Cowen Edwards Trial Lawyers represents runners injured after being struck by careless drivers in the Fort Lauderdale area. Our Fort Lauderdale running accident lawyers offer free consultations to all injured victims. Contact our offices to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold a reckless driver fully responsible for what you’ve been through.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Pedestrian Accident in Fort Lauderdale?
If you are hit by a car while jogging or walking and you somehow only emerge with some minor bumps and bruises, you may not need the help of a lawyer. But when more serious injuries are involved, like a broken leg or head trauma, it’s critical to have a Fort Lauderdale Pedestrian Accident Lawyer protecting your interests as you heal.
Unhelpful car insurance companies will be trying to blame you for what happened and downplaying your injuries. Your lawyer fully investigates and collects powerful evidence to build a case insurers can’t reject. Your Cowen Edwards Trial Lawyers representative then negotiates to maximize your pedestrian accident settlement check. We want to see you get back to the runs you love as soon as possible.
Running Accident Dangers in Fort Lauderdale
Careless drivers put other motorists at risk day and night on busy roads in Fort Lauderdale. But they also endanger those who are using the sidewalks and crosswalks for exercise.
Some chose to run by the wave wall along the busy lanes of the A1A, starting at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park. Others burn calories along the New River Greenway. Unfortunately, runners may have to eventually cross a street or even a highway to get back to their cars or to continue a longer run.
Careless drivers can ignore crosswalks and anyone along the street to end these runs with a devastating collision. Runners might suffer a collision with a truck or motorcycle and then with the pavement to suffer traumatic injuries. Even runners on sidewalks, trails, and greenways can be at risk if the path crosses a parking lot or driveway. A speeding motorist may even accidentally jump a curb to strike pedestrians.
These are just some of the places where local runners might be put in jeopardy by an unfocused driver:
- Runners along the beach and through beach parking lots
- Runners on streets in their own neighborhoods
- Runners in crosswalks
- Runners taking a path through Downtown Fort Lauderdale
- Runners on sidewalks
- Runners on greenways near roads.
Drivers owe pedestrians of all kinds a “duty of care.” They must slow down when they see a runner approaching a crosswalk or on the street. They must be traveling at a speed that would allow them to stop to prevent a collision with someone on foot.
If motorists don’t show this caution, they can be fully liable for the medical care a runner may need. A motorist may also be found to blame or partially to blame, even if a runner was crossing the street in the wrong spot. Drivers are still expected to pay full attention and do everything possible to avoid a collision.
Car insurance companies won’t make it easy for victims, even when fault is clear. A Cowen Edwards attorney protects you from their tactics meant to limit the support you receive. Your attorney would handle the frustrating back and forth with unhelpful insurance adjusters while giving you time to focus on healing.
Common Runner Injuries Suffered in Fort Lauderdale Car Accidents
A runner may lose the ability to run, at least for a while, in a major collision. A broken leg or a hip injury would make jogging impossible for weeks or months. In some tragic cases, a runner may suffer a permanent disability and be unable to ever participate in a physical fitness activity again.
But running isn’t the only activity at risk. Other injuries can permanently scar victims and leave them unable to complete everyday tasks until a recovery is complete and physical therapy is done.
These are just a few of the common runner traffic collision injuries treated at emergency rooms like the one at Broward Health Medical Center:
- Broken Leg Bones (e.g., femur, tibia, and fibula bone fractures, knee bone fractures)
- Ankle and Foot Fractures
- Arm Bone Fractures (e.g., the humerus in the upper arm, the ulna, and radius in the lower arm)
- Hand, Finger, and Wrist Fractures
- Broken Chest Bones (e.g., ribs, collarbone, sternum, clavicle)
- Skull Fractures and Facial Bone Fractures
- Spine Damage and Vertebrae Fractures
- Hip Fractures
- Soft tissue damage such as to tendons, ligaments, muscles
- Internal Organ Damage and damage to the tissue that holds them in place
Winning Compensation for Runners Struck By Cars
Everyone heals differently and the severity of wounds might not always be known right away. It’s why victims must be looking out for their futures. This is especially true for runners who live active lifestyles and will need the money to afford the best medical care available. It’s the best hope of getting victims back out on the running path as soon as possible.
A skilled lawyer helps victims consider what they may need in the months or years ahead to heal from an injury or what they’ll need to live with a long-term disability.
Your lawyer will be demanding that these and other factors be considered when deciding on the size of a pedestrian accident settlement check:
- Support for all current medical bills and estimates on the cost of care that could be necessary in the years ahead.
- Long-term costs associated with a permanent physical disability and/or a permanent disfigurement.
- Support for physical pain victims suffer through. This includes the pain felt in the collision and the recurring pain that may return every time the victim walks or runs anywhere.
- Support for the emotional trauma suffered during a long, difficult recovery. Victims may suffer from PTSD symptoms going back to the moment of impact.
- Loss of enjoyment of life. Depression and anxiety may arise. Victims will struggle when they can’t return to the street for a run.
- Travel costs as patients must find ways to get to and from doctor appointments. They may be on crutches or in wheelchairs and unable to drive.
- Paychecks and benefits victims lose while missing work.
- Wrongful death benefits. Families who lose a loved one in a tragic running collision can ask for help with burial costs and paying leftover emergency response fees. They should also demand support for the years to come when a loved one’s guidance and financial support will no longer be available.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been seriously hurt by a careless driver, allow a Fort Lauderdale Running Accident Lawyer to handle the stress and frustration of battling the car insurance companies. Contact us to schedule a free consultation and tell us what happened. Let us know about your biggest hardships since the accident and then let us go to work holding a careless driver accountable.
If you feel we can help you earn more for your running accident recovery, you won’t need to worry about having the money to hire a lawyer. Cowen Edwards Trial Lawyers doesn’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the money a car insurance company must pay you.
