is a Pedestrian Accident Claim?

A pedestrian accident claim is a personal injury claim brought after someone on foot suffers injuries because another party failed to use reasonable care. These claims often involve a negligent driver, but they can also involve a vehicle owner, insurance company, commercial driver, government entity, property owner, or another party.

A pedestrian accident claim may involve:

• A driver who failed to yield
• A driver who ignored traffic signals
• A driver who was texting or distracted
• A driver who was speeding
• A driver who was impaired or fatigued
• A hit-and-run crash
• A parking lot crash
• A rideshare or delivery driver
• A poorly maintained property
• Dangerous road design or poor visibility
• A dispute over right of way
• A dispute over whether the pedestrian was partly responsible

Pedestrian accident claims are different from many vehicle-only accident claims because the injuries are often more severe. The person walking has no seatbelt, airbag, frame, or other physical protection at the moment of impact.

Florida Pedestrian Accident Laws Drivers and Walkers Should Know

Florida pedestrian accident laws include rules for drivers and pedestrians. These rules may affect who had the right of way, whether a driver failed to use reasonable care, and whether pedestrian behavior may affect the claim.

Florida law may affect questions such as:

• Whether the pedestrian was in a crosswalk
• Whether traffic signals controlled the crossing
• Whether the driver had enough time to stop
• Whether the pedestrian entered the roadway suddenly
• Whether the pedestrian was crossing safely
• Whether the driver was speeding or distracted
• Whether the driver failed to yield
• Whether the crash happened in a parking lot or on private property
• Whether poor visibility contributed to the accident
• Whether comparative fault may apply

Pedestrians do not always have the right of way in every situation, and drivers do not escape responsibility simply by claiming they did not see the person walking. A careful review of the accident scene, traffic signals, witness statements, police report, and available footage can help clarify what happened.

Why Pedestrian Accidents Are a Serious Concern in Florida

Florida remains one of the more dangerous states for people walking, with over three-quarters of pedestrian fatalities occurring after dark. Recent pedestrian safety reporting based on Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design analysis ranked Florida fifth in the nation for pedestrian danger, with thousands of pedestrian deaths reported statewide from 2020 through 2024. In Orange County, one published analysis of FLHSMV crash data reported approximately 727 pedestrian crashes in 2025, showing how often these accidents affect people in high-traffic areas. Pedestrian accidents in Orlando are driven by high traffic volume and tourist density, among other reasons.

Why Pedestrian Accidents Often Cause Serious Injuries

Pedestrian accidents can cause severe injuries because people on foot have little protection compared with occupants of motor vehicles. Even a low-speed crash can cause injuries that require emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, or long-term medical treatment.

Common pedestrian accident injuries may include broken bones, head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, concussions, facial injuries, dental injuries, neck and back injuries, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, soft tissue injuries, hip injuries, knee injuries, shoulder injuries, nerve damage, chronic pain, permanent disability, and fatal injuries.

Seek medical attention after a pedestrian accident, even when injuries do not seem severe at first. A medical professional can evaluate symptoms, document injuries, and recommend medical treatment. Medical records can also help connect the injuries to the accident.

What To Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Florida

The steps taken after a pedestrian accident can affect both health and a legal claim. These actions may help preserve evidence and protect legal options:

1. Seek Medical Attention
   Medical attention comes first. Emergency care, follow-up appointments, and medical records can document pedestrian accident injuries and treatment needs.
2. Call Law Enforcement
   Ask for a police officer to respond when a pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle. A police report can document the accident scene, parties involved, witness information, and initial findings.
3. Preserve Evidence From the Accident Scene
   If you can do so safely, take photos or videos of the crosswalk, traffic signals, vehicle position, road conditions, lighting, injuries, and any personal property damaged in the crash.
4. Gather Witness Statements and Contact Information
   Witness statements can help show how the accident occurred, whether the driver failed to yield, and whether the pedestrian was crossing safely.
5. Keep Medical Records and Bills
   Save medical bills, treatment notes, prescriptions, physical therapy records, and instructions from each medical professional involved in your care.
6. Avoid a Recorded Statement Without Legal Guidance
   The driver’s insurance company may ask for a recorded statement. Speak with a personal injury attorney before answering questions that may be used to shift blame.
7. Contact a Pedestrian Accident Attorney
   A lawyer can review the facts, communicate with insurance companies, and explain whether legal action may be appropriate.

How Insurance Issues Work After a Pedestrian Accident

Insurance questions after pedestrian accidents can be complicated. A pedestrian may have a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company, but other coverage may also matter depending on the facts.

Insurance issues may involve:

• The driver’s bodily injury coverage
• The injured pedestrian’s own auto insurance
• Uninsured motorist coverage
• Underinsured motorist coverage
• Personal injury protection
• Hit-and-run coverage questions
• Commercial vehicle coverage
• Rideshare or delivery driver policies
• Government entity claims
• Property owner insurance
• Disputes over fault

If the driver who hit you did not have insurance or did not have enough insurance, your own auto policy may include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage that can apply even though you were walking at the time of the crash. Coverage depends on the policy language and the facts of the accident.

Determining Fault in a Pedestrian Accident Case

Determining fault in a pedestrian accident case often requires more than reading the police report. Insurance companies may argue that the pedestrian crossed outside a crosswalk, ignored traffic signals, entered the road suddenly, wore dark clothing, or was partly responsible for the crash.

Evidence that may help determine fault includes:

• Police reports
• Accident scene photos
• Traffic signal timing
• Crosswalk markings
• Vehicle damage
• Surveillance footage
• Dashcam footage
• Traffic camera footage
• Witness statements
• Medical records
• Driver phone records, when available through the legal process
• Road design evidence
• Lighting and visibility information

Florida’s comparative negligence law may reduce compensation based on the injured person’s percentage of fault. In many negligence cases, a person found more than 50 percent at fault is barred from recovering damages. Because fault can affect the strength and potential value of a claim, preserving evidence early matters.

What Compensation May Be Available After a Pedestrian Accident?

A pedestrian accident claim may allow an injured person to pursue compensation for damages supported by the facts and evidence.

Damages are the legal categories of losses tied to an injury. Economic damages involve financial losses, such as medical expenses, medical bills, medical treatment, rehabilitation, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and future care. Non-economic damages involve the personal impact of the injury, such as physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Depending on the facts, compensation that may be pursued in a pedestrian accident claim can include medical expenses, emergency care, hospital bills, medical treatment, rehabilitation, physical therapy, future treatment costs, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, personal property damage, and wrongful death damages when applicable. In rare cases, punitive damages may be available when the at-fault party’s conduct meets the legal standard under Florida law.

The value of a pedestrian injury claim depends on the severity of the injuries, medical records, available insurance coverage, determining fault, long-term treatment needs, and how Florida law applies.

How the Pedestrian Accident Legal Process Works

The legal process should give injured pedestrians a clearer path forward, not add more pressure. Pardy & Rodriguez, P.A. guides clients through each stage while keeping communication clear and straightforward.

The process often includes:

Free Consultation

You share what happened, where the accident occurred, what medical treatment you have undergone, and what concerns you have. We listen carefully and explain the legal options that may apply.

Investigation

We gather police reports, medical records, witness statements, photos, video footage, insurance information, and other evidence that may help show how the accident happened.

Insurance Communication

We communicate with insurance companies so you do not have to manage pressure from adjusters while focusing on medical treatment.

Damages Review

We review medical expenses, lost wages, future treatment needs, physical pain, emotional distress, and other losses tied to the accident.

Settlement Discussions or Litigation

Many pedestrian accident cases resolve through settlement discussions. If the insurance company does not offer a fair resolution, a personal injury case may move into litigation.

How Long Do You Have To File a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Florida?

Florida law limits how long pedestrian accident victims have to file a personal injury lawsuit. For many negligence claims arising on or after March 24, 2023, Florida generally allows two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit under Florida Statute, Section 95.11. Claims involving accidents before that date may still be subject to the prior four-year limit.

Claims involving government entities, unsafe road design, public sidewalks, poor lighting, or traffic signal issues may involve separate notice requirements and additional legal steps. Because deadlines can depend on the accident date, parties involved, and type of claim, it is important to speak with a pedestrian accident attorney promptly.

How Pardy & Rodriguez, P.A. Helps Pedestrian Accident Victims

Pardy & Rodriguez, P.A. helps pedestrian accident victims across Florida review their options after a serious crash. Many accident victims are dealing with medical treatment, insurance calls, financial pressure, and uncertainty about the future.

Our legal team may help by:

• Reviewing how the pedestrian accident occurred
• Identifying the driver, insurance company, or other party involved
• Reviewing police reports and accident scene evidence
• Preserving photos, video footage, and witness statements
• Reviewing traffic signals, crosswalk markings, and visibility issues
• Collecting medical records and medical bills
• Communicating with the driver’s insurance company
• Reviewing uninsured motorist coverage and other insurance issues
• Explaining how Florida’s comparative negligence law may affect the claim
• Preparing the pedestrian accident claim for settlement discussions or litigation when needed

We offer free consultations and handle pedestrian accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means there are no attorney’s fees unless money is recovered for you through the case. Case expenses, such as filing fees or court costs, are separate from attorney’s fees and can be explained during the initial consultation.

Schedule a Free Consultation With a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Florida

After a pedestrian accident, you may be dealing with medical bills, lost wages, serious injuries, insurance questions, and uncertainty about your legal options. You do not have to manage the legal process alone.

Pardy & Rodriguez, P.A. can review your pedestrian accident claim, explain whether another party may be responsible, and help you plan the next steps under Florida law. Call us at 888-522-0222 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation with our team.